At the center of Christianity is One for Whom the whole thing is named: Christ.

jesusJesus Christ.  Did you know “Christ” isn’t His last name?  It’s a title.  It would be more accurate to say “Jesus the Christ”.  But regardless of what you call Him, Jesus is controversial.

Most people are fine with saying “God”.  After all, over 85% of people across the globe believe in some type of god or higher power.  That’s huge.

But start dropping the “J word” and everybody gets uncomfortable—even those who call Him their Savior.  And at the end of the day, the question hanging over our head is what are you gonna do with Jesus?

Jesus asked His own disciples what they were going to do with Him.  In Matthew 16, he’s asking who people say He is.  Pressing them for a straight answer, Jesus directly asks Peter who HE thinks Jesus is.  Peter responds (Matthew 16:16):

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

That’s a bold statement.  Peter didn’t mince words.  Jesus didn’t either when He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

So…who can get to the Father (that would be Heaven, by the way, where God the Father lives) without Jesus?  Jesus Himself said, “No one.”

So the question of “what are you gonna do with Jesus” is HUGE.  Matter of fact, it is THE issue of life and death.

And since Jesus is a matter of life and death for everyone we know and love (and us too, of course), why are we so ashamed to admit it?  What are we so afraid of?

Ridicule?
Persecution?
Loss of opportunity?
Fear?

 “But whoever disowns me before others,” Jesus said in Matthew 10:33, “I will disown before my Father in heaven.

When Jesus said He’s the gateway to the Father He MEANT it.  Jesus went so far as to tell us that denying Him here leads to Him denying us there.  Translation: shutting the gate.

Perhaps C.S. Lewis wrote it best, “Jesus is either lunatic, liar, or lord.”  Jesus was crazy to say the things He said if He wasn’t Who He said He was.  He would have been lying if he was sane and it wasn’t the truth.

Therefore, that leaves us with the question, “What are you gonna do with Jesus?”