By Danny Saunders
A few nights ago Ali & I watched the third Matrix move, Matrix Revolutions. And at first we had no idea what was going on. We had to stop the video and talk about what had happened in the first 2 movies and where the story was up to before we could go on. Luckily we had actually seen the first 2 movies so we did have some idea of the story line. But it would have been impossible to watch the film without knowing what had happened in the first two movies.
It would be a bit like watching the Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King, the 3rd movie without having seen the first two movies .It would be a bit frustrating missing all that character, plot and story development from the first 2 books. You can see what’s happening in the last movie but all the background and context is missing, so the story seems to lack some substance and meaning.
Well it can be a bit like this for many Christians who start in the New Testament but forget to look into the Old Testament for all the background, context, substance and meaning that the OT provides. Sure we can understand the NT story about Jesus by itself, but if you really want to understand the identity of Jesus & the character & plot development, we need to read the Old Testament, first books in the series
Today we’re looking at the identity of Jesus. What does it mean when we say in the Creed: I Believe…in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord,…
Jesus didn’t enter the world in a vacuum. If we’re going to understand who Jesus is, we must understand what the OT prophecies said about him, what were the expectations of the OT and how are these expectations fulfilled in Jesus.
For Christians, Jesus is the center of our faith. Christianity is not about a set of abstract ideas or beliefs, it’s about a person. The identity of Jesus is a serious question if the claims about Jesus are true then they can’t be ignored & these claims are so huge that they must impact our lives.
So who is Jesus? Who do you think Jesus is? What clues do we find in the OT passages that were read out? 1. What does it mean that Jesus is the Christ?
If you look at verse 20 of Psalm 89 you’ll see that David was exalted and anointed as God’s chosen servant, God’s king. You might remember these old stories from Sunday School, the prophet Samuel was told to go to Bethlehem to the home of Jesse where one of his sons would be anointed as king [1 Sam 16].
Psalm 89 goes on to recount the promises that God gave to David in 2 Samuel 7, that God would establish David’s throne forever and that his would be an everlasting dominion, his line and his throne will be established forever. So David is seen as a king anointed by God, & David is given promises that his line will continue forever.
These promises given to David would be like God promising our current Queen Elizabeth that her line and her house, the House of Windsor would be established and would continue forever. So good old Charles will have his turn, followed by William and so on for all time, a guaranteed line and kingdom, established forever.
The expectation of a king that would rule Israel forever is clear in Psalm 89. Look at verse 26 to 29. The Psalmist is talking about this king that they were expecting:
26He shall cry to me, ’You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!’ 27 I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28 Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him, and my covenant with him will stand firm. 29 I will establish his line forever, and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
This expectation of a Davidic king is fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus prays to God his Father in the garden of Gethsemane. [Col 1] Jesus is called the first born of all creation and also the first born from the dead because he is the first to die and be resurrected, In Revelation [1:5], John calls Jesus the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the Kings of the earth. So it’s the kingdom & throne of Jesus that is established forever.
The very words "Jesus Christ" point us to his identity. The angel tells Mary that she must name her son Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. [Matt 1:21]. The name Jesus means Saviour or God saves.
The word "Christ" is a title, not a surname. The word is from the Greek word – Christos – which means "anointed one" and this word Christ is equivalent to the Hebrew word, "messiah".
So when we use the name "Jesus Christ", or Jesus the Messiah, what this means is that Jesus is God’s Anointed Saviour or Saviour King, because this is what the words actually mean. David was anointed as king and given promises that his kingdom will continue forever. In calling Jesus "Christ" we are saying that Jesus is also an anointed King.
Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the city of David, Jesus is from the tribe of Judah [Gen 49:10] David’s tribe, and the family tree of Jesus, in Matthew 1, shows that he is direct descendant of David.
So when we confess in the Creed that we believe in Jesus Christ we are saying that Jesus is the anointed one, he is King. Jesus is the promised King that fulfils the promises originally given to David. The throne and kingship of Jesus is established forever. Jesus is the highest of the kings of the earth who is given all power and authority.
But don’t you think it’s a bit strange that Jesus is given all this authority and power and yet he suffers and dies on a cross? How does he fulfil these promises if he dies? Here we need another flashback to the OT. What hints were given in Episode 1 that might make us expect the death of Jesus in Episode 2.
2. Well in the passage from Daniel read earlier we’re given an end times vision of one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. This son of man is presented before God and then this Son of Man is given everlasting dominion, glory and kingship, such that all people should serve him. [Dan. 9:7-14]
This name "Son of Man" is the name Jesus takes for himself. Just about every time the names used, it’s used by Jesus in talking about himself. The Son of Man is Jesus self-designation, this is what Jesus calls himself.
