Who is Jesus?

Jesus asked his disciples many questions, not in an effort to test them, but to open their minds so he could teach them. While in Caesarea Philippi Jesus posed to them this question, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They answered him, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” To which Jesus responded with another question, “Who do you say that I am?” Immediately Simon Peter blurted out, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus praised Simon by saying, “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, because no human revealed this to you. Rather my Father in heaven revealed it to you.” (Matthew 16:13-17, my paraphrase)

How would you answer Jesus’ questions to his disciples? There are many opinions about who Jesus is. Take some time to write down your answer Jesus’ second question, “Who do you say that I am?” From the last week of February to Easter (April 8^th), we will read selections from the four Gospels. As you read about the stories about Jesus, make notes about who he is. Then during Holy Week (April 2-7), compare who you knew Jesus to be before you began reading the Gospels and who you know him to be at that time.

By the way, don’t over look Matthew 16:17. People can point people to Jesus. It is God who reveals his true identity to us. Why? Well, you can figure that out as you read the Gospels.

Whose Battle Is It?

David and Goliath is a favorite story of the Bible. We like the story because young David has a level of courage and faith that we long to have. While everyone else is trembling in fear of the giant, David is angered by his defying words and taunts. After a brief interview with King Saul, David begins the short journey into the valley to meet the Philistine giant armed only with a staff, a sling, and five stones. Behind him the army of Israel watches from behind rocks and boulders. Can you imagine the murmuring that must have been going on behinds those rocks? And in his tent, King Saul waited to hear the news of the gruesome death of the young lad.

Everyone else saw a giant of a man. David saw a pagan Philistine who was cursing his God. Everyone else saw the large spear, the big sword and the huge hands which held them. The others saw the big shields and the heavy armor of the Goliath. David saw a big man with an even bigger weakness; he did not know the Lord. David knew that the God he worshiped and served was much bigger than Goliath from Gath.

How could this boy walk toward the giant with such confidence while those who been trained to fight were hiding behind him? The answer is found in David’s response to Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:45-47.

⁴⁵But David told the Philistine, "You are coming against me with sword, spear, and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel's army, the one you've insulted. ⁴⁶Today the Lord will hand you over to me. I will strike you down and cut off your head! Today I will feed your dead body and the dead bodies of the entire Philistine camp to the wild birds and the wild animals. Then the whole world will know that there is a God on Israel's side. ⁴⁷And all those gathered here will know that the Lord doesn't save by means of sword and spear. The Lord owns this war, and he will hand all of you over to us."⁽¹⁾

David did not accept Goliath’s challenge out of national pride. He didn’t approach the giant in the name of Israel. David stood before Goliath in the name of the Lord. David stood before the giant not for his own glory, but so that the whole world will know that there is a God on Israel's side.⁽²⁾ In his brief testimony David is fully focused on the power of God. David is fully engaged in the holy battle; one that is owned by the Lord.

The giants on our lives frighten us because we lose sight of who is actually fighting the battle. Too often we try to use the weapons and armor of others and we are defeated. The weapons God gives us may not be impressive in the eyes of people. When God defeats our giants only he can receive the glory. Let’s keep our eyes on the God of universe!

⁽¹⁾Common English Bible (2011-06-15). CEB Common English Bible with Apocrypha (Kindle Locations 10494-10499). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.

⁽²⁾ I Samuel 17:46

God is with Us

God is with Us

 Have you ever been close to a destination only to find that you can’t get there? My family went to Grand Teton National Park for a vacation. The mountains were beautiful! We had never seen anything like the Tetons. We went in late May so the mountains were still covered with snow. In fact most of the trails were closed due to snow. Nevertheless, we enjoyed their majestic beauty. While we were there, I wanted to go to the top of Signal Mountain. Many people had told me that the view from there is magnificent. So, one day, we decided to drive to the top of Signal Mountain. We found the road that goes up the mountain. We drove a very distance to discover that it was closed with a big gate. On the gate was a sign which read, “Closed Due To Snow.” I was very disappointed.

