Vince Lombardi, the famous head coach of the Green Bay Packers, once watched his team suffer

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1 Who Do You Say Jesus Is? Matthew 16:13",17 Before Reading the Passage Return To Lowell F. Johnson Master Menu Return To Lowell F. Johnson Great Questions From The Bible Vince Lombardi, the famous head coach of the Green Bay Packers, once watched his team suffer a humiliating defeat to an underdog opponent. The next day before practice he held up an object to his players, including some pro-bowl veterans, and said, "Gentlemen, this is a football." Coach Lombardi figured it was time to call his team back to basics. After living with His disciples for nearly three years, Jesus paused to ask them this basic question: Who do you say that I am?" e Still today you and I must begin right there. Before we can grasp anything else in scripture, we must understand who Christ is. Pollster George Gallup once asked a random sample of Americans, "Who do you say Jesus is?" Forty~two percent answered, "He is God." The majority of people in the survey looked upon Jesus as a great leader, a teacher of morals, or a prophet. Who do you say Jesus IS? Our eternal destiny hangs on our answer to this fundamental question. Read the Passage There are two questions asked by Jesus to His disciples. He asked about the popular 0pL.-uon of the people a..'ld then He asked about the personal opinion of the disciples. 1. The Prelimilary Question 16: 13 (Setup question) Who do men ~ the average man on the street g Who do men say I am?" ~ That's a very important question. What we believe about Jesus will lead us to life.. changing decisions. It is a question that, sooner or later, every person will have to answer. Some questions you can ignore or avoid. Some questions are not even worthy of an answer. But this question \>\-ill determine your destiny. It will determine where you \>\i11 spend eternity -- heaven or hell. Who is Jesus? Someone said that there are four possible answers to that question: He is either Legend, Liar, Lunatic, or Lord. Some say He' s a Legend - that He never existed... that someone made Him up. Others say He's a Liar - that He lied about who He claimed He was. ~ Others say that He was a Lunatic ~ that he was crazy and had mental problems.

2 it Still others say that He is Lord. it I know He's not a Legend. He's real. "He walks with me and He talks ~rith me and He tells me I am His own." Nor is He a Liar. Not only does He always tell the truth; He IS truth. And He is not a Lunatic. In fact He is made unto us wisdom. it If someone else went around asking folks, Who do you say I am," we'd think he or she were insecure. But Jesus asked this question for the sake 0 our security. - John 8:24 ~ Jesus told the crowds, "Unless you believe that I am God, you will die in Your sins. - Rom. 10:9 promises, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." He is Lord! I have accepted Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do men say I am?" In answering this question the disciples didn't tell the whole story. They passed over the ugly criticism they had heard. Some had accused Him of being a winebibber and a glutton, a friend of publicans and sinners. it Instead they told Him only the complimentary things that they had heard. (1) Some said that He was John the Baptist, come back to life. ~ That's what Herod who had John beheaded said. Both preached a message of repentance, but John only paved the way for Jesus. (2) Others said that He was Elijah, returned from heaven. - Elijah had spoken for God in great power and he had also performed miracles. He called fire down from heaven, raised a dead boy to life and caused the food supply for a widow and her son to continue for many day. ~ But Jesus is the Lord of creation. He brought forth tons of barley cakes and fish from His own hands when He fed the 5,000 with a lad's lunch. (3) Still others said that He was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. ~ Jerel!'.ia.lt was knm,vn as the "weeping prophet" because ofms compassion. '= The compassion of Jesus is seen as He weeps at the tomb and over a town (Jerusalem). it The public recognized His unusual power and had respect for Him, but most did not see Him as Messiah... as God. Some of the saddest words in the gospels are found in John 1: 11

