Ransom is an action-packed drama thriller that came out in 1996, starring Mel Gibson and Rene Russo and directed by Ron Howard. The movie focuses on Mel Gibson's character, Tom Mullen, a rich airline owner, who is shocked when his son is kidnapped. He is willing to pay the two million dollar ransom, but the drop goes wrong. So Tom turns the ransom money into a bounty on the head of the kidnapper. The movie has a line in it that is typical of the genre: "Someone is going to pay."That is exactly what the word "ransom" means. One way or another, someone usually has to pay to get somebody else out of a jam. Someone is kidnapped, someone else pays the ransom for their freedom. Someone ends up in jail, someone else pays to bail them out. Expand this out to touch on our lives with God, the same holds true. The Bible’s clear teaching is that human beings are held in captive by sin; we are tied up in cords of our own making; we are held hostage by our allegiance to a culture of death. We die in this prison unless someone pays our ransom.
Someone has. It was Jesus. Jesus had absolute clarity about his mission. You heard it in today’s Gospel Lesson. Jesus told his followers, flat out, well in advance of his crucifixion, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He knew why he had come. Someone had to pay.
Now it’s important that we realize who is paying and who is receiving payment. Without question, Satan is our enemy, and it’s appropriate to think of him as trying to lure us into bondage. But when Jesus comes to pay our ransom, he’s not coming to pay off the devil. What happened to Satan when Christ died was not payment, but defeat. The Son of God became human so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. (Heb. 2:14) There was no negotiation with the Evil One.
When Jesus says that he came to give his life as a ransom, the focus is on his own life as the payment; on his own freedom in serving rather than being served, and on the many who will benefit from the payment he makes. But if we ask who received the ransom, the biblical answer would be God. Ephesians 5:2 says that Christ “gave himself up for us…an offering to God.” Hebrews 9: 14 says that Christ “offered himself without blemish to God.” The whole need for a substitute to die on our behalf is because we have sinned against God and fallen short of reflecting His glory. And in a pretty sweeping statement, the apostle Paul writes in Romans that because of the reality of sin, “the whole world is held accountable to God.” (Rom. 3:19)
So, when Jesus gives himself as a ransom for you and me, the Bible says that we are freed from Death Row. Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That teeny tiny little word “in” has huge importance for you. A person who is “in” Christ Jesus is someone who has been connected into Jesus through baptism. A person who is ‘in” Christ Jesus is someone trusting in Him, putting all their stock for the future in him. Do you recognize that Jesus paid that ransom for you? This is the essence of saving Christian faith. Jesus did not take on human flesh, suffer indignity and torture and execution to make good people a little bit better. He did not come to be simply a good role model or self-help guru. He came to open the door of my prison cell and to bring me out into the light; out into freedom. And it cost him his life.
We must never forget—the ransom price of this release from God’s condemnation is the life of Christ. Not just his life lived, but his life given up in death. Jesus said repeatedly to his disciples, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him.” Perhaps one of the reasons Jesus liked to refer to himself as the Son of Man—he does it over 65 times in the Gospels—is that it had the ring of mortality about it. Men can die. That’s why he had to be one. The ransom could only be paid by the Son of Man, because the ransom was a life given up in death.
And you know, one of the marvels of this, one of the truly astounding things about this ransom, is that the price was not coerced from him. Remember, Jesus said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” He was the giver, not the receiver. In John’s Gospel He says, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” The price was not forced. The ransom was paid freely. Why did he do it? I think you know why. He loves you. He wants into your life. He wants you to be in Him. In the book of Hebrews, it says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him. He endured the cross for the joy set before him. What joy could make the cross worth enduring? The joy of you’ the joy of forgiving your sins; the joy of taking your fear of death away; the joy of making himself nothing so that you could be something. Just the possibility that you could belong to each other; just the chance that you could live in love with him made going through suffering and crucifixion worth it to Jesus. You will never know a love like that from any other source. Do you realize that you are this loved? Do you?
