Who Is Jesus? Mark 8:27-30 (NKJV)

Transcription

1 Message for THE LORD'S DAY MORNING, December 2, 2018 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister Message 37 in Making A Difference Sermon Series from the Gospel of Mark Who Is Jesus? Mark 8:27-30 (NKJV) As we continue with our series of messages from the Gospel of Mark, please open your Bibles once again to Mark chapter eight. And let's read verses Mark 8:27-30 (NKJV) 27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, Who do men say that I am? 28 So they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets. 29 He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered and said to Him, You are the Christ. 30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him. P R A Y E R **********************

2 Introduction Illustration: American missionary to India, E. Stanley Jones, once wrote a letter to Mahatma Gandhi, considered by many to be the Father of India. In his letter, Jones said to Gandhi, You know of my love for you. I have tried to interpret you and your movement to people in the West. I had thought you had grasped the center of the Christian faith, but I am afraid I will have to change my mind. You have grasped certain principles of the Christian faith which have molded you and made you great. But while you have grasped the principles, I feel you have missed the Person. You said in Calcutta that you did not turn to the Sermon on The Mount for consolation, but to the Bhagavad-Gita. Neither do I turn to the Sermon on The Mount for consolation; I turn to this Person who embodies the Sermon on The Mount. Here I think you are weakest in your grasp of Christianity. You have grasped the principles, but you have missed the Person. May I suggest that you penetrate through the principles to the Person, then come back and tell us what you have found? Mr. Gandhi wrote a letter back to E. Stanley Jones thanking him for his concern, but he totally side-stepped the issue. E. Stanely Jones was right! The Christian faith centers on THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST, not on a bunch of religious principles or rituals. And this is what makes Christianity uniquely different from every religion in the world. Religion offers a set of teachings and says, Study these teachings...believe in these teachings...and follow these teachings. By contrast, the Gospel offers us a Person...JESUS CHRIST...and says, Accept Him...Believe in Him...and Follow Him. You see, WE DON'T BELIEVE IN CHRIST BECAUSE OF HIS TEACHINGS, WE BELIEVE IN HIS TEACHINGS BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS!

3 As we turn our thoughts now to today's text this matter of WHO JESUS IS becomes the focal point of a conversation Jesus has with His disciples. Remember Jesus had just healed the blind man in Bethsaida. He and His disciples have now moved about twenty-five miles north to the region of Caesarea Philippi. This region was primarily populated by Gentiles. This region was heavily steeped in pagan religions. In ancient times, the city had been called Balinas because it had been the center of Baal worship. Later, the name was changed to Panias in honor of the Greek god Pan who was half-goat, half man. In time, it came to be known as Caesarea Philippi to honor Caesar, the Roman Emperor, who was considered to be a god. In fact, Herod Philip had built a marble temple there and the citizens of the city were required to enter the temple at least one time a year to place a pinch of incense on a burning altar and proclaim Caesar is Lord! It was here in this place devoted to the worship of pagan idols and manmade gods that JESUS chose to make a fuller revelation of Himself to His disciples. As Jesus converses with His disciples He asks them two very important questions: the first question more general; the second question more penetrating.

4 First, Jesus asks His disciples... I. Who Do MEN Say That I AM? (vs.27,28) 27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, Who do men say that I am? 1. In essence, Jesus is saying to His disciples, You guys have been with me for two and half years now. You have seen the multitudes come to me by the hundreds and even thousands. What are you hearing in the crowds? Who do people say that I am? v. 28 So they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets. 2. As the disciples go back and forth in their response to Jesus' question one thing is very obvious and that is people certainly had their opinions about who Jesus was, but none of those opinions were right! The most common and most popular belief in those days was that Jesus was JOHN the BAPTIST. Now how could He possibly be John the Baptist! John the Baptist was dead! John the Baptist had his head cut off and John's disciples had buried his body. But remember, even Herod himself, who had ordered the beheading of John the Baptist, believed that Jesus was John the Baptist resurrected from the dead. This belief caught on among the people that Jesus was John the Baptist resurrected.

