Seven Essential Questions: Who is Jesus

Matthew 16:13-16 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 

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

As we begin these forty days of Lent, the preparation for Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, I am arranging my sermons around the topic “Seven Essential Questions.” These are questions that are most important in the life of Christians. The first question we will look at is “who is Jesus?”

I get confused for different people all the time. Last year, when I was in the USA, I got an American SIM card for my phone. Instantly, I started getting SMSs. “Happy Birthday!” “I haven’t seen you in a long time. Just wanted to make sure you’re ok. And Happy Birthday!” “Hey man, wanna party?” Then it was “You owe this amount of money…” “This is the last warning to pay this bill…” When I answered the phone, half the time I ended up having to explain to the person on the other end, “No, I’m not Jameric. No, he doesn’t have this phone anymore. If I hear from him, I’ll let him know, Officer.”

There are times when people mistake us for someone else. Have you ever had that happen? Or, maybe, just maybe, you’ve mistaken someone’s identity. I have done this — I see someone I know, I shout out, “Hi, Chris!” and they turn around and it’s not who you thought it was at all.

There’s another kind of mistaken identity. When you know someone, or you think you know them, but then you find out that they have certain expectations of you. For example, there are many people in Zambia who think that because we are white missionaries, we are going to build a huge center like the New Life Center or Kafakumba. Mistaken identity!

Jesus had to deal with all kinds of expectations and mistaken identity. Now, in the scripture we read, Jesus comes to his disciples with a question. Who do people say I am? They’re talking. You hear the talk. What are they saying about me?

The disciples answered, “They think you’re a prophet. Maybe you’re one of the famous prophets of old, come back.” It is similar to now, when there are many people who think Jesus was just a great teacher. He taught with wisdom that transcends time. He taught nice things like “love one another.”

While Jesus was a great teacher, some people say he was only a great teacher, but not the Messiah, not the Lord. That can’t be the case, because Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” in John 10:30. Now, if Jesus was NOT the Messiah, if Jesus was NOT the Son of God, if Jesus and God were NOT one, that would mean that Jesus was a liar. And a liar is by definition NOT a great teacher.

So some people could say, “Well, he just thought he was the Son of God. He must have been mentally ill or at least extremely deluded.” That would be valid, except that Jesus did things that nobody else could do. He fulfilled countless prophecies. He did countless miracles. AND he rose from the dead. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Jesus told his disciples, “I know everyone else is saying a lot of things about me. But who do you say I am?” Peter answered with the great confession of faith, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” While the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” It is God alone who gives the blessing of life — and this abundant life comes only from Jesus. 

Jesus alone is the Son of God. Jesus’ very name means God saves. Jesus is Emmanuel, God With Us. But Jesus was also 100% human. He was tempted in every way we are, and he can sympathize with us fully. Yet he lived without sin, and died a physical death, a horrible death on a cross. But on the third day, he rose again!

A key fact about Jesus is what he said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the only way to God. And Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:32-33: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.”

This is all important because beliefs are important. What we believe shapes what we value. What we believe and value thus shapes what we do, and what we do shapes who we become. If we believe these things about Jesus, if we really believe them, then we will live them out. We will be fearless, because if He is for us, who can be against us?