Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?
Month 4: Is Jesus Really God? · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Mark 2:5-12
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 At once Jesus knew in His spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves. “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” He asked. 9 “Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic, 11 “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” 12 And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all. As a result, they were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Memory Verse
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”— John 1:1 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Genesis 42-44
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 93 of 365 — Joseph's brothers come to Egypt, and God begins to mend a broken family.)The Heart of It
Four friends tore open a roof to lower their paralyzed friend down to Jesus. Everyone expected Jesus to say, "Get up and walk." Instead He said something that made the religious leaders gasp. He said, "Son, your sins are forgiven you" (). The scribes thought, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And they were exactly right. Only the person you wronged can forgive you. And only God can forgive the sins we commit against God. By forgiving this man, Jesus was claiming to be God. Then He proved He really had that authority. He healed the man's legs in front of everyone. The easy-to-say thing was "you're forgiven." He backed it up with the impossible-to-fake thing. A paralyzed man walked home.
This is why a famous writer named C. S. Lewis said we cannot call Jesus "just a good teacher." A good teacher does not go around forgiving sins and accepting worship. Not unless he really is God. So Jesus only leaves us three choices. Maybe He knew He wasn't God and said it anyway. That would make Him a liar, not good at all. Or maybe He sincerely thought He was God but wasn't. That would make Him a lunatic, like a man who thinks he's a poached egg. Or He told the truth, and He really is Lord. The one option no honest person can pick is "nice teacher who never claimed to be God." His own words and His own miracles slam that door shut. So which will it be: liar, lunatic, or Lord?
Around the Table
Jesus did something only God can do — He forgave sins! Then He made a hurt man walk to show He really is God.
Let's do it: Lie down, then jump up like the healed man and shout, "Jesus is Lord!"
The scribes were right that only God can forgive sins. By forgiving the man, Jesus was claiming to be God — and the healing proved He could back it up.
Let's talk: Why is "Jesus was just a kind teacher" not really an option, based on what He said and did?
This is the "trilemma": liar, lunatic, or Lord. Jesus said things only God could rightly say, so we can't call Him merely a wise man.
Let's go deeper: Walk through all three options out loud. Which one fits the evidence — His miracles, His character, His resurrection — and why?
💬 Conversation Starter
If a kid at school said, "I can forgive any sin in the whole world," what would you think of him? Now think about what it means that Jesus really could.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Sometimes someone says, "Jesus was just a good moral teacher." You can kindly answer, "A good teacher doesn't forgive sins, accept worship, and say He existed before Abraham. Not unless He's God. Jesus' words only leave us three choices. He was lying, He was confused, or He was telling the truth. Given His miracles and His rising from the dead, 'Lord' makes the most sense." Say it gently. First Peter 3:15 calls us to answer "with gentleness and respect." We're not trying to win an argument. We're trying to open a door.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The "trilemma" comes from C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic… or else he would be the Devil of Hell." Some skeptics add a fourth "L": legend. They claim the divine sayings were invented later. That is worth knowing, because your kids will meet it. But the Gospels were written within the lifetime of eyewitnesses, in a culture of careful oral memory. And they include details no inventor would add. The leaders accusing Jesus of blasphemy makes no sense unless He claimed deity. Help your children see that the divine claims are woven so deeply into Jesus' words and actions. You cannot pull them out and still have a story left. The man who forgave sins and rose from the grave forces a verdict from every one of us.
Draws on: C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity; Frank Turek, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus didn't just teach about forgiveness. He gave it, because He is God. Help us trust Him as Lord. And help us tell others kindly who He really is. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus left us no middle ground. He is either lying, confused, or Lord. The evidence says Lord.