Christ The King

In Jesus Holy Name November 20, 2005

Text: I Timothy 6:11-16 Christ the King Sunday Redeemer

King of kings and Lord of lords

Who is Jesus?

In 1983 the Gallup Poll asked Americans this very question. 42% stated that Jesus was God among mankind.

27% felt Jesus was a great man, divinely called

It’s an old survey, I’m sure the numbers may have changed. It is a timeless question. Who is Jesus? It is a question that even the disciples had to answer.

(Luke 9:18) When Jesus and his disciples were at Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked his disciples the same question. “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples replied: “Some say, John the Baptist, others Elijah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked, “But what about you?” “Who do you say that I am?”

If you been in church long enough you are familiar with Peter’s answer. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”

Now the disciples did not always give that answer. Earlier in the ministry of Jesus we find this event from the life of Jesus and his disciples recorded in Matthew 8:23-27. Jesus and his disciples were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. A sudden storm came up. The disciples fearing for their lives wake Jesus who was sleeping. Jesus simply speaks to the wind and the raging waves became as smooth as glass. Instantly, the disciples look at each other and exclaim: “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and waves obey him.”

The Jewish religious theologians, Pharisees and Sadducees also question the authority of Jesus. (Matthew 21:23) Jesus entered the temple courts and while he was teaching the chief priests & elders “questioned him”. “By what authority are you doing these things?” “Who gave you authority?”

(read John 10:22-33) They understood his words. They just didn’t believe!

Times and people have not changed. The question, “Who is Jesus?” must still be answered in every generation, by every individual.

In our Thursday morning Sr. Bible Study through the Book of Acts we found an interesting verse. (Acts 20:38) Paul is preparing for his trip to Jerusalem and he is saying “goodbye” to many of his friends and those who are pastoring the church in Ephesus. “Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with his own blood.”

Did you catch that? “The church of God, which He bought with his own blood.” It’s an easy verse to pass bye. How could God purchase the “church” with his own blood unless he came to earth in the skin of humanity?

The Gospel of John states: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The glory of God which filled the tabernacle in the wilderness was now in Jesus. The glory of God that filled the temple when Solomon dedicated the new temple in Jerusalem, was now in Jesus. On the banks of the Jordan River John the Baptizer said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Only a just and holy God could satisfy the demands of a holy and just God. Rev. John Stott in his book “The Cross of Christ” writes: “If God has sent a man to us, as he sent prophets to Israel, we would have been grateful. If he had sent an angel as he did to Mary, we would have counted it a great privilege. Yet men and angels are creatures of his creative hand. By sending his own son, eternally begotton of His own Being, he was not sending a creature by giving Himself.” “How could the Father’s love have been demonstrated if he had sent somebody else to us? No, since love is in essence self-giving, God gave himself in His Son.” “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son.” (John 3:16)

“For (Christ) is the visible presence of the invisible God the first born of all creation…. For God was pleased to have all of his fullness dwell in him, and through him reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.” (Col. 1:15,19-20)

Christ died for us. Having “emptied himself” of his glory and taken upon himself the nature of a servant, He humbled himself to be born of a virgin, placed in a manger, in an obscure village in Palestine.

Ravi Zacharias in his book “Jesus Among Other Gods” writes: “….Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem was a moment preceded by eternity. His being neither originated in time nor came about by the will of humanity. The Author of time, who lived in the eternal, was made incarnate in time that we might live with the eternal in view.”

The Apostle Paul wrote: “While we were still powerless, Christ died for us.” We had no power to save ourselves. As human beings are and we remain helpless to find true spiritual peace with an almighty, righteous God.