The ransom price for you and me was Jesus’ life given up in death. He paid that ransom freely; he was not forced or coerced. Love for you was his motive. So who else is this good for, besides you? Jesus said that he came to give his life as a ransom for many. Yet not everyone will be ransomed from God’s wrath. We know there are people who go to their graves rejecting God’s offer of mercy, but there: do you see? The offer is for everyone. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2, “There is one mediator—one peacemaker—between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” No one is excluded from this who embraces the treasure of the ransoming God. Like the movie said: “Someone is going to pay.” Let it be Jesus. Then live for Him.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Saved From/Saved For
I have always been fascinated by stories of survival. One that stays with me is the story of an eleven year old girl who saved her mother and infant sister after their SUV plunged into an icy river. She was able to escape out of the window and was shocked three times trying to leap an electric fence before leading rescuers back to the accident site, only to discover that more than one vehicle had taken the plunge. This eleven-year-old’s calm demeanor and persistence saved her family (and others') from certain death.
Here’s another survival story. A large group of people were wandering in the desert, and their camp was overrun by lethal, poisonous snakes. Their method of survival was pretty unconventional. Those bitten looked at the bronze statue of a snake on a pole and they lived! By doing what God had said, they were saved from death.That’s what we mean in the Christian Church when we talk about being saved. We mean, saved from death. Saved from eternal death…separation from God…the torment of not knowing love or grace and to keep on existing in that mode…that’s what it means to be saved.
Jesus used the bronze snake incident—where God used an unconventional method to save his people from death--as a launching pad to talk about himself and what he was all about.
Jesus makes the comparison explicit when he says: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
What’s Jesus saying here? The snake on a pole anticipated a man on a pole, or rather, a cross. Lifted up from the earth by a wooden device of execution, Jesus would become the one to look to for rescue. To look to Jesus and believe is to not perish—that is, to be saved from death of body and soul. To lift up your eyes to see Jesus nailed to the cross and to be sure that He’s doing it for you is to know that you have only life with Him ahead of you. Your sins that could have and should have condemned you to never-ending darkness and fear have been expunged from your record—all mention of them is gone—because Jesus erased them with His blood. Death is a lame duck, because of Jesus’ resurrection. This is the good news that the Church rightly proclaims—the gospel that changes human hearts and lives. You are saved from hell and the fear of death by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
So…is that the final word on Christianity? Certainly, the work of saving us from death is complete in Jesus. Only He could do what needed to be done, and he did it. So where does that leave us? Be happy you’re saved…relax and put your feet up…or is there something else?
I believe that not only have you and I been saved from eternal despair by the blood and new life of Jesus, but we also have been saved for a purpose. Listen again to what the apostle Paul writes in today’s Epistle lesson: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Did you pick up on that? “…we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” We are saved for the purpose of doing good works in Jesus’ name—actions of love and service that God has prepared beforehand for us to do! The opportunities for us to serve are just sitting there, waiting for us, and what’s more, God himself set the whole thing up!
Now I have a confession to make. Do you know how long it took me to realize that there is a verse 10 that comes after Ephesians 2: 8—9? A lot longer that I care to admit. Just about any Lutheran and really any Christian who’s been around the block should be able to recite by heart, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Yeah! But who knows verse ten by heart? I didn’t really know it was there! The catechism seems to stop at verse 9! But the idea continues on and says so much more about our lives in Christ! Taken as a whole, this passage does a beautiful job of telling us that we are saved from death and hell and that none of that is by our doing—clearly it is a gift from God. Then it goes on to share the simple insight that we are saved for a life of service. There are things that God wants us to do, as his saved people.
