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.
John 21 tells us:
READ JOHN 21:25 (ESV)
“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
What miracles did Jesus do?
LIST FROM thoughtco.com/miracles-of-jesus-700158
Jesus Turns Water into Wine at the Wedding in Cana
Jesus Heals an Official's Son at Capernaum in Galilee
Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit From a Man in Capernaum
Jesus Heals Peter's Mother-in-Law Sick With Fever
Miraculous Catch of Fish on the Lake of Gennesaret
Jesus Cleanses a Man With Leprosy
Jesus Heals a Centurion's Paralyzed Servant in Capernaum
Jesus Heals a Paralytic Who Was Let Down From the Roof
Jesus Heals a Man's Withered Hand on the Sabbath
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son From the Dead in Nain
Jesus Calms a Storm on the Sea
Jesus Casts Demons into a Herd of Pigs
Jesus Heals a Woman in the Crowd With an Issue of Blood
Jesus Raises Jairus' Daughter Back to Life
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
Jesus Heals a Man Who Was Unable to Speak
Jesus Heals an Invalid at Bethesda
Jesus Feeds 5,000 Plus Women and Children
Jesus Walks on Water
Jesus Heals a Gentile Woman's Demon-Possessed Daughter
Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man
Jesus Feeds 4,000 Plus Women and Children
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
Jesus Heals a Boy With an Unclean Spirit
Miraculous Temple Tax in a Fish's Mouth
Jesus Heals a Blind, Mute Demoniac
Jesus Heals a Woman Who Had Been Crippled for 18 Years
Jesus Heals a Man With Dropsy on the Sabbath
Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers on the Way to Jerusalem
Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead in Bethany
Jesus Restores Sight to Bartimaeus in Jericho
Jesus Withers the Fig Tree on the Road From Bethany
Jesus Heals a Servant's Severed Ear While He Is Being Arrested
The Second Miraculous Catch of Fish at the Sea of Tiberias
Yes, Jesus worked miracles, but the one who acknowledges that Jesus did miracles should understand that He did those miracles for a particular reason. His power to do these things came from a particular place. Jesus was not a magician or a showman, but did miracles for a particular purpose.
READ John 2:11 (ESV)
“This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.”
In the miracles of Jesus, we see clearly who He is and why we should trust in Him. The miracles of Jesus show us that He is worthy of our faith.
TRANSITION
Who is Jesus? What are the options when it comes to the answers to this most significant question?
A TEACHER AND PROPHET
One answer we may hear is that Jesus was a good person who taught good lessons for all humanity to learn and that perhaps He was a prophet from God. Most of the time, folks who believe this understand Jesus was a real person, but they don’t quite believe He was God incarnate. They do not believe He was the Son of God.
Even if we just take one chapter out of the Gospels, like Matthew 6, we can see that Jesus Christ was in fact a teacher and was fulfilling the role of a prophet, but that was not all He was. What did Jesus teach? In Matthew 6 alone Jesus teaches…
To give to the needy in a humble manner (verses 1-4)
To pray to God in a humble manner (verses 5-8)
Models what prayer should look like (verses 9-13)
Forgiveness for others and consequences if we do not (verses 14-15)
To fast in a humble manner (verses 16-18)
Have a heavenly view of our material earthly possessions (verses 19-21)
That it matters what we watch and read and absorb through our eyes (verses 22-23)
Our #1 priority should be God (verse 24)
Trust in God over our worry (verses 25-34)
All of that is in just one chapter! Jesus was indeed a good teacher and did share lessons that everyone needs to live by, but He was so much more than that!
ILLUSTRATION… VIDEO… Who is Jesus People on the Street [4:24] [stop at 4:03]
WHO IS JESUS?
Now we come to the most important question of the morning. It is the same question we have been asking all morning: Who is Jesus? The reason this question is more important than the other times is because I am asking YOU… who do YOU say Jesus is? I am thinking if we asked everyone here we might get many different answers. May I suggest that there is one answer and one answer only to that question. I say that because in the Gospels there is a small passage where this question is asked and the question is answered and then the answer is affirmed as completely correct.
There is a correct answer to the question: Who is Jesus?
READ Matthew 16:13-20 (ESV)
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ.”
Boom… there is the answer!
Here in Matthew 16 we have the exact words you and I need to use when answering the question: Who is Jesus? The words that need to come out of our mouths are: “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” These words are the words from the Bible which share with us all about Jesus Christ.
THE CHRIST
When we say, “the Christ,” we are proclaiming that Jesus is the One prophesied to come in the Old Testament and is the fulfillment of the salvation plan of God. Jesus is the Saving One. Jesus is the One through whom forgiveness comes.
If you believe that, say: “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
[allow congregation to say it]
SON
When we say, “Son,” we are proclaiming that Jesus was made of the same stuff as God and was in fact God. Jesus was God on earth. Jesus was and is divine. Jesus is God.
If you believe that, say: “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
[allow congregation to say it]
LIVING GOD
When we say, “Living God,” we are proclaiming that God exists and that God still is working in the lives of people today. God has a plan and worked it in Jesus and offers that same plan to us for our salvation. God will continue to work for the salvation of as many as will believe in Jesus. God exists to give life and has always done so.
If you believe that, say: “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
[allow congregation to say it]
APPLICATION
BELIEVER
If you are a believer, the question of: “Who is Jesus?” may come up at any time. It may come up at dinner. It may come up with family or friends. It may come up at work. It may come up at the bowling alley or the soccer field or the baseball diamond or at the county fair. It may come up with a baby sitter or a nurse. It may come up online with someone you are chatting with. The answer is always: “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
NON-BELIEVER
If you are not yet a believer, the question of: “Who is Jesus?” is being asked of you today. If you have come to believe that Jesus was the Son of God fulfilled the plan of God to save us and works still for the salvation of anyone who believes… will you come accept Him today?
PRAYER
INVITATION TIME
CHILDREN’S SERMON
I want to play a dangerous game with you today. It is dangerous because I’m not so sure what you will say. The game we are going to play is called “Word Association.” I say a word and you tell me what pops into your head that you associate with it. We have only 1 rule… be nice.
Ok… I am going to start at the letter ‘A’ and we are going to go all the way to ‘J.’ I say a word and you call out what word you thought of in your noggin? You got it? Here we go!
Apple?
Bible?
Cow?
Dishes?
Elephant?
French Fries?
God?
Hoot?
Ice Cream?
Jesus?
Now the word that I actually wanted to get to is “Jesus!”
Today in the sermon I will be talking all about Jesus. There are a lot of opinions out in the world and in schools and in different families about Who Jesus is. At our church, we believe that Jesus is very important. We believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that He died on a cross for our sins and by believing in Jesus, we can have a good relationship with God. Without Jesus, we can’t know God.
To be honest it doesn’t matter what comes to your mind when it comes to apples or cows or dishes… but it does matter what comes to your mind about Jesus! More than anything, I want you to remember that Jesus is the Son of God.
Can you repeat that with me: Jesus is the Son of God.
Share the ASL word for Jesus.
Can you repeat that with me: Jesus is the Son of God.
