Who Do You Think Jesus Is? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: How you answer this question changes everything. This is a personal question with the most life-changing answer.
SCRIPTURE: Mark 8:27-31
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
I love Christmastime. In fact, there is a bittersweetness about a today, Christmas Eve, because it’s packed with all the anticipation and wonder of Christmas literally being at our doorstep, but it’s also a reminder that it’s almost over. Radio stations will return to their normal lineups. Lights will come down. Wrapping paper and tape will be clearanced. But, Christmas doesn’t have to be over. If you remember a few weeks ago, I told you I tell my students Merry Christmas every day, and when they complain that it’s not Christmastime, I always respond with: “Christmas is a lifestyle”. And it’s true! It seems like every single Christmas movie tries to repackage the same message: if we can just capture the true meaning of Christmas, it will change everything about our lives. Every Scrooge and Grinch can get a heart if they just learn that Christmas is all about… love and family and friends and general kindness to mankind. But that’s not what Christmas is about. Christmas is about answering the same question Mark has been presenting to us in the first half of this Gospel. Who is Jesus?
This question has been building to this point. Crowds have wondered at the authority of His teaching and the power of His miracles. The religious leaders have determined He’s demon-possessed. His hometown and family think He’s crazy. The disciples, up until this point, seem to spend most of their time in “deer in the headlights” astonishment. The only times we’ve seen anyone actually express accurately who Jesus really is so far in this gospel have been when God the Father spoke from heaven at His baptism and when the demons were yelling at Him not to cast them out.
That brings us to the immediate context of this encounter. In chapter 7, Jesus teaches that salvation fixes our internal sin problem, not some external purity issue. He then illustrates that when we see the “unclean” woman’s faith and the feeding of the 4,000+ “unworthy” gentiles. Sandwiched between those accounts, we have the healing of a deaf man with a speech impediment. He hears; then, he speaks, pointing to our need to have our ears opened, so we can also speak the truth. Immediately following that, the Pharisees demand a more conclusive sign...and Jesus leaves them. Then, Jesus warns the disciples about unbelief, and they don’t understand, so Jesus gives sight to a blind man...pointing to their need, and ours, to have Jesus open our eyes to see the truth.
And now, we’re brought to the outskirts of Caesarea Philippi, a city known for its pagan worship of first Baal, then Pan, and now Caesar. Surrounded by all this misguidance and these lies, Jesus asks His disciples the most important question in the world. Who am I?
I don’t plan on keeping us long this morning, but this question is just as relevant for us today. This is what makes Christmas so special, and answering this question right is what will really change everything. Today’s gist? This is a personal question with the most life-changing answer.
I. This is a Personal Question
Priming the pump. First, we see Jesus getting the disciples ready. They’re walking along and He asks them what other people are saying about Him. They give the more positive answers, which we’ll come back to in a second, but it’s pretty evident that Jesus had no intention of stopping here.
Getting to the heart. Immediately, He then cuts to the chase. “But who do you say that I am?” It’s easy to recite and even critique the beliefs of others; it’s a lot harder to vocalize yours. Yet, at the end of the day, what other people believe about Jesus will not save or condemn you. On my dad’s side, I come from a long line of Christians. In fact, it’s worse, a lot of us our even preachers. My great-grandpa was a pastor; my grandpa was a deacon; my dad is a pastor/missionary; both of my brothers are pastors. There is a lot of belief in my family. But, none of that saved me. It pointed me to the truth, sure, and I am forever thankful for that. Nonetheless, in the end, I won’t be asked what they believed. When I stand before God in judgement, the question will be did I.
This question is personal, and you have to answer it for yourself. When Jesus came claiming to be God-in-the-flesh and the savior of the world and proclaimed repentance and belief in Him, trust in His control as the only way to be saved--He took away the option of indifference. You have to respond to that one way or another.
II. With the Most Life-changing Answer
So, this is a personal question, and the answer is life-changing.