If you have ever had the pleasure of staying at a Ritz-Carlton hotel, (I can count the times on one finger), you know it is one amazing experience. Each staff member is mindful of one thing: serving guests. The hotel’s corporate motto is: “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” Employees are empowered to correct a problem or handle a complaint. When a guest thanks a staff member, rather than responding “No problem” or, “hey, it’s OK” they look the guest in the eye and say, “It’s a pleasure to serve you.” I don’t care who you are—service like that makes an impression. Service like that doesn’t happen by chance. It is intentional and sincere. What Ephesians 2:10 is telling us is that you and I are saved for a life of intentional and sincere service. It’s all right there. Listen again: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
It is time for us to do the good works which God has prepared for us. Now is the time to intentionally and sincerely walk the walk. Let us learn the pleasure of serving. After all, service to our fellow man is service to our Lord Jesus. It is what we have been saved for. We are saved by Christ to serve His creation. Let’s do it.
Here’s another survival story. A large group of people were wandering in the desert, and their camp was overrun by lethal, poisonous snakes. Their method of survival was pretty unconventional. Those bitten looked at the bronze statue of a snake on a pole and they lived! By doing what God had said, they were saved from death.That’s what we mean in the Christian Church when we talk about being saved. We mean, saved from death. Saved from eternal death…separation from God…the torment of not knowing love or grace and to keep on existing in that mode…that’s what it means to be saved.
Jesus used the bronze snake incident—where God used an unconventional method to save his people from death--as a launching pad to talk about himself and what he was all about.
Jesus makes the comparison explicit when he says: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
What’s Jesus saying here? The snake on a pole anticipated a man on a pole, or rather, a cross. Lifted up from the earth by a wooden device of execution, Jesus would become the one to look to for rescue. To look to Jesus and believe is to not perish—that is, to be saved from death of body and soul. To lift up your eyes to see Jesus nailed to the cross and to be sure that He’s doing it for you is to know that you have only life with Him ahead of you. Your sins that could have and should have condemned you to never-ending darkness and fear have been expunged from your record—all mention of them is gone—because Jesus erased them with His blood. Death is a lame duck, because of Jesus’ resurrection. This is the good news that the Church rightly proclaims—the gospel that changes human hearts and lives. You are saved from hell and the fear of death by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
So…is that the final word on Christianity? Certainly, the work of saving us from death is complete in Jesus. Only He could do what needed to be done, and he did it. So where does that leave us? Be happy you’re saved…relax and put your feet up…or is there something else?
I believe that not only have you and I been saved from eternal despair by the blood and new life of Jesus, but we also have been saved for a purpose. Listen again to what the apostle Paul writes in today’s Epistle lesson: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Did you pick up on that? “…we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” We are saved for the purpose of doing good works in Jesus’ name—actions of love and service that God has prepared beforehand for us to do! The opportunities for us to serve are just sitting there, waiting for us, and what’s more, God himself set the whole thing up!
Now I have a confession to make. Do you know how long it took me to realize that there is a verse 10 that comes after Ephesians 2: 8—9? A lot longer that I care to admit. Just about any Lutheran and really any Christian who’s been around the block should be able to recite by heart, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Yeah! But who knows verse ten by heart? I didn’t really know it was there! The catechism seems to stop at verse 9! But the idea continues on and says so much more about our lives in Christ! Taken as a whole, this passage does a beautiful job of telling us that we are saved from death and hell and that none of that is by our doing—clearly it is a gift from God. Then it goes on to share the simple insight that we are saved for a life of service. There are things that God wants us to do, as his saved people.
If you have ever had the pleasure of staying at a Ritz-Carlton hotel, (I can count the times on one finger), you know it is one amazing experience. Each staff member is mindful of one thing: serving guests. The hotel’s corporate motto is: “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” Employees are empowered to correct a problem or handle a complaint. When a guest thanks a staff member, rather than responding “No problem” or, “hey, it’s OK” they look the guest in the eye and say, “It’s a pleasure to serve you.” I don’t care who you are—service like that makes an impression. Service like that doesn’t happen by chance. It is intentional and sincere. What Ephesians 2:10 is telling us is that you and I are saved for a life of intentional and sincere service. It’s all right there. Listen again: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
It is time for us to do the good works which God has prepared for us. Now is the time to intentionally and sincerely walk the walk. Let us learn the pleasure of serving. After all, service to our fellow man is service to our Lord Jesus. It is what we have been saved for. We are saved by Christ to serve His creation. Let’s do it.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Stop and Rest
A wise person once said, “They’re called the Ten Commandments, not the Ten Suggestions.” There’s humor there because that truly captures human nature and our attitude toward God’s commandments. I may agree in principle with God’s rules, until they affect me directly. At that point, if God’s rules are preventing me from getting what I want, well then, they’re negotiable. They’re suggestions. Take them or leave them. That’s what we do.
