Who Is Jesus? Series

M16: WHO IS JESUS?

MATTHEW 16:13-20

#m16sermons

INTRODUCTION

Answering the question: “Who Is Jesus?” is one of the most important questions we can answer. How we answer this question determines:

… our religion

… our worldview

… how we read the Bible

… our soul’s ultimate destination once we die

… how we practically live our lives

Answering this question is at times difficult. It is difficult because Jesus is simple and complicated at the same time because accepting Him for Who He says He is involves faith. Jesus was born, lived, and died… or did He? Jesus worked miracles to prove who He was… or did He? Jesus was the Son of God or was He just a good moral dude? We hear so many different things from our family, our friends, TV, movies, books, and sometimes we aren’t sure what to believe. As you will see in some videos this morning, the answer to the question: “Who is Jesus?” often has as many answers as those who are asked the question… everyone has a different answer.

ILLUSTRATION… VIDEO… Who is Jesus NYC Street Survey [2:36]

TRANSITION

Who is Jesus? What are the options when it comes to the answers to this most significant question?

A CHARACTER IN A STORYBOOK

One answer we may hear is that Jesus was just a fictional character in a storybook. Most of the time, folks who believe this claim not to have any religion at all or feel like religion is a crutch for the weak minded or for the masses. They claim not to believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Something in them or an experience they have had makes them reject God or even the possibility of God. This is very unfortunate for them.

We need to understand that the Bible is not one book that was written at one time by one person. The Bible is a book crafted and written over 1500 years by dozens and dozens of authors who did not know one another. We think of the Bible as one book, but it really is 66 different books. All 66 books tell the same story. The Old Testament is primarily a record of God's dealings with His chosen people the Hebrews. The New Testament continues the record with first century accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus and the struggles faced by new Christians in a hostile world. The Bible has verifiable history, accurate first-person accounts, and passage after passage that has been proven to be accurate because the oldest copies that exist match what we have today. Jesus is the central figure in the New Testament and is just as real, historical, verifiable, reliable, and authentic as the rest of the Bible.

In fact, the Gospel of Luke begins with these types of thoughts:

READ Luke 1:1-4 (ESV)

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

One of the lines of thought we should consider when thinking that Jesus is just a fake made-up story in a fake made-up book is all of the people who died for Jesus. People don’t die for a lie. The Apostles who walked and talked with Jesus were absolutely convinced He was who He said He was. Each of the lives of the disciples was radically changed because Jesus was real as was His life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

That leads us to another line of thought we should consider when thinking that Jesus is just a fake made-up story in a fake made-up book is all of the lives that have been changed. You and I are the evidence that Jesus Christ and the offer of life, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and righteousness is real and exists even today. Lives changed is proof of Jesus. While we should not make our experiences major evidence, our experiences with God are part of the story of Jesus.

TRANSITION

Who is Jesus? What are the options when it comes to the answers to this most significant question?

A MIRACLE WORKER

One answer we may hear is that Jesus was a good person who maybe did some miraculous things. Most of the time, folks who believe this understand Jesus was a real person, but they can’t quite explain all of the miracles that surrounded His life. They have heard He did a lot and was Someone inexplicable. They can’t explain it so they just kind of back off and aren’t sure what to do with Jesus. Jesus’ life was filled with so much supernatural and miraculous and some things that are hard to understand.