I wonder if Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb had a similar feeling when the ten scouts gave a bad report of the Promised Land to the Israelites. I wonder if some of the Israelites were disappointed that they couldn’t take possession of the land. Caleb and Joshua were ready, as were Moses and Aaron. However, ten men changed the plan. In fact, they completely smashed the people’s dreams of The Promised Land. Like the gate that stood between us and the top of Signal Mountain, those men barred the entrance into The Promised Land.

The scouts returned with good news and bad news about The Promised Land. It was a good land with plenty of space for everyone. The fruit of the land was plentiful and delicious. However, there were two problems—the cities were fortified with strong defenses and giants lived in the land. You don’t have to live long to discover that the good things in life often require negotiating some difficult terrain to get there. There are always obstacles between us and the prize. Many times we are like the Israelites thinking that God will simply give us whatever he has promised without any cost, effort, or risk on our part. The truth is God is not a play-it-safe God. The Israelites should have figured that out after witnessing God’s power in Egypt through the ten plagues and opening the Red Sea for them to cross through on dry ground. They were given water and bread from the hand of God. They saw God descend on Mount Sinai. They saw the cloud and fire that led them. So why did they freak out about fortified cities and giants?

Let’s not be too quick to condemn the Israelites for their lack of faith. When was the last time you told God that what he was asking you to do was impossible? Last month? Last week? Today? We want to receive the promises of God, but too often we are afraid of the obstacles. I pray that you will be encouraged by the counsel of Caleb and Joshua:

“The land we crossed through to explore is an exceptionally good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he’ll bring us into this land and give it to us. It’s a land full of milk and honey. Only don’t rebel against the Lord and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are our prey. Their defense has deserted them, but the Lord is with us. So don’t be afraid of them.” (Deuteronomy 14:7-9, CEB)

Distinctly Different

People are unique. Every person is uniquely different from everyone else. No two people are exactly the same; even identical twins have subtle differences that distinguish one from the other. Not only are individuals unique, so are people groups. Whether the group is a family, business, school, community, congregation or nation, each group is uniquely different. Customs, traditions, language, ideals, and many more distinguish one group of people from another.

In the Book of Genesis God called Abraham to leave home and his family to go to a new land. God’s covenant with Abraham was that God would make a mighty nation of his descendants. He would be unique from all other nations in that God would bless all nations through Abraham. The sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants was that every male would be circumcised. And, thus, God began making his people distinctly different from all other peoples.

The Book of Exodus is the continuing story of how God’s people will be distinguished from all other nations. No other nation has been delivered from the bonds of slavery in such dramatic displays of power than the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God miraculously provided them water and food in the desert.  He led them by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. These manifestations of all mighty God distinguished Israel from all other nations. However, there was one distinction that stood out from all the other distinctions.

Exodus chapter thirty-three begins as a sad moment in the relationship between God and Israel. God was angry with Israel because they made a golden calf and worshiped it while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God. Moses interceded on behalf of the people and asked God to forgive them for their sin. God forgave them and punished them in chapter thirty-two. In chapter thirty-three God told Moses to leave the mountain and lead the people to the land he promised to give them. In verse three God told Moses, “But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy on the way.” (Exodus 33:3 NIV; The Story, pp. 66-67) The people were very sad when Moses told them the bad news and they grieved (Exodus 33:4-6).

Moses met with God later in the tent of meeting and asked God who would go with him as he led the people to the Promised Land. He also asked God to teach him God’s ways so that he would continue to be in God’s favor. (Exodus 33:12-13)

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know your name.” (Exodus 33:14-17 NIV; The Story, p. 67)

Moses knew that only one thing could truly make Israel distinctly different from the other nations—the Presence of God. This is true today as well. God has called his people to be distinctly different, holy, set apart, unique, even peculiar. Even though we are uniquely different for all the reasons and more that I mentioned earlier, if only we could fully grasp what Moses knew. It is the Presence that makes us distinctly Christian. It is the reality of God with us that sets apart, not in holier-than-thou ways, but in ways that people know they have been in the presence of God when they are around us. In fact, when Christians gather all the other things that make us different fade away as the Presence of God unites us (Galatians 3:25-29), so that we, the people of God in Jesus Christ, will be distinctly different from all other people. And people will know it.