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Who do you say that I am?
Some people find it easy to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but
the idea that he is God in the flesh is something else again. If we are to
take Jesus seriously, though, we cannot just accept his moral teaching but
set aside who he claimed to be.
Consider what Jesus said about himself: In John 8:46-47, he claimed to be
without sin. In John 14:16, he claimed to be the only way to God. In John
17:5, he claimed to have shared the glory of God in heaven. In Luke 7:48-49,
he claimed to be able to forgive sins. In John 20:28-30, he claimed to be
able to give everlasting life. In John 10:17, he claimed that he would die
and come back to life.
The Christian writer and apologist C.S. Lewis wrote:
“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
the 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.” (Mere Christianity,
pages 40-41)
Jesus once asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered
boldly, “You are the Christ.” But then Peter immediately showed that
he had no idea what being the Christ was all about. Mark 8:31 tells
us,
“Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer
many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of
the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He
spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke
him.”
So Jesus had to rebuke Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus told
him. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of
men.” Jesus came to take human sin and its consequences upon himself, to
free humanity from the bondage of sin and restore us to a right relationship
with God and one another, and doing that involved condemnation and death,
followed by resurrection and ascension to the Father.
To follow him is not a path to national glory and power, nor to ease and
prosperity, but a life of self-sacrificial love. “If anyone would come after
me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” Jesus told
Peter.
All of us must face the question, “Who is Jesus?” The answer makes all
the difference in the world. For if Jesus is who he claims to be, then the
future is not dark and bleak, but full of hope for all of humanity. If Jesus
is who he claims to be, then all the evil and injustice and pain and sorrow
of this present world will one day be swallowed up in a new creation founded
on love, in which there will be no end of joy and peace.
I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that
I am?" We have a free booklet, A Brief Introduction to Trinitarian Theology,
to help you answer that question. In the United States, to request your
free copy, see www.wcg.org/lit Or call
us toll-free at 1-800-423-4444.
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