Identity Crisis
Matthew 16:13-20
April 2, 2006
Morning Service
Introduction
Let me tell you about a guy that I know who was a church planter. It seems that in everything He did, He never gained any popularity. In fact, he was told that he was not well liked. In fact, after he finished one of His sermons, a large part of His congregation got up and left. He went from having about 300 or more to a little over 75. It didn’t seem like good church growth.
This guy did not have many friends and even those who claimed to be his friends deserted him. One betrayed Him and even tried to get rid of him.
To make matters worse he ended up with no real assets of any kind. He had no house, no car, no church building and no assets of any kind.
The poor guy was even rejected by his colleages. In fact, those in leadership basically black balled him and totally rejected his work.
If you were measuring success by these kinds of accomplishments, you would have to say this guy was a failure. Would you agree? If so, you just pronounced jesus Christ a failure. I believe that our nation and our church is suffering from an identity crisis. We have lost who we are as Christians because we have lost sight of who Jesus truly is.
In all, only about 50 days of Jesus’ ministry are touched upon in all the combined gospels. Jesus’ minimum term of ministry equaled three years, or 1080 days (360 days per year). That means 0.046 percent, or slightly less than half of one percent of the days that Jesus was actively ministering are actually recorded in the gospels. Imagine all of the teaching, the conversations, and the ministry that we never heard about.
Now there was about this time Jesus a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him many Jews, and also many of the Greeks. This man was the Christ. And when Pilate had condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him from the first did not forsake him for he appeared to them alive on the third day, the divine prophets having spoken these and thousands of other wonderful things about him. And even now, the race of Christians, so named from him, has not died out. -- From the Writings of Josephus, before 100 A.D
Open your Bibles to the book of Matthew 16:13-17.
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. Matthew 16:13-17
Who do the crowds say that I am?
In our modern culture there is more and more confusion over just who Jesus is. It seems that even the church cannot agree on who Jesus is. There are more and more theories that seem to come up about who Jesus was. More and more documentaries are being made to discover who Jesus was and virtually all of them slide their agenda into the mix and distort the identity of Jesus.
There are some who say that Jesus never accually existed - that is nonsense because there is better historical proof for the existence of Jesus than there is for the existence of Julius Ceasar. Some say that Jesus was nothing more than a good man - true that Jesus was good but there are many that we could call good and Jesus stood out n history. Some say that Jesus was a good teacher - His message was one of radical love and grace of God but His message has the ability to change hearts and lives. Some say that Jesus was a great prophet - He was in the same class as Elijah but there was something more about Jesus that outshines all of the prophets combined.
Many years ago a skeptic turned Christian wrote these words about Jesus
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really fooish thing that people often say abut him: I’m ready to accept jesus as a moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God. That is the 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 - C.S. Lewis
Who do you say that I am?
Jesus is till asking us this same question today. the fact is that until you decide what you are going to do about jesus, your life will never be settled. Until you answer this most important question, you will never know true satisfaction in life. until you answer this question, you will be in an identity crisis yourself.
The most important claim that Jesus made about Himself was the fact that He is God. It is this claim that causes more problems for people than any other fact.
• A change would be required
• An authority would have to be obeyed
• A power would have to be acknowledged
• An absolute would need to be followed
Christians beleve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because he said so - C.S. Lewis
There are two options to the claim of Jesus. It is either true or it is false.
1. Jesus was a liar
If we say that the claim of Jesus to be God is false there are two options. The first is that Jesus Knew that he was not God and told people that He was. In other words, Jesus intentionally decieved people and was nothing more than a liar.
If Jesus was indeed a liar...
1.) Jesus would have to be evil
Jesus told people that he was the way to get to heaven. he told people that he was the source of salvation. he told people that he was the direct connection with God the Father. This would mean that He led people on a path to death and destruction. The only way to describe such a person would be evil.