What bothers us so much about the Ten Commandments? At least part of the answer is that they make us feel bad. We know we don’t do what they say. They make it abundantly clear that we’re not living up to God’s standards. That’s by design. The Law shows us our sins, and that’s never fun or comfortable, and our preference is always going to be fun and comfortable. But here’s the catch. Without the discomfort created by God’s commands, there’s no such thing as meaningful forgiveness. In other words, if you don’t realize at the very core of your being that you are actually by nature sinful and unclean, and are given to doing wrong and not doing what’s right—if you don’t realize that, if you don’t own that, what is there to be saved from? Why would you even need a Savior? Being a Christian means that I don’t deny the discomfort; I don’t run from the discomfort; I let the discomfort drive me to the only solution, which is Jesus.
But here, now, is an interesting twist. The fact that God’s commands make us feel bad does not mean that God’s commands are bad. The truth is, they’re beautiful. The Bible says this over and over again. In Psalm 19, it says “The law of God is perfect, reviving the soul…the commandments of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.” Why does the Bible say that? Because: embedded in the law that makes us feel bad is a way of life that leads to blessing, if we could only do it right. We can’t, not entirely; not consistently. But Jesus can. Jesus did. Because he did it, and made that perfection into a sacrifice for you and me, we can catch glimpses of the beauty of God’s way, and sometimes we can even live in it.
I’d like to zero in on just one of the commandments today, specifically the Third Commandment. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” What kind of a command is that, really? It’s a health issue—a mental, emotional, spiritual health issue. If it only means “stop skipping church,” then there’s no point in preaching it, because you’re already here. Rest assured, it means far more than that. There’s a beautiful invitation in this commandment for those who choose to look.
Let’s break it down. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The first word is the easiest. “Remember” doesn’t just mean to recall information from storage. Even in our own language, much more is implied. For example, “Did you remember my prescription?” means, “Did you pick up my prescription?” Or you could say, “We remember our veterans by raising this flag.” “Remembrance” is thought that leads to action, and at the same time, it is action that keeps thought alive. By the way, this is precisely what Jesus was getting at when he gave bread and wine to his disciples in the Upper Room and said: “Do this in remembrance of me.”
The word Sabbath isn’t quite as obvious. What it really means is to stop. God’s people were supposed to stop for one day each week. This flows out the Genesis account of creation, where God stopped and rested on the seventh day. And what was the point of the Sabbath? For God’s people, it was to remember, once a week, together, what they were doing here on this earth. It was to remember their bond with God. It was to be an oasis from the storm of busyness and distraction. {Do you see?} It wasn’t an extra duty. It was a rest from duty. For what purpose? To get a little R & R? No, the commandment itself answers the question. We should remember the Sabbath day, we should participate in God’s stop day, to keep it holy. To keep it holy. To keep us holy.
And we need something to keep us holy, because we sure can’t do it ourselves. We tend to slide away from holiness without even trying. You may not even think of “holiness” as something you consciously want in your life. About the only time we use the word in everyday conversation, it’s negative. Do you know what I’m thinking of? When we call someone “holier-than-thou,” it’s not a compliment. Holiness has a bad name. How messed up is that?
