According to the Wall Street Journal, the President has deemed his debt ceiling efforts sufficiently arduous to merit a promotion.  President Obama has apparently made a sacrifice so great that we have been saved (again, as if that were necessary).  In reference to his recent efforts, the President commented, "There's no sense dying on a small cross."

We know our President is a font of scarcely believable material, but this is really something.  Just how should a believer construe President Obama's analogy of himself to Jesus Christ?

First, there is a notable major difference between the President's comment and the more common and irreverent quip, "Come down off your cross."  The President's comment is self-referencing; whereas the common quip is typically directed at another person.  More importantly, the President's comment seeks a parallel to Christ's cross and inflation of the President's ordeal; whereas the common quip ironically suggests perspective, that another's troubles may be overstated. 

Most of us would naturally ascribe the President's comment to his giant ego, but the underlying logic is so nonsensical it suggests lunacy.  To wit, why does Obama's debt ceiling ordeal merit such a parallel, but not the efforts of Boehner, McConnell or Reid?  Did Obama really endure anything like a multi-day beating, torture, bloodletting and murder?  Did death result and did President Obama achieve a remission of all sins?  Is there any doubt that the President does not love me to the point of self-sacrifice?  Also consider that the three-day-later debt downgrade is a sign of demise, and certainly no resurrection in even the most liberal/hyperbolic[1] sense of the word.

Give him credit; he did say "a little cross," possibly making him only a "little" savior.  Even so, the comment makes no sense if explained only on the basis of ego, without any accompanying reference to mental illness, immaturity or spiritual deficiency.  Of course, it is possible the President doesn't understand Christ's cross, doesn't believe in the Passion or was making mockery in some liberal elite way. 

As crazy as it will sound, there is another explanation.  The historical/biblical concept of an antichrist is not so singular and supernatural as the modern, post-Exorcist mind might assume.   Scripture (specifically 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 John, and Revelation) describes not one but many antichrists and depicts those characters as ones who deceitfully claim mighty deeds and signs. 

President Obama has offered hope (a theological virtue), claimed to cause the oceans to subside (a miracle) and compared himself to Christ (a substantial deceit).  The Bible also suggests that such a character is more sizzle than steak, more talk than reality.  The shoe could fit. 

Whatever the reason, who says such things? 

[1] Redundancy noted.  Liberalism and hyperbole are now synonyms.  See Peter Berkowitz's article, "The Debt Deal and the Progressive Crack-Up."