3 Public opinion about Jesus is still untrustworthy today. Misunderstanding about who Jesus is today falls into three categories: (1) Some teach that Jesus was God, but not man. He looked like a man, but he wasn't a man. 1 John 4:2-3; 2 John 7-8, (2) Others teach that only God the Father is God and that He created Jesus. That Jesus is not God, but only the first.and greatest creation of God. '" Pvornnle' lljf"rtn"no o"a TAhouoh \"171 ' t"aoo","0 b""l;"""e +ho+ Ct.'n 0+ l' ~ n.c.u,u:yl...l"'~~l" :l:lvi.h'j -Q.,ll.y. -.1:Jw1. V.Q..I. iii.u.~1oj """u."",, l.u.. (.W.iU 'IJ'".0t." J ~oa cona'-o"'n"j;, +t."v God ~00 a created being. ~ The millions who embrace Islam believe Jesus was a prophet, the greatest of prophets, but definitely not God. Their misunderstanding has eternal consequences.. eternal death i...'1stead of eternal life. (3) Still others teach that Jesus was nothing more than a man. There's nothing special about Him. II. The Primary Question 16: 15 ~ Speak for yourself C!' ',\Vho do }1m. say that I ain?" "But you, who do you say lain?" Others spoke from hearsay or second",handed opinions, from folks seeing Him only once or twice. But these men had been with Him constantly. They had seen Him in solitude, in the midst of crowds, when He prayed, when He preached, when He worked miracles. ~ The question was intensely personal! Jesus didn't want to know what others thought of Him, but what His disciples t..~ought of Him. I heard about an ordination council testing a young seminary graduate. They fired all kinds of theological questions at him. They asked him what he believed concerning the inspiration and authority of Scripture, the person of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the nature of the church, and a host of other issues. L~r each question, he replied, "Dr. Strong says... " He was quoting AugJstus Strong, who wrote a classic text on systematic theology. The council was pleased with all his answers and voted to grant him his ordination. After the meeting, the chairman complimented the pastor-to.,.he: "Your beliefs are as straight as an arrow, as solid as they come!" The young man replied, "I don't believe any of those things. I was only quoting Dr. Strong, because I knew that's what you wanted to hear." To say the least, the ordination council

4 was heartsick to hear that. In like manner, Jesus has no desire to hear us talk secondhand about what our parents, our p.astors, or our churches believe. He wants us to forge our own personal faith in Him. In the literal Greek text, Jesus' question emphasizes the word you by stating it twice. It literally reads, "But you, who do you say that I am?" Jesus was implying, "Are you willing to sand alone in your belief about Me? Do you dare go against the tide of public opinion and hold a personal conviction?" Peter answered for all of the disciples: "You are THE Christ, THE Son of THE Living God." o Not one son among luany. You are beyond and above all others. A Son, not of grace, but of the substance ufthe Father. " VIe are sons of God through spi...ritual adoption; He is God's only begotten Son. Sometimes you ask folks, "\Vhat does Jesus mean to you?" or "\\.There do you sta..'1d with Ch.r. ist?" Every now and then an embarrassed look comes over the person's face, and he or she replies, "That's a personal matter between God and me. I'd rallter not ta1k about it." ~ Our relationship 'rith Christ should be a personal matter, but it's also meant to be a treasure we're eager to share. 1 Peter 3: 15 "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." III. A. Pressing Question This was not a question just for our Lord's disciples. It's a question we must all one day answer. " I'm glad we're confronted with that question. For my part, I'm ready with my answer. Are you ready with yours? Let me tell you who Jesus is to me; Here is the confession of my heart: He is God's Messiah. He is the Sen efged and Ged the Son whe eame te earth in human flesh. He was crucified, buried and was raised from the dead. He paid the full penalty for our sin and now reigns in heaven, one day to judge every human who has ever lived. His name is Wonderful for "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4: 12) He is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother! Listen to Peter's testimony '" Matt. 16: 16., 17 Do you realize that if you know the true identity of Jesus, no preacher or teacher revealed it to you. The God of this universe chose to reveal His Son to you. Remember that the next time

5 you feel insignificant. When Jesus asks, "Who do you say that I am?" He expects us to answer, "My Lord and my God." Luke 9:26. Return To Lowell F. Johnson Master Menu Return To Great Questions From The Bible