Who Do You Say that I Am?
Text: Mark 8:27-33 | January 12, 2020
Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (8:29). People give many different answers to that question, but there is only one right answer. Some say He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets of old risen from the dead (Mark 8:28; Matthew 16:14). Still, others said He was a lunatic and a liar (Mark 3:21-22). Today, it is common to hear people say He is a good person or a good teacher.
Every person will have to answer this question. This is the most important question we have to answer, because how we answer this question has eternal implications. We don’t go to heaven by trusting Jesus as a good person or by placing our faith in Him as a good teacher. The disciples correctly answered the question, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mark 8:29; Matthew 16:16). That is the only correct answer. We place our faith in Jesus, who is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus is the Christ, which means Messiah. He is the Savior. He died for our sins, and He lived the righteous life, which is imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). He is also the Son of the living God. We must confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and in doing so, we must also fully obey His Word.
For the entirety of the lesson, please see the attached manuscript of the message.
Reflection:
Many people acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Many people even call Him “Lord.” But just because we claim to be Christians doesn’t make us truly Christians. We are reminded that the path that leads to life is difficult and few find it (Matthew 7:13-14). Many claim to be Christians, but few are true Christians. There are even many people who say they are Christians and lead busy and active lives at church. They attend church and even serve, but they are not truly saved (Matthew 7:21-23). It’s not just what we say that matters, but we must do the will of God (Matthew 7:21), which is to say, we must obey His Word. If you claim Jesus as Savior and Lord, you would obey Him. Do you confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and is there evidence that your life matches your confession?