Title: Who Am I?
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 8; Matthew 3:13-17
Theme: “In Christ, our identity is not something we achieve — it is something we receive.”
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who speaks to us and leads us.
This morning, I would like for us to ask ourselves a rather simple question.
WHO ARE WE or perhaps more individually – Who Am I?
It’s an important question.
Why?
At every stage of life – childhood, young adult, mid-life, retirement – well more than half of all people report that they are struggling deeply with their self-identity; with who they are.
This number is even higher with people who are dealing with things like health issues, domestic issues, divorce, job loss, moving to a new home, dealing with end-of-life issues and having to live in what is called the new normal.
For example:
Who am I now that I am at college or getting ready to graduate?
Who am I at work; am I an asset, an actual person or merely just there to make money for the company?
Who am I now that I find myself alone and must start a new normal without the person I loved or without the person I thought loved me?
Who am I now that I am no longer active in the workforce?
Who am I now that I am dealing with this long-term health issue?
Who are we this morning?
If you listen to some people, even good people, inside the church people, you hear things like:
+Well, you are a sinner saved by grace but somehow always focusing on that word sinner with the idea that you can never get away from that part of your identity – a sinner.
+You are in some way broken and sometime this week you probably have proven that you are broken.
Well, I am here this morning to share with you some Good News.
The Good News that in Christ Jesus our Savior and LORD:
a. You are not merely a sinner saved by grace.
b. You are not just a broken human being that will always remain broken.
c. You are not condemned to live your life in muddy waters, never feeling good about yourself or never having a clear path to complete your life walk.
Let’s take a few moments and remind ourselves exactly who we are this morning:
I. Genesis 1:26-31
Genesis 1:26-31, God’s word reminds us that we have been amazing fashioned and given life by the God of All Creation.
You and I and the billions that have lived before us, that live with us currently all over the globe and will live in years to come are distinct from all of the rest of creation.
We are fashioned by the LORD GOD HIMSELF.
We are not an accident. We are not here by mistake.
Each one of us is a deliberate act of God’s love – a gift to all of God’s creation and for all of eternity.
We are more than just a physical body.
We are body, spirit and soul.
We have been created in the very image of God, and part of that image is our reason, our personality, our intellect and our ability to relate, to hear, to see and to speak.
Each one of us born can live victoriously in this life on God’s Good Earth and live gloriously forever on God’s New Earth and New Heaven one day.
Let’s go on to Psalm 8 and see what God shares with us there:
II. Psalm 8
The Psalmist after praising God for all of creation ask himself and God the identity question
“What is man, what are humans that You spend time with them or take care of them?”
In other words, God why do you put up with us humans?
What value do we possess?
The Psalmist goes on to tell us:
+We are made just a little lower than the angels.
+We have been crowned with God’s glory and honor.
+We were made to be stewards over all of creation.
Wow!
I don’t know about you but to be made just a little under the likes of the angels like Gabriel and Michael?
I mean I don’t know about you, but I think that is pretty good.
And then to know that not only does God make us the God of the Universe, the God of all of Creation wants to take care of us, visit us and have communion with us.
And what a gift God has given us – this world of ours in all its wonder. On top of that we have been given power and authority over it. No other being is to rule over it – that is our joy as God’s image bearers here on His Good Earth.
Now, I know we by the world’s standards are not seen in this high regard.
+We are seen as mere accidents of evolution.
+We are seen as the worst thing that could be on this planet and how nice a planet it would be if humans were removed.
But none of that is true – at least if you believe in what God has shared in His Holy Word.
We are not accidents. God planned for us to be here. He gave us His breath to bring life into our beings. He gave us His Spirit to lead us and to guide us and to live within us.
So, where did we get all these ideas, these lies.
We did not invent those ideas or lies on our own.
Jesus tells us there is a liar from the beginning.
Jesus tells us that there is one who whispers that we are unwanted, unworthy, and beyond hope.
Jesus calls him a liar, a thief and a murderer.
The Devil and his demons are always trying to convince humans that:
+God doesn’t really like them and that He always tries to manipulate and harm them.
+They we humans have no worth – that of all the beings on this planet we are by far the very worst.
+That the only thing humans can do is to destroy the planet, all of creation and ourselves.
And from the time of the Garden of Eden, we have at times believed those lies and as a result we have made the Devil’s lies reality in our lives, in the lives of others and in our world.
Against all of that we must believe what is God’s Truths:
God creates us.
God believes in us.
God loves us. God so loves us that as Immanuel, as Jesus the Anointed One, He died for us so that we could be free of the power and penalty of sin, death, Hell and the grave.