5 Other people believed He was ELIJAH.. Why Elijah? According to the prophetic writings of Malachi, Elijah was to come to the earth just prior to the arrival of the Messiah. Of course Malachi was referring to John the Baptist, not Elijah. But remember, Elijah never died. He was taken up into heaven by a whirlwind. (II Kings 2) So while some in those days didn't believe Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead, they did believe He was Elijah who had come back to the earth. And then there were other people who didn't believe Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah, but that He was one of the other prophets. In Matthew's account, one of the other prophets mentioned by name was Jeremiah. Now why would some people think Jesus was the prophet Jeremiah? Well remember, Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. And Jesus was the Man of sorrows. Perhaps people saw in Jesus that sorrowful countenance of the prophet Jeremiah. 3. So when Jesus asked His disciples, Who do men say that I am? His disciples gave Him several different answers: Some say you are John the Baptist...Some say you are Elijah...some say you are Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Why couldn't anybody say, He is the Messiah? It was because of their notion that the Messiah would be a powerful,political, military leader who would overthrow Rome and elevate Israel to a world power.

6 But Jesus was none of those things. He wasn't a political figure...he wasn't a military leader...he didn't overthrow armies...he didn't look like a King...dress like a King...or live like a King; so the Jewish people could not and would not accept Him as the Messiah. 4. The Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was of the devil. The Jewish Sanhedrin thought Jesus was a blasphemer. Andd remember even the members of His own family thought He was a mad-man, a lunatic, because of the things He taught and did. 5. Over two thousand years have now passed since Christ ascended back to His heavenly Father, and the vast majority of this world still cannot accept Jesus Christ for who He truly is. Ask unbelievers today Who Is Jesus and you will get a variety of answers. -Some say He was A GREAT MAN. -Some say He was A GREAT RELIGIOUS FIGURE. -Some say He was A GREAT TEACHER -Some say He was A GREAT PROPHET 6. Sadly, most of the Jewish people today believe Jesus was nothing more than a great prophet and teacher, but not the Son of God.

7 After asking His disciples Who Do Men Say That I Am? Jesus now asks His disciples a more penetrating question... II. Who Do YOU Say That I AM? (vs.29-30) 1. That is the most important question you will ever answer. That is the most important question every human being will ever answer. WHO IS JESUS? 2. Every human being on earth is going to have to answer that question. Answer it right and you will go to heaven. Answer it wrong and you will go to hell. From the HIGHEST to the LOWEST. From the MIGHTIEST to the WEAKEST From the GREATEST to the SMALLEST Everyone will be accountable to God for their answer to the question: WHO IS JESUS? 3. That is the question JESUS now poses to His disciples: WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? The disciples have now been with Jesus 24/7 for two-and-a-half years. They have heard everything He has taught. They have seen every miracle He has performed. They have traveled thousands of miles with Jesus on dusty roads. They have sailed back and forth with Him across the Sea of Galilee many times. And now it is time for their Final Exam. Just one question: WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

8 4. Peter, who is now the established spokesperson for the twelve speaks up and says, You are the Christ! You are the Christos... the Anointed One of God. CHRIST is not another name for Jesus! CHRIST is His title: Jesus CHRIST...Jesus the Anointed One of God! Matthew's gospel provides us with Peter's broader confession... Matthew 16:16 (NKJV) You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 5. Peter got the right answer! Jesus said, Blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father in Heaven. (Matthew 16:17) 6. John the Baptist got it right when he said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The Angel got it right when he announced to the shepherds, For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the LORD! Simeon, the elderly saint at the Temple got it right when he took baby Jesus in his arms and blessed Him as the long-awaited Messiah. Anna, the elderly widow at the Temple got it right when she told everyone that Jesus was the redeemer of Israel.

9 The dying thief on the cross got it right when he said to Jesus, LORD, remember me when You come into your kingdom. The Roman Centurion got it right when he said, Surely this was the Son of God. The crowds outside Jerusalem on the day of Jesus' Triumphal Entry got it right when they shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! The King of Israel. 7. And brothers and sisters, YOU GOT IT RIGHT that day you walked down the aisle and made that great confession of faith, I BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD! C O N C L U S I O N Some of you here today have still not answered the question WHO IS JESUS? My friend, you can delay your answer. You can keep putting it off and putting it off, but the question is never going to go away. If you refuse to answer the question in this life, you will have to answer it when your life on earth is over, only then it will be too late to answer correctly. One day you will either bow before Jesus as your Savior or you will bow before Him as Your judge who will condemn you to eternal punishment. For one day, Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. As we come to our time of decision this morning what is your answer to the most important question you will ever answer? WHO IS JESUS TO YOU?