Ain't No Other Man Series

Mark 8:28

Sermon Series: The gospel according to Billboard

#9: “Ain’t No other Man"

This is the season of epiphany where we are concern with the revelation of God to the world in Jesus Christ. This is the season where we highlight Jesus teachings, miracles, and evangelism to the lost of his generation in the hope that people would come to understand who Jesus is both Christological and Prophetically. And it is a struggle to get people to understand how Jesus can be both a divine deity and fully human and comprehend that neither of those natures canceled the other at anytime. It is difficult for this generation to grasp as it was difficult for the generation of Jesus’ time to grasp-they witnessed the everyday activities of Jesus for three years. He struggled with teaching them who he was because his identity could only be seen through the eyes of genuine spiritual faith. Some within his community got it, while others struggled and doubted. It is like a teacher with a classroom of students-she gives all the same lectures, works through examples in front of all, gives all the same homework; yet, every student may still comprehend those lessons differently- some will get it, acing the tests, others will struggle, barely passing the test, and others will fail and need remediation. Much like today-some of us get it, others are still struggling, and some will need remediation. The only way to determine where the students are at in their respective understanding of the faith is to simply ask the question.

And periodically, we see Jesus posing questions to his disciples. As he mentors and tutors them, occasionally he wants to see what they have grasped. And we must understand that any time Jesus raises a question to anyone, it is simply a test. He knows the answer but we must know it as well. Think about the questions he posed to his disciples alone:

1. When his family tried to encourage him to stop his controversial ministry, chase him down, and his disciples told him, your mother and brothers are outside asking for you, his question, “Who Are my mother and my brothers?

2. Or as he was on his way to Jarius’ home to heal a sick little girl, and the crowds was pressing in on him, he turned to his disciples and asked, “Who Touched me?”

3. Or, “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him; he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”

4. Or finally, after people were beginning to fall away because he would no longer do miraculous signs for entertainment or give them free food, he turn to his disciples and ask, “Do you also wish to go away?”

a. Every now and then when Jesus would test his class to see just where they were in their discipleship. We have to understand that some times, when we are going through challenges in our own lives, that test is only God asking us a question? And so we must examine what is it that God is asking us?

• He says to his twelve: “Who do men say I am?” And although it is only one interrogative, it is a three part question dealing with,

a. First of all, we all do care what people say about us? We are human filled with emotions and the desire to belong. But we should not allow Public opinion to shape our faith. And this is what Jesus is testing: he is testing to see if the disciples have allowed public opinion to shape or hinder their faith.

b. Secondly, we are struggle with physical perception.

i. Jesus was surrounded by those who were caught up in their physical perception of him. And their physical senses were hindering the revelation of his identity.

a) These were blinded by what they saw.

a. There were the crowds who were amazed at his bold actions

b. There were the teachers of the law who say he is a sorcerer.

c. There was is home town that only saw him as local town boy.

b) We are often blinded by our sight:

a. Some won’t believe it until they see it.

b. Others are discourage by what they see going on it the world and in the church.

c) Some were hindered by what they heard.

a. Complaining that his sayings where to hard.

b. Complaining that he exalted himself to high

d) We are often hindered by what we hear.

a. Rumors, gossip, and innuendos can be the death to your witness to others. Many souls have been lost in the rumor mill at hair salons; many have lost members in the gossip of barber shops.