God wants us to enjoy His Presence, God wants us to enjoy His Good Earth and God wants us to be United through the power and presence of His Holy Spirit.
Now, let’s look at one more passage this morning:
III. Matthew 3:13-17
The words we hear from God the Father to God the Son are not just words of the Creator to His Son.
They are words that the Father spoke to His Son who was in Human Form and as St. Paul would later point out is to be the Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-48)
They are words that are our words this morning as we share in Jesus’ baptism, life, death and resurrection.
They are words that apply to all of us this morning as we receive the grace of Jesus Christ in our lives day after day and as we walk as His Disciples and as Children of God.
We know today that Jesus came to die for us.
But not just to die for us but to enable us to live a new life – the life that Jesus told Nicodemus – the life from above. The life that is made possible through the Holy Spirit who cleanses us from a life of sin and transforms us to being whole new people. A life that each day we are becoming more and more like Jesus.
Listen to the Father’s Words to His Son – to Jesus and realize that when we come to faith His words are to us as well.
1. This is my son
2. My Beloved One
3. In Whom I am Well Pleased
Talk about understanding one’s identity
+God’s Son
+Beloved – Loved to the Max
+God is Pleased – Delighted and Satisfied
Wait a minute.
Hold on a second.
What exactly had Jesus done to get all this praise.
+He had been born.
+He had grown up in Nazareth after living for a time in Bethlehem and in Egypt – all of it his parents doing – he just went along.
+And, he did have that rather interesting time in the Temple but that was just a few days adventure.
And this is the key:
Jesus received these words as He was coming out of the water beginning His official ministry –
He hadn’t preached a message that we know of.
He hadn’t turned any water into wine, healed a deaf person, raised a dead body or walked on water.
He had just obeyed the Father, walked into the water to symbolize a new life and as He was coming out of the water the Spirit came down and God had a teaching lesson.
But it wasn’t just to identify His Son to all those around.
It was a shot across all of creation –
Life experienced with Jesus – the Life that this New Adam would bring to the World – this act of obedience – this act of showing that you want to leave one life behind to accept a new life of faith is not just an act – it is a new reality.
A reality that in Christ:
+We are children of God – we are once again His Holy Children – free of the penalty of sin and death, Hell and the grave.
+We are His Beloved – We are not cursed by God, we are not hated by God – no, we are loved by God. In fact, so loved that God Himself came down in human form – in Jesus of Nazareth to love us and to make a way for all of us to be God’s Beloved Children.
+And God is Well Pleased with Us
God is not upset with us.
God is not against us.
God is not wanting us to simply die and rid His planet of some great and horrible disease.
The exact opposite.
God is wanting us to understand in Christ Jesus;
We are children of God
We are greatly loved by God
He is wonderfully pleased with us.
Let me share a little story to bring all of this together
A few years ago, a story was told of a little boy who was in his school’s Christmas program. He had one line — just one line.
When his moment came, he walked to the microphone, looked out at the crowd… and froze. Completely immobilized.
The silence grew longer.
The audience shifted in their seats.
The teacher whispered from the side of the stage.
Still nothing.
Finally, from the back, the boy’s father stood up and gently said, “It’s okay, son. I’m right here. I love you.”
The boy looked toward his father’s voice — and suddenly remembered his line.
Now here is what matters:
Before he remembered his line…
Before he performed correctly…
Before he got it right…
He was still a beloved son.
That is what happened at the Jordan River.
Jesus had not preached yet.
He had not healed yet.
He had not gone to the cross yet.
And the Father declared:
“This is My Son. My Beloved. In Him I am well pleased.”
And in Christ, that same voice speaks over you.
Not after you get your life together.
Not after you fix your mistakes.
Not after you prove your worth.
Right now.
So who are you?
You are not your failures.
You are not your past.
You are not your job title.
You are not your diagnosis.
You are not your retirement status.
You are not your relationship status.
You are created in the image of God.
You are crowned with glory and honor.
You are entrusted with stewardship.
You are redeemed by Christ.
You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
You are a child of God.
You are the Beloved.
And in Christ, God delights in you.
And here is the beauty of it all:
If your identity is rooted in what you do, it will always shake.
If your identity is rooted in what others say, it will always change.
If your identity is rooted in your stage of life, it will always fade.
But if your identity is rooted in the Father’s declaration over you in Christ —
it is secure.
It is eternal.
It is unshakable.
So when the world asks, “Who are you?”
You can answer:
I am created by God.
I am redeemed by Christ.
I am filled with the Holy Spirit.
I am His child.
I am His beloved.
And in Him, I am home.
Closing Song –
Traditional – The Love of God
More contemporary – God Really Loves Us – Crowder/B