2.) Jesus would have to be a fool
Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross, that is a matter of historical fact. If Jesus knowingly decieved people to believe that he was God when he was not, he must be a fool. Only a fool would die for something that was a known lie.
Jesus claimed to the Messiah and on equal terms with God
61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." 63 The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. 64 "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death. Mark 14:61-64
The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." John 19:7
Notice the words that Jesus used over and over again.
Truly, truly I say to you -
Verily, verily I say to you -
Jesus uses in each of these phrases an important hebrew word: amen. This means it is true.
"There is something so pure and frank and noble about Him that to doubt His sincerity would be like doubting the brightness of the sun." Charles Edward Jefferson
In an honest examination of the life of Jesus, even critics of Christianity must conclude He was not a liar.
Someone who lived like jesus lived, taught like jesus taught and died like Jesus died could not have been a liar - Josh McDowell
2. Jesus was a lunatic
If Jesus was not God, a second option comes into the picture - He did not know that he was not God. This means that Jesus must have been a lunatic. If this is the case, Jesus was dillusioned about who He truly was or He was mentally disturbed.
One of the most unique experiences I have ever had in my ministry training was an internship at Eastern State Mental Hospital. I was able to see first hand the reality of mental illness, its impact on people and how they are able to live.
There are some basic characteristics of individuals who suffer from mental illness
1.) Lack of emotional connection
Most people who suffer from mental illness cannot maintain emotional connection with other people. This clearly was not the case with Jesus. He genuinely loved people, showed compassion and grief in healthy ways. Jesus connected with people and showed them the reality of a true relationship with God.
2.) Lack of connection with reality
Many mentally ill people cannot maintain a connection with reality. Even those who are able to be medicated for mild cases would not have been able to so in Jesus’ time. There were no medicines in existence to treat mental sickness. At times, the mentally ill lose touch with everyone and everything that is part of real life. There is paranoia and panic that someone or something is out to get them. Jesus clearly never exhibited such behavior. Even when situations were dangerous, we see no trace of paranoia.
3.) Lack of connection with society
Many people with mental illness will dress in odd manners or lack ability to relate with other people. Again Jesus exhibits none of these qualities.
4.) Lack of connection with logical thinking
Many of the mentally ill cannot continue logical thought processes. This keeps them from being rational. Jesus clearly held rational thought and had clear thought processes. There is no way that jesus lacked the ability to think logically.
None of these basic characteristics fit with the character of jesus, which leads us to the conclusion that Jesus was not a liar and He was not a lunatic. Therefore, the third option is the only one that is valid. He must have been telling the truth.
3. Jesus is Lord
Jesus spoke what was true and was not a liar. Jesus was mentally healthy and was therefore not a lunatic. The claim that jesus wasGod must be true. Jesus is Lord.
Jesus asked the question of the disciples, who do you say that I am? Only Peter responds and He makes an amazing statement of faith. "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; oryou can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronising nonesense about His being a great humn teacher. he has not left that open to us. he did not intend to. - C.S. Lewis
Today, you have a choice to make. if the claim of jesus is true and He is God, he is also Lord. The essential nature of Christianity is this: Jesus died to be your savior and lives to be your Lord. You have two options with Jesus you can either accept Him or you can reject Him.
Who do you say that Jesus is?
• Good man
• Good teacher
• Great prophet
• God almighty
Today you have opportunity to accept Him and make this Jesus the Lord of your life.
Conclusion
A kindergarten teacher was determining how much religious training her new students had. While talking with one little boy, to whom the story of Jesus was obviously brand new, she began relating His death on the cross. When asked what a cross was, she picked up some sticks, and fashioning a crude one, she explained that Jesus was actually nailed to that cross, and then He died. The little boy with eyes downcast quietly acknowledged, "Oh, that’s too bad." In the very next breath, however, she related that He arose again and that He came back to life. And his little eyes got big as saucers. He lit up and exclaimed, "Totally awesome!"
You have to make the move from having a “That’s too bad” attitude to a Totally awesome awareness