So here we are, actively participating in God’s stop day that keeps us holy…what is that holy-ness that we need to be kept in? What does it consist of? It consists of the real, true God. “Holy” is what God is. God is completely clean, completely good. Completely well. God is free from anything that causes death. God is totally alive—He is the source of all life and energy. He is life that death could not hold down. This God of life made the “stop day” for you and me.
That’s why, when we come together, and we worship in the way that we do, the words that we speak and the words that we sing and the words that we hear are God’s words, and the Bible says His words are Spirit. His words are life. They contain the energy and power of God! And, when you receive the Bread of Life, God’s life comes into you. Stop. Take and eat. Take and drink. Stop. Jesus tells you again, “Your sins are forgiven. I paid dearly for them.” Stop. Remember who you are: a person who’s been adopted in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever seen a sick, feverish child with night terrors? You have to wake them and get them to stop. You have to bring them out into the real world, away from the dark horror in their head. You wake them, comfort them, and hold them.
Well, listen. God has a world full of children with night terrors. Even his baptized ones lose their way and come down with fevers and nightmares. His Sabbath is to make it stop, to bring you into the real world. Can you hear his words? Can you feel His arms? You are here. So is He. Hear Jesus say to you: “I’m glad you remembered. Don’t be afraid. Stop for a while, my child. Let me hold you.”
What bothers us so much about the Ten Commandments? At least part of the answer is that they make us feel bad. We know we don’t do what they say. They make it abundantly clear that we’re not living up to God’s standards. That’s by design. The Law shows us our sins, and that’s never fun or comfortable, and our preference is always going to be fun and comfortable. But here’s the catch. Without the discomfort created by God’s commands, there’s no such thing as meaningful forgiveness. In other words, if you don’t realize at the very core of your being that you are actually by nature sinful and unclean, and are given to doing wrong and not doing what’s right—if you don’t realize that, if you don’t own that, what is there to be saved from? Why would you even need a Savior? Being a Christian means that I don’t deny the discomfort; I don’t run from the discomfort; I let the discomfort drive me to the only solution, which is Jesus.
But here, now, is an interesting twist. The fact that God’s commands make us feel bad does not mean that God’s commands are bad. The truth is, they’re beautiful. The Bible says this over and over again. In Psalm 19, it says “The law of God is perfect, reviving the soul…the commandments of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.” Why does the Bible say that? Because: embedded in the law that makes us feel bad is a way of life that leads to blessing, if we could only do it right. We can’t, not entirely; not consistently. But Jesus can. Jesus did. Because he did it, and made that perfection into a sacrifice for you and me, we can catch glimpses of the beauty of God’s way, and sometimes we can even live in it.
I’d like to zero in on just one of the commandments today, specifically the Third Commandment. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” What kind of a command is that, really? It’s a health issue—a mental, emotional, spiritual health issue. If it only means “stop skipping church,” then there’s no point in preaching it, because you’re already here. Rest assured, it means far more than that. There’s a beautiful invitation in this commandment for those who choose to look.
Let’s break it down. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The first word is the easiest. “Remember” doesn’t just mean to recall information from storage. Even in our own language, much more is implied. For example, “Did you remember my prescription?” means, “Did you pick up my prescription?” Or you could say, “We remember our veterans by raising this flag.” “Remembrance” is thought that leads to action, and at the same time, it is action that keeps thought alive. By the way, this is precisely what Jesus was getting at when he gave bread and wine to his disciples in the Upper Room and said: “Do this in remembrance of me.”
The word Sabbath isn’t quite as obvious. What it really means is to stop. God’s people were supposed to stop for one day each week. This flows out the Genesis account of creation, where God stopped and rested on the seventh day. And what was the point of the Sabbath? For God’s people, it was to remember, once a week, together, what they were doing here on this earth. It was to remember their bond with God. It was to be an oasis from the storm of busyness and distraction. {Do you see?} It wasn’t an extra duty. It was a rest from duty. For what purpose? To get a little R & R? No, the commandment itself answers the question. We should remember the Sabbath day, we should participate in God’s stop day, to keep it holy. To keep it holy. To keep us holy.