Most of you will have at least heard of the rap singer Eminem. It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you to hear that Eminem is not his real name. His real name is Marshall Mathers, so the name Eminem is actually just his initials, Marshall Mathers equals Eminem. So the name Eminem has meaning and it’s also Marshall’s self-designation, what he calls himself.
It’s very much the same with the name the Son of Man. This isn’t just some strange stage name that Jesus comes up with, it has meaning and substance. Jesus uses this name to suggest that he is the heavenly being in Daniel 7 that is given all kingship, dominion and power.
Jesus calls himself the Son of Man and he talks about himself as if he’s God. Jesus forgives a paralysed man of his sins and he says he does this so we may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. [Lk 5:24] Jesus is claiming authority over sin. But only God can make this claim, only God can forgive sin - because sin is something done against God.
Well at this point we might excuse some of the Jews for thinking Jesus would be the great military and political leader they were expecting. The one to overthrow the Roman occupation. After all, Jesus is called the Christ, the Messiah and so is the long expected Davidic king, and then Jesus calls himself the Son of man, the one the Jews expected from Daniel 7 who would be given all dominion, glory and kingship. And if that’s not enough Jesus then makes claims to be God, the one that can forgive sins. But there’s no hint of suffering and death in these passages, it’s just more about the kingdom of Jesus being established forever.
But this is exactly where Jesus starts to challenge these expectations. Just when the disciples start to understand that Jesus is the Messiah, he does start talking to them about humiliation and death: [Mk 8:31]
…he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Jesus fundamentally changes the way we understand the role of the Davidic king and the title Son of Man, because he links the title with the idea of suffering. Jesus predicts his death and resurrection 3 times and every time he refers to himself as the Son of Man. Then in discussing greatness and leadership with the disciples Jesus says:
[Mk. 10:45]
"…the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Jesus was the long awaited king and the glorious Son of Man, but his predictions about his death and his claim that he came to give his life as a ransom for many show us that he was also the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. So Jesus redefines and radically reinterprets the Son of Man mission by fusing it together with the role of the Suffering Servant.
Isaiah 53 reads like an eyewitness account of the trial and death of Jesus. Jesus is despised and rejected, we see ourselves as those like sheep that have all turned away. Our sin is laid on him, he is oppressed and afflicted and is like a lamb led to the slaughter. His trial is corrupt, justice is perverted. Yet it was God’s will that he would be made an offering for sin and by his death many would be made right with God. This is the Saviour that the world needs. This is the way God would show us his love and mercy and grace, because the punishment we deserve is laid on Jesus. God’s anointed king suffers and dies for us.
This is the role of the messiah that the Jews had overlooked. Messiah meant saviour, so they had in mind being saved from the Romans, but the real saving required was saving from sin and the effects of sin which is spiritual and physical death.
So Jesus is the Christ, the anointed King, but he is also the Son of Man that has first of all come for our sake, as God’s Suffering Servant.
These discoveries about Jesus from Episode 1, the Old Testament, help us to answer the question posed in the NT, Episode 2: Who is Jesus? And these discoveries justify the statements made about Jesus in the Apostles’ Creed..
3. The creed speaks of Jesus as the only Son of God our Lord. The title Son of God appeals to the claim of deity. If Jesus was any less than God, then to give him worship would be idolatry, it would be worship of a creature. But Jesus is God and we know him as the Son of God and this means that he should be worshipped and adored because he is God.
The Apostles Creed talks of Jesus as the only Son of God. This means that the relationship between Jesus and God is unique. Jesus is uniquely connected to, and proceeds or is begotten from the Father. The word only suggests one of a kind.
A helpful way of understanding this, is that Jesus is God’s natural Son, whereas believers are adopted sons or daughters of God. Our adoptive relationship with God is quite different from the natural relationship and unity of Jesus and God.
Jesus is not a creature like us. Jesus is God, the second person in the Trinity. Jesus became God incarnate in a man for our sake. Philippians 2 helps us understand this, Paul says that Jesus:
6 …though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.
When we call on Jesus as Lord, we are basically again confirming that he is God. The title Lord had various usages. It was used as polite address and for a master of a house, to a more exalted sense to refer to those of power and authority. But when the title "Lord" is used in the Bible it almost always refers to God.
The word Lord is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Adonai. Throughout the Old Testament Adonai is a title for God himself and this word Adonai is translated as Lord. So when we refer to Jesus as "Lord" we’re using a word that was once used to refer to God, Jesus is given the same status us God himself.
