Who Do You Say That I Am?

Who do you say that I am?

If you ask people who is Jesus, what will they answer?

Many will probably get it mostly right. He is the Savior. He is God’s Son.

Perhaps they will shift the topic and talk about how hypocritical Christians or Churches are.

We find that people either love Him or hate Him.

He is right for you?

No, He is either right or He is wrong! He said He was the Son of God! If He is wasn’t then He was a liar or crazy. If He is God, then, you either need to do what He said to do or else you’re in trouble! He said to be saved!

Why do people run away from Jesus?

They don’t want to hear the truth of the Gospel.

They don’t want Christ in Christmas. Why because they are convicted!

If they believe He is the Christ then they will be convicted of Sin.

There’s a lot of bad sinners out there! But you don’t have to be a bad sinner to be a sinner! They know where sinners go!

But sinners can be saved if they trust in Jesus and maybe they don’t get that. DO YOU?

Mark 8:22-38

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into[a] the village.”

Only time Jesus healed someone half way. Why would He do that?

Healed his physical sight but what about the Spiritual sight? He heals that too!

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Who do people say I am? -- joking maybe

Who do you say I am? -- direct

Peter says/knows who Jesus is.

Matthew 16 says:

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

Jesus Predicts His Death

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Afterwards

I’m going to die. This didn’t fit into Peter’s box of who Jesus was and he says no Lord. Then Jesus rebukes him.

What was wrong?

Do we sometimes put Jesus into a box and then something happens and then we can’t forgive God because something happened that didn’t fit into our plan but was maybe part of His bigger plan?

The Way of the Cross

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[b] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Was Jesus just another god? No, He Is the God!

John 8:58

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.