Wrestling with the Identity of Jesus

1. Read: Matthew 27:22

2. About the Text:

1) Jesus had been taken a prisoner from the garden of Gethsemane the night before.

2) The Jews had put Him through a mock trial with many false witnesses.

3) They brought him before Pilate to be tried under Roman authority.

4) Pilate asked if he should release Jesus or Barabbas; the Jews chose Barabbas.

5) Pilate then said, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”

3. There are three responses which we can make toward the same question today.

1) Our response depends upon what we think about the claims Jesus made;

2) He claimed to be . . .

a. Fully human

a) “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13).

b) Jesus humanity meant that he understood humanity and its relationships.

b. Fully divine

a) When Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus said, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:16, 17).

b) Jesus’ divinity meant that he understood God.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. They reject his humanity.

1) Some think that Jesus was not even a historical figure.

a. Over a dozen extra-biblical sources for Jesus as a historical figure.

b. Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny, Trajan, Hadrian, and more

c. This is not to mention the New Testament and early Christian writers.

2) Some recognize that he was a historical figure yet reject what Jesus taught.

3) To these we ask, by what standard do you judge Jesus.

a. Some say by the standard of man, “Man is the measure of all things”-humanism.

b. Some say there is no standard-all actions are morally equivalent.

c. Some say that the standard is the relative.

2. They reject his divinity.

1) Most of these do not even believe in the existence of God.

2) Those who do claim some sort of belief are pan-theists.

3) Nonetheless, they certainly do not believe in the God of the Bible.

4) So, they either reject Jesus’ divinity because they believe themselves to be as much a god as he was, or they simply reject the idea that there is a God at all.

3. C.S. Lewis said that every person must make some kind of response toward Jesus. He said that there were only three possible things you could call him-liar, lunatic, or Lord.

1. Some accept Jesus’ humanity, but reject his divinity.

1) They accept his humanity.

a. Matthew 19:16-17

b. They think Jesus was a good man and that he presented a high standard of ethics.

c. Again, we must ask, by what standard do you judge Jesus to have good ethics.

d. If his ethics were right, then why do you judge his other teachings false?

e. In fact, His high standard of ethics is evidence for accepting his other teachings.

f. cf. Matthew 5.

g. Islam claims that Jesus was a prophet, but not the Son of God (state problem).

2) They reject his divinity.

a. Some say there is no God, but still subscribe to Jesus’ ethics.

b. Some there is a God, but Jesus could not have been God.

a) They do this because they impose their materialistic view of man upon Jesus.

b) These fall under the category of 2 Peter 3:3,4; “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

2. Some accept Jesus’ divinity, but reject his humanity.

1) They accept his divinity.

a. These say that Jesus is the Son of God.

b. They believe that God exists and that the Bible is God’s word.

c. But they are just “John 3:16” Christians.

2) They reject his humanity because they do not follow His teachings for humanity.

a. They call Jesus “Lord,” but that is all; they don’t do what He says.

b. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

c. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:23-25).

d. Some claim to be followers just to justify themselves.

e. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” (Matthew 7:21-23).

f. Although these accept Jesus divinity, they are not Jesus friends.

g. Jesus said, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14).

1. They accept his humanity.

1) They have chosen to follow the Savior wherever he may call. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:21-24).

2) “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).

3) They have chosen to accept the life of the cross

2. They accept his divinity.

1) They believe, with Peter, that Jesus is the Son of God.

2) They believe that Jesus has preeminence over their lives. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:16-18).

3) They believe that one day he will come back and judge the world in righteousness. “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

4) They boldly say with John, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30, 31).

1. Wrestling with the Identity of Jesus…

1) Will you reject him?

2) Will you Eulogize him?

3) Will you in humble submission to his will accept him?

2. You can accept Jesus today.

1) Hear with a view toward obedience. “For faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

2) Believe in God, in his word, and in the Christ. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6).

3) Repent “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2 Corinthians7:10).

4) Confess “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33).

5) Be baptized “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

3. If you are a Christian, be faithful to Him.