4. In Mark 8:27-29 Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah."
Jesus asked his disciples – Who do people say that I am? How would we answer this question today? Some people say you are a good spiritual teacher, some say you are a reincarnation of Buddha, some say you are just a prophet. But Jesus persists with his disciples "Who do you say that I am?" This is a question for us today. Jesus asks us "Who do you say that I am?"
CS Lewis in his book Mere Christianity wrote:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God." That is one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up as a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
As CS Lewis has said, let’s not come to this question with any patronising nonsense about Jesus being a good moral teacher. Jesus claimed to be the Christ, the Son of God. What will you do with these claims? Is Jesus a liar, a lunatic or is he Lord? These are the only options available. How will you respond to these claims?
For some of you this may mean turning to God for the first time and accepting the claims of Jesus as the Son of God who came as God’s suffering servant to die for your sin. You can accept the offer of God’s love and forgiveness in Jesus by believing in Jesus death and resurrection for you, by turning from sin and by becoming a follower of Jesus.
For the rest of us, for those that already claim Jesus as Saviour, we mustn’t stop there, we must also make Jesus our Lord.
Notice that the Apostles Creed confesses not that Jesus is the Lord, but that he is our Lord. We are saying that Jesus has a right to lordship over our lives. Being a Christian involves personal obedience and loyalty to Jesus as our Lord. Saying the Creed is meaningless unless this belief is actually put into action. If Jesus is truly your Saviour then he must also be your Lord.
So if Jesus is your Saviour, how is he also Lord of your life?
If Jesus is your Lord you will live for him as his servant. Being a Christian is a lifestyle decision. This lifestyle involves sharing in God’s love, joy and peace and everything that is good and true.
If Christ is your Saviour then you are freed from slavery to sin and you are freed so that you can live for Jesus as your Lord. This means no longer doing things that are part of a sinful lifestyle. This means giving up all those things in your life that are opposed to Christ and his goodness, truth and love. We must live lives that are different from the society around us. Being a Christian is a lifestyle decision.
But how do we do this, what does this mean for us today? How do we live with Jesus as our Lord? Well I think this means putting our faith and trust in Jesus into action. If Jesus is our Lord we will seek to serve him and his people. This means we will be people that are hospitable, compassionate, generous and helpful. If we trust Jesus then we will pray about decisions, about our worries and problems. We should seek talk to God, read the Bible regularly and to live each day in our relationship with Jesus.
This also means that we will give up sin. Jesus will be Lord in every area of our lives. We will control what we watch on TV and on the internet, we will control what we buy, how we use our money and we will think seriously about what we will give away from what God has given us.
Having Jesus as Lord means we will seek to love and serve others. We will seek to be kind and compassionate. We won’t talk about people behind their backs unless we’d be happy for them to hear what we’re saying.
We won’t gossip and slander or be greedy and lie to get where we want. This is all self-serving, not seeking to serve others or treating other people as better than ourselves. If Jesus is our Lord and Saviour then we can trust God with our lives and our careers. We will trust God with our homes and our families. We will seek to live differently as his people because following him is a lifestyle decision.
Sometimes people talk about being a Christian as being a bit like inviting Jesus into your house. When you believe in Jesus as Saviour you ask him to come into your life and so you invite Jesus in the front door. You might sit down in the lounge room and talk to Jesus every now and again & this is about as far as things get. This is where you’re comfortable. But if Jesus is to be Lord you can’t stop there. He wants you to show Him every room of your house, he wants to be part of your life and transform you into his image. So Jesus wants to come into the kitchen, he wants to be in the bedroom, he wants to be in your study where you work and where you have your computer, Jesus also wants to sweep out your cupboard where you might hide things away. If Jesus is going to be both your Saviour and Lord then you have to allow yourself to be transformed and changed in every area and every part of your life. Following Jesus is a lifestyle decision.
Saying in the Creed that we believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord is serious business. We’re not talking about baby Jesus meek and mild, we’re not talking about a good prophet who was a bit deluded. When we affirm that Jesus is Christ we’re saying he is the Davidic King, expected from the Old Testament, the King that has come to fulfil the expectations, the King that has been given all power and dominion. Jesus is God’s Son and our Lord. Jesus is God who we must serve and obey.
The good news is that for us today Jesus has also taken on the role of the Suffering Servant, the Son of Man who has come to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
What this means is that now is the time to repent and believe the good news.
We’re all like sheep that have gone astray, we’ve all turned to our own ways. We’ve all lived like Jesus is neither Saviour nor Lord. But God has laid on him the sin of us all so that we can turn and confess our sins and be healed. Now is the time to accept God’s love. Now is the time to accept God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness. Now is the time to live with Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
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