Heaven Bound

“But what about you?” he asked (speaking to the disciple Simon Peter). “Who do you say that I am?”  Mark 8:29

The Most Important Question

Without a doubt, the man called Jesus altered history in a way no other has or ever will again. Amazing, considering he was a simple Jewish carpenter who lived and died over 2,000 years ago in an out of the way and obscure place called Judea. With a rag tag group of followers, his life and his ministry came to an abrupt end late one Friday afternoon in 33 A.D. when he was put to death on a cross (along with two others) on a lonely hill outside Jerusalem.

But this was not the end as many expected (of this man Jesus) but rather just the beginning. For which, the question (by virtue of the stone rolled away from the grave) remains today – “who do you say that I am?”

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

For some Jesus is seen as a good man. A wise teacher, an ascended master perhaps, who like Buddha manifests periodically through out history for the purpose of enlightenment. Others believe that he is the archangel Michael. While still others believe that he is just one of the many spirit children of God – but, one for whom a special task was chosen when it was deemed that intervention on planet earth was needed. But as always, its important in the midst of these various ideas, religious teachings and speculation that we go right to the source and ask ourselves.

What does the Bible say?

JESUS – FULLY MAN AND FULLY GOD

The book of John makes clear from its first chapter that Jesus is unlike any other. He is both man and God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God …. the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”. John 1:1 & 14.

To take away from Jesus either his humanity or his divinity is to create a Jesus that does not exist. For a Jesus apart from the revealed word of God is no Jesus at all but rather the work of ignorance and imagination or the result of twisted and distorted Bible teaching by those who (for their own nefarious purposes) seek to sell a Jesus, who is no Jesus at all.

So, lets make certain as we study this out that the Jesus, we love, follow, preach and serve is the Jesus of the Bible and not some other.

 Jesus, the man

The humanity of Jesus (though born of a virgin) is easy to see. He came in to this world the same way we all did by virtue of a woman in labor. He ate, he drank, he slept and felt hunger and pain just as we do.  He was also a man who felt sorrow, anger and joy even weeping at times in deep compassion for the pain and suffering of others.

Yet, he was more than this. He was not just man, not even an extraordinary man. He was God clothed in flesh. Something he himself proclaimed and demonstrated throughout the duration of his ministry.

Jesus, God manifest in flesh

In other words – God came down.

I like the simplicity of this statement. God came down. Yes, God came down! When we could do nothing for ourselves. When we were hopelessly lost in sin ….. God came down! Is this not the epitome of love?  The greatest love ever – demonstrated in the most powerful way possible? God came down!

Religion will tell you that we must find a way to make ourselves acceptable to God. If we follow this person, or that person or adhere to a prescribed way of living, we may (if we are lucky) find ourselves acceptable to God. If we adhere to the practices of religion, if we do enough good works, if the scales weigh in our favor when we die – perhaps then, we will be acceptable to God.

Religion tells us we must reach up – Christianity tells us that God reached down.

Friends, if you are reading this today and find yourselves on that particular train (reaching up) you are heading the wrong way. God came down to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. The Bible says that there is “none righteous …. no not one”. A sobering statement, when considered. For that tells us that there is nothing righteous about us, nothing good enough about us to make us acceptable to God. Yet he loved us anyway and did for us what we could never do for ourselves by dying a sinless death on the cross. For only someone sinless (God) can pay the price for sin. You see, that is why it was so necessary – that God come down.

So, with that in mind – lets step back a minute and see what the Bible says …… what Jesus, himself says about who he is.

Think about the miracles of Jesus. They show us both his humanity and his divinity. His humanity by his compassion. His divinity by the miracles themselves. Healing the sick, the deaf, the lame and the blind. Driving out demons, cleansing lepers and raising the dead.  These are the attributes of God, the creator – yet, Jesus demonstrates over and over again the same power – explaining with these words – “I and the Father am one” John 10:30

Consider also, how he calmed the wind and waves. How he walked on water and fed the five thousand.  And greatest of all, how he emerged from the tomb on the third day proving that death itself could not hold him.  Yes, God came down.

And, last but not least –

When Jesus is worshipped, he accepts it . No Jew or Rabbi with the keen understanding of Jewish law (that Jesus would have) would ever accept worship – it is strictly forbidden – as worship is ascribed to God alone.  Therefore even angels are careful not to do it. Yet, the scripture tells us –

“When they saw him, they worshipped him”. Matthew 28:17

In fact, this is why they (the Jewish leaders) sought to kill him?

We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10:33

Yes, God came down.

So, as you can see, the question Jesus ask Peter, he asks of us all?

“Who do you say that I am?”

And truth be told, when we reach eternity, it will be the only question that matters.

I ask you then, what will you say?

*If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I encourage you to do so now . And by way of explanation, the question Jesus asks “who do you say that I am”  is not so much a text book question – as it is a question of relationship.  For if you indeed know who he is, why have you not made him Savior and Lord?

**What does the Bible say – part 4 coming soon – the Holy Spirit and the triune nature of God.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!  Cindy