And we need something to keep us holy, because we sure can’t do it ourselves. We tend to slide away from holiness without even trying. You may not even think of “holiness” as something you consciously want in your life. About the only time we use the word in everyday conversation, it’s negative. Do you know what I’m thinking of? When we call someone “holier-than-thou,” it’s not a compliment. Holiness has a bad name. How messed up is that?
So here we are, actively participating in God’s stop day that keeps us holy…what is that holy-ness that we need to be kept in? What does it consist of? It consists of the real, true God. “Holy” is what God is. God is completely clean, completely good. Completely well. God is free from anything that causes death. God is totally alive—He is the source of all life and energy. He is life that death could not hold down. This God of life made the “stop day” for you and me.
That’s why, when we come together, and we worship in the way that we do, the words that we speak and the words that we sing and the words that we hear are God’s words, and the Bible says His words are Spirit. His words are life. They contain the energy and power of God! And, when you receive the Bread of Life, God’s life comes into you. Stop. Take and eat. Take and drink. Stop. Jesus tells you again, “Your sins are forgiven. I paid dearly for them.” Stop. Remember who you are: a person who’s been adopted in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever seen a sick, feverish child with night terrors? You have to wake them and get them to stop. You have to bring them out into the real world, away from the dark horror in their head. You wake them, comfort them, and hold them.
Well, listen. God has a world full of children with night terrors. Even his baptized ones lose their way and come down with fevers and nightmares. His Sabbath is to make it stop, to bring you into the real world. Can you hear his words? Can you feel His arms? You are here. So is He. Hear Jesus say to you: “I’m glad you remembered. Don’t be afraid. Stop for a while, my child. Let me hold you.”
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Most Important Question
Who do you think Jesus is? That’s a pretty important question to answer. I would go so far as to say that it is actually the most important question you will ever answer.
Now there are all kinds of crucial questions you will answer over the course of a lifetime: What are you going to be when you grow up? What’s your major? Will you marry me? Your answer to these will set the course for your life and have far-reaching implications. Yet behind and above them all is that first question, “Who do you think Jesus is?” It’s a question that was first asked a couple of thousand years ago, and since then, billions of people have dealt with it; some have wrestled with it; others have had their lives changed by it; still others have been haunted by it. What’s your answer? More is riding on it than you may imagine.
The first time this question was asked, it was asked by Jesus himself and He asked it of his disciples. It was a pivotal moment in their relationship, although they couldn’t have realized it at the time. Looking back on it, the apostles definitely realized the magnitude of this moment; we know this because Matthew, Mark, and Luke each include it in their accounts of Jesus’ life. Wisely, our Lord begins the conversation with a warm-up. He asks his followers who people say that He is. What is the word on the street about my identity? He wants to know. And the answers that trickle back vary; some say Jesus is John the Baptist; others say Jesus is Elijah the prophet, apparently returned from heaven by horse and chariot; they are answers that sniff around the truth but never quite dig it up.
Not much has changed in two thousand years. If you Google the name Jesus, you’ll get approximately 262,000,000 hits, and at least that many opinions about who Jesus is. I’m going to avoid listing 262,000,000 opinions, so let me summarize. Who do people say Jesus is? Some would say He’s an enlightened spiritual teacher; some would say he’s a fraud; some say he’s an extraterrestrial (not making that up); yet others say that he never existed at all. And then there are over a billion Christians in our generation alone who believe that Jesus is the only Son of God the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day rose again and ascended into heaven. We could literally spend days on end talking about who people think Jesus is, and it would be a fascinating conversation. At times it would get pretty heated, pretty intense. But in the end, it’s not enough to have the conversation. It’s not enough to talk about Jesus. What matters, finally, is the second question Jesus asks. Who do you say that I am?
So there it is. What’s your answer? Everybody has one, even if the answer is “I don’t know” or “I don’t think Jesus existed.” I’m guessing your answer is a little more developed than that, but only you know for sure. Who do you say Jesus is? Think about it. Then listen to the way the disciple Peter answers. He says, “You are the Christ.”
