Who is Jesus?
Bible Text: Luke 9:18-27 | Preacher: Andrew Love | Series: Luke’s Gospel | Introduction
Looking at v18-26
Many people are talking about Coronavirus
Lots of panic buying
The government are advising us to take precautions
Are people considering the greater questions of life?
The greater questions of life
Examples
Who is Jesus Christ? – Saviour and Lord
So many titles for Jesus Christ
How did people understand Jesus in the 1st Century?
Initially as a son of Joseph and Mary
As He performed miracles, peoples opinions changed
v19 – John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah and one of the Old Testament prophets
Yet none are saying the Messiah
Jesus asks His disciples
Peter sees that He is the Christ (v20)
Yet the people did not see Jesus as their Messiah
Do we see Jesus as the Son of God?
What does this really mean for us?
Overview
Who is He?
What does it mean for you?
Who is He?
The Gospels are written so you should answer the question ‘who is Jesus?’
The central question raised by Jesus’ ministry and miracles
Herod the Tetrarch had his opinion – Luke 9:9
The people thought He was a prophet – Luke
Jesus had withdrawn to pray in Caesera Philippi
Greater detail in Matthew and Mark’s gospel – example
Many of the disciples had turned back – John 6:66
Jesus turns to His disciples and ask them ‘who do you say that I am?’
Peter states Jesus is the Christ – but what did they understand by this?
John 1:41 – Andrew had said they had found the Messiah – explanation
Luke 5:10-11 – Surely He was already their Lord
Luke 8:26 – They heard the demoniac cry out that Jesus was Lord
How did Peter (and the disciples) come to this conclusion?
Logical deduction?
A spiritual revelation from God – the illumination of the Holy Spirit
cf. 1 Cor 2:14
cf. 1 Cor 12:3
They are still not understanding everything about the Messiah
Jesus teaches them further – v22
The disciples could not understand this
Peter rebukes Jesus, who responds “Get behind Me satan”
What do you understand?
That ‘you’ is emphatic
Who do you say that Christ is?
We don’t need a full understanding
Our deeper understanding will develop as our Christian walk continues
It was not the time for the disciples to reveal these things
He was emphatic that the Son of Man must suffer many things
The disciples did not understand this
Sin is so terrible
It murdered the Son of God
It must be paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ
Example of Hymn
Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for us
Jesus rose the third day victorious over death, sin and hell
He is the Son of Man
What does it mean for you?
We have a choice
Are we going to continue to live for our personal gain?
Are we going to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him
v23-25
Jesus is calling us to deny ourselves
For Him to take Lordship over our lives
To die to self
Self-sacrifice
The path of holiness and humility
A Christian follows Him
v24 – If you try to preserve your life/live for yourself, you will lose your life
If you give up your life to follow Him, you will gain everything
v25 – repeated with a different emphasis
Believe on the Lord and you shall be saved
v26 – At the heavenly judgment – those who have denied and are ashamed of Him, He will deny them before the Father
What is your identity?
Is it bound up with Jesus Christ?
‘Good’ people are a dead end
The only one we should follow is Jesus Christ
Closing Remarks