Challenging Questions Concerning Christ
Text: John 14: 8-10
Intro: It is amazing sometimes that we humans can be so familiar with something or someone and yet somehow be oblivious to its or their real nature. It seems so contradictory to know, and yet not to know, at the same time.
How often have we heard the statement, “I thought I knew everything there was to know about that person. But I’ve discovered I really didn’t know them at all.” That statement simply reveals that it is possible to know a person, and yet not really perceive all of the intricate qualities of their personality.
It is precisely this idea that is brought out by Jesus’ response to Philip’s question. As a matter of fact, Jesus seems almost amazed that Philip had not yet discerned His true nature. He said, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not know me, Philip” (John 14: 9)?
Philip had lived and worked with Jesus for almost three and a half years, and yet he had not grasped the fact that to see Jesus was to see God the Father. Their characteristics and personalities were identical. Jesus had previously stated that He and His Father were one (John 10: 30).
With these thoughts in mind, I want to suggest three other questions that I believe are implied by our Lord’s question to Philip. As we consider these questions, it is my hope that we will come to truly perceive the person of Christ in a better way.
Theme: When Jesus asked, “Hast thou not known Me,” I believe He was also asking:
I. HAVE YOU NOT PERCEIVED MY HOLINESS?
A. Jesus Was Holy In His Character.
NOTE: Our Savior’s character was spotless through and through. He was the same in the dark as He was in the light.
Supreme Test of Goodness
The supreme test of goodness is not in the greater but in the smaller incidents of our character and practice; not what we are when standing in the searchlight of public scrutiny, but when we reach the firelight flicker of our homes; not what we are when some clarion-call rings through the air, summoning us to fight for life and liberty, but our attitude when we are called to sentry-duty in the gray morning, when the watch-fire is burning low. It is impossible to be our best at the supreme moment if character is corroded and eaten into by daily inconsistency, unfaithfulness, and besetting sin.
F. B. Meyer in Our Daily Walk
1. The Old Testament prophesied the righteousness of Christ.
Isa.11: 1 “And there shall come forth a rod out of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
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4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
Jer.23: 5 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”
2. The New Testament testifies to Christ’s righteous character.
a. Gabriel declared the holy nature of Christ.
Luke 1: 35 “That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
b. Demons declared the holiness of Christ.
Mark 1: 23 “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.”
B. Jesus Was Holy In His Conduct.
1. Peter proclaimed Christ’s doings to be impeccable.
Acts 10: 38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.”
I Pet.2: 21b “…Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”
2. Isaiah prophesied Christ’s death to be in innocence.
Isa.53: 9 “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
NOTE: Folks, as Christians we have a great responsibility. Our lives are to point people to Christ, for we are His ambassadors. That knowledge should affect how we live.
Queen Victoria
When Queen Victoria was a child, she didn’t know she was in line for the throne of England. Her instructors, trying to prepare her for the future, were frustrated because they couldn’t motivate her. She just didn’t take her studies seriously. Finally, her teachers decided to tell her that one day she would become the queen of England.
Upon hearing this, Victoria quietly said, “Then I will be good.”
The realization that she had inherited this high calling gave her a sense of responsibility that profoundly affected her conduct from then on.
Source unknown
C. Jesus Was Holy In His Communication.
1. Our Savior spoke God’s words.
John 3: 34a “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
2. Our Savior spoke gracious words.
John 8: 10 “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
3. Our Savior spoke great words.
John 10: 27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
John 14: 1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
II. HAVE YOU NOT PERCEIVED MY HEART?
A. Our Savior Had A Beneficent Heart.
1. Christ’s heart was filled with compassion.
Matt.9: 36b “…he was moved with compassion on them…”
Matt.14: 14 “And Jesus…saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them...”
Matt.15: 32a “Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude…”
Matt.20: 34a “So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes…”
Mark 1: 41 “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.” (Cleansing of a leper)
Mark 5: 19 “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” (Gadarene demoniac)
Luke 7: 13 “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” (Widow of Nain)
2. Christ’s whole life was one of caring.
Mark 10: 45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
B. Our Savior Had A Broken Heart.
Isa.53: 3 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Luke 19: 41 “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side.
44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”
NOTE: Oh that we’d ask God to give us broken hearts over sin and the lost of our nation.
Will Rogers
Will Rogers was known for his laughter, but he also knew how to weep. One day he was entertaining at the Milton H. Berry Institute in Los Angeles, a hospital that specialized in rehabilitating polio victims and people with broken backs and other extreme physical handicaps. Of course, Rogers had everybody laughing, even patients in really bad condition; but then he suddenly left the platform and went to the rest room. Milton Berry followed him to give him a towel; and when he opened the door, he saw Will Rogers leaning against the wall, sobbing like a child. He closed the door, and in a few minutes, Rogers appeared back on the platform, as jovial as before.
If you want to learn what a person is really like, ask three questions: What makes him laugh? What makes him angry? What makes him weep? These are fairly good tests of character that are especially appropriate for Christian leaders. I hear people saying, “We need angry leaders today!” or “The time has come to practice militant Christianity!” Perhaps, but “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).
What we need today is not anger but anguish, the kind of anguish that Moses displayed when he broke the two tablets of the law and then climbed the mountain to intercede for his people, or that Jesus displayed when He cleansed the temple and then wept over the city. The difference between anger and anguish is a broken heart. It’s easy to get angry, especially at somebody else’s sins; but it’s not easy to look at sin, our own included, and weep over it.
The Integrity Crisis by Warren W. Wiersbe, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, pp. 75-76
C. Our Savior Had A Bleeding Heart.
John 19: 34 “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.”
Luke 22: 20 “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
NOTE: Let the heretics deny the value of the blood of Christ if they will. The Bible still says, “…without shedding of blood, there is no remission” (Heb.9: 22b).
The Sufficient Blood
His blood is so sufficient
He tells us in His word
On the mercy seat in heaven
It was put there by our Lord.
It stops the accuser of the brethren
As he walks before the throne
Our God just points to the blood
And Satan knows He cares for His own.
It’s sufficient for any situation
To nourish, to cleanse, and keep.
Oh, magnify your name my Lord
My soul with rapture leaps.
Can my sins though oh so many
Make this blood of no avail
Once I’ve named the name of Jesus
In my heart, I cannot fail.
His word has proclaimed it
The work begun in me
Will someday be completed
When His dear face I see.
And when I dwell in heaven
As the ages roll along
Oh, that precious blood of Jesus
Will be my victory song.
Source unknown
III. HAVE YOU NOT PERCEIVED MY HOPE?
A. Christ Desires That All Men Repent.
II Pet.3: 9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
B. Christ Desires That All Men Be Redeemed.
I Tim.2: 3 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
NOTE: There’s not a human being on this earth today that can’t have hope for eternity with God. God would never have sent His Son to die on the Cross, if there was no hope.
The Dying Boy
The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with their schoolwork during stays in the city’s hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the child’s regular class teacher. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”
The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. “No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back, responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.”
Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”
Bits and Pieces, July, 1991
Theme: When Jesus asked, “Hast thou not known Me,” I believe He was also asking:
I. HAVE YOU NOT PERCEIVED MY HOLINESS?
II. HAVE YOU NOT PERCEIVED MY HEART?
III. HAVE YOU NOT PERCEIVED MY HOPE?