What does that mean? Peter is saying that Jesus is the anointed One; that’s what “Christ” means. It’s not Jesus’ last name; it’s a title. Calling Jesus “the Christ” is calling him the one God was talking about all the way back in the Garden of Eden, following the Fall—the One who would crush the head of the tempter serpent. Calling Jesus “the Christ” is calling him the prophet God promised to send who would be like Moses; it means calling Him the suffering servant shown to Isaiah who would take the punishment of his people; it means calling him the one who looks like a Son of Man, seen in Daniel’s vision, who is given the throne of Almighty God and His kingdom to rule. Calling Jesus “the Christ” is calling Him the Rescuer, the Redeemer, the Savior. The Messiah. Matthew and Luke fill in Mark’s blanks: Peter goes on to say that Jesus is the Son of the living God, and Jesus does not disagree with Peter’s statement. In fact, he calls Peter’s statement the Rock on which His Church will be built. Clearly, this is how Jesus wants to be thought of.
Who do you think He is? Is your answer close to Peter’s? Do you call Jesus your rescuer—your Savior from the guilt of sin, the sting of death, and the torment of hell? Do you call Jesus the Son of the living God—truly God and truly man, both/and? Do you call Jesus Lord and ruler of your life? Do you understand why your answer is so important?
If you said that your answer means the difference between eternal joy and eternal sorrow—the difference between heaven and hell—you’re right. The apostles boldly preached, “There is no other name (than the name of Jesus) by which we can be saved.” Saved from what? Saved from having to pay the penalty for our sins on our own. Saved from self-destruction. The name of Jesus tells us who He is and what He does—Jesus means, “The Lord Saves.” So yes, your destination for eternity is riding on your answer. But that’s not all. If you say Jesus is your Savior, do you know what you’re saying? You are admitting that you are a sinner who needs what Jesus alone can provide. You’re admitting that you have no standing before God that can help you. It all rests on what Jesus has done, by dying on the cross in your place and rising from the grave alive. That’s the gospel, and as the gospel gets worked into you, it’s going to make some changes. If you say Jesus is your Savior, that means you’re going to stop grading yourself against other people, because you’ll understand, we’re all in the same boat—sinners who depend 100% on God’s mercy. If you say Jesus is your Savior, that means that as the gospel gets worked into you, you’re going to value your forgiveness so much that you become a more forgiving person. If you say Jesus is your Savior and Lord, then at the very least you will find yourself thinking about what matters to Him, and where you’re headed is actually giving Jesus control of your life. You see, calling Jesus your Savior isn’t just getting an answer right on a test so you can go to heaven when you die. Calling Jesus your Savior—and trusting in Him for salvation—changes who you are today. Not only does the gospel of Jesus bless you, it makes you a blessing to others. Are you living that way?
Now there are all kinds of crucial questions you will answer over the course of a lifetime: What are you going to be when you grow up? What’s your major? Will you marry me? Your answer to these will set the course for your life and have far-reaching implications. Yet behind and above them all is that first question, “Who do you think Jesus is?” It’s a question that was first asked a couple of thousand years ago, and since then, billions of people have dealt with it; some have wrestled with it; others have had their lives changed by it; still others have been haunted by it. What’s your answer? More is riding on it than you may imagine.
The first time this question was asked, it was asked by Jesus himself and He asked it of his disciples. It was a pivotal moment in their relationship, although they couldn’t have realized it at the time. Looking back on it, the apostles definitely realized the magnitude of this moment; we know this because Matthew, Mark, and Luke each include it in their accounts of Jesus’ life. Wisely, our Lord begins the conversation with a warm-up. He asks his followers who people say that He is. What is the word on the street about my identity? He wants to know. And the answers that trickle back vary; some say Jesus is John the Baptist; others say Jesus is Elijah the prophet, apparently returned from heaven by horse and chariot; they are answers that sniff around the truth but never quite dig it up.