Good isn’t good enough. The disciples list off three of the more prominent “positive” responses to Jesus’ identity. Remember, there are some who thought He was possessed by a demon or crazy. However, the vast majority flocked to Him, so these kinds of answers were likely more prevalent. And...they’re all “good”. John the Baptist was a respected teacher and the last of the prophets. He came as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy that someone like the prophet Elijah would come preparing the way for the Messiah. But, John had been beheaded, and everyone knew this. So, when they said Jesus was John the Baptist, they were saying they thought He was a great man raised from the dead. Option two was equally impressive: Elijah himself. The Old Testament tells us that Elijah did not die, but was taken up into Heaven in a chariot of fire. Some thought this would mean he would physically return to prepare the way of the Messiah. So, when people said Jesus was Elijah, that’s what they were saying. Then, the last of these options was that He was, at the very least, another prophet sent from God. This is probably the lesser of the options, but it’s still an honorable position because it had been 400 years since God had sent a prophet. These are good answers. They’re nice. They seem respectful. They’re all pointing to Jesus as more than average in His goodness. Yet, they’re all wrong.
Calling Jesus good isn’t good enough. He’s not one in a line of many. He’s the way, the truth, and the life and no one is saved except through Him (John 14:6)! I think it was pastor Derek Thompson who put it like this. What would it be like if a husband described his wife as one of the most beautiful women he’d ever met? Or one of many women he could have married? Or one of the many women he loves? Or one woman who could fulfill his needs? Yeah, that wouldn’t cut it. It doesn’t cut it with Jesus either. It might sound nice to say He’s a good man, until you play out those implications. He can’t just be a good man and the Savior of the world.
Peter’s proclamation. Finally, Peter seems to get this. They’ve missed out and missed out and missed out. But here, in the turning point of the Gospel, Peter proclaims that Jesus is indeed the Christ. Now, I know many realize this, but Christ is not His last name, it’s His title. He is the Christ, the anointed, the Messiah, the one the Old Testament had pointed to who would bring lasting salvation. Peter was right, and from Matthew’s account we even know Jesus commends him for this and clarifies that God revealed it to him.
So, why then are they told to be quiet? All throughout this Gospel Jesus has told people to be quiet about what He’s done because He didn’t come to be a miracle worker. He didn’t want the truth to be lost in translation. But what about here? If Peter is right, why not tell the world? Because as big of a deal as this is, Peter and the disciples are still missing an important element here. They know He’s the Christ, but they’re still looking at that through the lens of their culture. They grew up thinking the Christ would be a political leader who would restore Israel’s physical kingdom. That’s why you can’t separate verses 30 and 31. Jesus tells them not to tell anyone He’s the Christ until they understand what that means. Being the Savior means He will die and rise again. Next week we’ll see, they didn’t take this very well. Nonetheless, a Savior who did not destroy sin is no Savior at all. The verse is clear. He had to suffer. He had to be rejected. He had to be killed, and He had to rise again--for you.
TAKEAWAYS
1. You have to answer this for yourself, and it doesn’t matter what others are saying. And others are saying a lot of things, right? There will always be a plethora of opinions. However, at the end of the day, you have to answer this for yourself. What will you base your answer on? He’s presented us with the truth. God’s Word. I think last week I might have left this point a little ambiguous, and I apologize. I kept saying we’re blind until Jesus opens our eyes, but failed to mentioned the primary means of that opening. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through His Word.
2. In the end, you will be held accountable for your answer. Remember, calling Him good, isn’t good enough. He’s either Savior or not. There can’t be an inbetween.
3. Jesus, God-in-flesh, is your Christ, your Savior, who came to die and rise again to destroy sin. Any other answer is missing the point. No other answer can honor Him because no other answer points to who He really is. Knowing this will change everything! This truth will directly impact everything about your life. If you don’t believe this about Jesus, you’ll end up living for yourself or seeking meaning in your friends or family or position--things that cannot provide meaning. You won’t have this eternal hope, and you’ll stand before the Savior of the world on judgment day knowing you rejected Him. Yet if you believe this is true and give Him control, you will live for Him. You will seek to serve Him with everything, and on judgment day you will stand before Jesus as His. And this is why Christmas is so wonderful. This is why I can tell my students it’s a lifestyle, because the Jesus who came in the manger scene is the Jesus who came to be my Savior--and yours!
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