Not much has changed in two thousand years. If you Google the name Jesus, you’ll get approximately 262,000,000 hits, and at least that many opinions about who Jesus is. I’m going to avoid listing 262,000,000 opinions, so let me summarize. Who do people say Jesus is? Some would say He’s an enlightened spiritual teacher; some would say he’s a fraud; some say he’s an extraterrestrial (not making that up); yet others say that he never existed at all. And then there are over a billion Christians in our generation alone who believe that Jesus is the only Son of God the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day rose again and ascended into heaven. We could literally spend days on end talking about who people think Jesus is, and it would be a fascinating conversation. At times it would get pretty heated, pretty intense. But in the end, it’s not enough to have the conversation. It’s not enough to talk about Jesus. What matters, finally, is the second question Jesus asks. Who do you say that I am?
So there it is. What’s your answer? Everybody has one, even if the answer is “I don’t know” or “I don’t think Jesus existed.” I’m guessing your answer is a little more developed than that, but only you know for sure. Who do you say Jesus is? Think about it. Then listen to the way the disciple Peter answers. He says, “You are the Christ.”
What does that mean? Peter is saying that Jesus is the anointed One; that’s what “Christ” means. It’s not Jesus’ last name; it’s a title. Calling Jesus “the Christ” is calling him the one God was talking about all the way back in the Garden of Eden, following the Fall—the One who would crush the head of the tempter serpent. Calling Jesus “the Christ” is calling him the prophet God promised to send who would be like Moses; it means calling Him the suffering servant shown to Isaiah who would take the punishment of his people; it means calling him the one who looks like a Son of Man, seen in Daniel’s vision, who is given the throne of Almighty God and His kingdom to rule. Calling Jesus “the Christ” is calling Him the Rescuer, the Redeemer, the Savior. The Messiah. Matthew and Luke fill in Mark’s blanks: Peter goes on to say that Jesus is the Son of the living God, and Jesus does not disagree with Peter’s statement. In fact, he calls Peter’s statement the Rock on which His Church will be built. Clearly, this is how Jesus wants to be thought of.
Who do you think He is? Is your answer close to Peter’s? Do you call Jesus your rescuer—your Savior from the guilt of sin, the sting of death, and the torment of hell? Do you call Jesus the Son of the living God—truly God and truly man, both/and? Do you call Jesus Lord and ruler of your life? Do you understand why your answer is so important?
If you said that your answer means the difference between eternal joy and eternal sorrow—the difference between heaven and hell—you’re right. The apostles boldly preached, “There is no other name (than the name of Jesus) by which we can be saved.” Saved from what? Saved from having to pay the penalty for our sins on our own. Saved from self-destruction. The name of Jesus tells us who He is and what He does—Jesus means, “The Lord Saves.” So yes, your destination for eternity is riding on your answer. But that’s not all. If you say Jesus is your Savior, do you know what you’re saying? You are admitting that you are a sinner who needs what Jesus alone can provide. You’re admitting that you have no standing before God that can help you. It all rests on what Jesus has done, by dying on the cross in your place and rising from the grave alive. That’s the gospel, and as the gospel gets worked into you, it’s going to make some changes. If you say Jesus is your Savior, that means you’re going to stop grading yourself against other people, because you’ll understand, we’re all in the same boat—sinners who depend 100% on God’s mercy. If you say Jesus is your Savior, that means that as the gospel gets worked into you, you’re going to value your forgiveness so much that you become a more forgiving person. If you say Jesus is your Savior and Lord, then at the very least you will find yourself thinking about what matters to Him, and where you’re headed is actually giving Jesus control of your life. You see, calling Jesus your Savior isn’t just getting an answer right on a test so you can go to heaven when you die. Calling Jesus your Savior—and trusting in Him for salvation—changes who you are today. Not only does the gospel of Jesus bless you, it makes you a blessing to others. Are you living that way?
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