I AM the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One

They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes *gathered together. Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent. Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent. The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Tearing his clothes, the high priest *said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.

Message Intro/Review:

Alright my friends, if you're just tuning in with us for the first time, we've been studying and learning about the identity and character of The Great I Am. This is the translation of the name God chose for himself when he encountered Moses at the burning bush, and it's also a phrase that Jesus identified himself with on numerous occasions. So we've looked at seven different "I Am" statements that Jesus made, from the Gospel of John. Then, for the last few weeks, we've dialed in on some of the promises and self-descriptions Jesus made that also start with this same phrase:

"I Am..."

So what shall we study together this morning? The juxtaposition between Jesus’ humanity and Jesus’ divinity.

Last week we looked at a statement from Matthew that revealed the true humanity of Jesus.

“I Am gentle and humble in heart,” Jesus said. This was a clear statement of his full humanity. Now, what I want you do with me this morning is compare and contrast that statement with this one, from Mark 14:61-62:

Ref. Mark 14:61-62 Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

How do we know that Jesus knew who and what he really was? More than any other confession or declaration, these words Jesus spoke, recorded in Mark 14, give us a crystal clear of who and what he believed he really was.

They are like a magnifying glass focused on the true identity of Jesus, and on the power of confessing Christ.

Have you ever been in a situation where confessing Christ would put you at greater personal risk?

Illustration: Polycarp’s Martrydom - circa 155AD. Said to have been a personal disciple of the Apostle John and one of the last people living who had known many of the first disciples of Jesus personally. The story of his martyrdom was written up by an observer who was one of his own disciples.

“Reproach Christ, and I will set you free.” said the Roman Proconsul.

“86 years have I have served him,” Polycarp declared, “and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”

After further efforts proved fruitless, the Romans proceeded to tie him up and burn him alive.

Polycarp refused to renounce his confession of Christ when it mattered most. In that singular act, he followed in the footsteps of Jesus himself.

So let's think first about what this confession of Jesus reveals to us about his identity. Every Scripture holds a revelation of truth from God intended for our benefit, but this one is particularly compelling and insightful because it gets right to the heart of a critically important question: How could Jesus really be both God and man at the same time?

Here's how I would sum up the revelation that Jesus' words in Mark 14:62 offer us:

Message Point 1 (Revelation): Of all the “I am” statements Jesus made, his answer to the High Priest gives the clearest revelation of his divine nature.

Jesus' self-awareness of his own divinity, and willingness to declare it is a stunning admission. The Sanhedrin knew that Jesus had made veiled claims to royal authority, but this admission made his claims obvious.

People may choose to disagree with who Jesus understood and declared himself to be. But there can be no doubt that he had a clear understanding of his own identity, and his judges in this case, clearly understand what he was claiming as well.

In fact, it was on the basis of statements like this one that C.S. Lewis made his famous "Liar, Lunatic or Lord" argument. Basically Lewis explained that if you take Jesus' own words at face value, you can't simply think he was merely another good religious teacher or prophet. His own words speak volumes about his own sense of identity and purpose. If he were merely a good religious teacher he never would have said something like this. So reading these words with integrity should force us to think differently. It should force us to really face questions like, "Who was this man?" ... "What was different about him?".... "Is it possible that he really was more than human?"

The Context: Jesus is on trial before Caiaphas, the Jewish High Priest. The question he was asked in verse 61 offers him the opportunity to give a clear answer about his true identity.

What was the question? “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” In Greek, we should note, this was really more of a statement followed by a question mark. “You are the Messiah?” As N.T. Wright points out in his commentary on Mark, this irony was purposeful. For the statement is exactly the same as Peter’s confession of Christ in Mark 8:29/Matthew 16:17. Yet, at the very moment of this question from Caiaphas, Peter is outside denying he has ever known Jesus.

Note: If Jesus ducks the question and answers in a more elusive way, perhaps they let him go and don't kill him. Yet, the answer he gave was taken as confirmation of the worst suspicions of the High Priest and the Sanhedrin. They believed Jesus was guilty of committing blasphemy and therefore deserving of the death penalty. The question was asked to confirm their suspicions. What they couldn't fathom is that he would answer "Yes", and also be telling the truth at the same time.

In the next verse (62), where we find his answer to that question, we're given no less than four clear insights into Jesus divinity, so let me offer you a brief glimpse of each one:

“I AM"

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This is the particular phrase we've been studying together for the last few months. It's not just the answer to some random question. Remember, it's also the personal name of God revealed back in Exodus 3. Notice, he could have simply said, "Yes". Instead, he chose to say "I AM". This was a deliberate connection back to the name of God "Yahweh". In fact, to say this name was forbidden among the Jews because it was considered too holy to say out loud. Who shall I say has sent me, Moses asked. The Lord responded, tell them, Yahweh (meaning I Am Who I Am) has sent you. So whenever Jesus began a statement of his own identity with this same phrase, “I Am”, we should understand the background and the significance of that association.

The Christ

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This is the Greek word “Christos” meaning the same thing as a very familiar Hebrew word 'Meshiach", translated the “Messiah”, or more literally the "Anointed One". So Messiah and Christ both mean the same thing. They are not Jesus' last name, but actually one of his titles. And notice here that this title comes from the High Priest, in the question asked. When Jesus said "I Am", he was affirming and owning the use of this title. The High Priest asked the question knowing full well what this title represented.... knowing the importance of all the Messianic prophecies in the OT… knowing that is was claim to Kingship. Messiah, or Christ, was a title only meant to be used by the one person God was to send to earth to fulfill his promises. Many had used it, or claimed it falsely before. So the Jewish leaders were inclined not to believe that Jesus really was their Messiah. They believed that in falsely claiming to be the Messiah he was actually committing a crime deserving of death. This shows us just how sacred and special the title really was to them.

The Son of the Blessed One

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Like Christ/Messiah, this secondary title also came from the lips of the High Priest, in the context of the question he was asking. When Jesus answered "I Am", he was taking this title upon himself and receiving it as if he really deserved it. This title adds to the previous one by more specifically connecting Jesus to the Father as his "Son". The Blessed One is of course God the Father himself. In one sense we may all think of ourselves as children of God, but this question and Jesus' answer to it implied more than that. To be God's Son was to be his Chosen One… to be the personal fulfillment of all God’s promises. This title also confirms the words that Jesus heard the Father speak when he came up out of the waters of his baptism: “This is my Son, whom I love, and in whom I am well pleased.”

Layered upon the previous two dimensions of Jesus’ answer, it gives added punch to his declaration.

The Son of Man

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Finally, we come to the fourth insight, which is found in Jesus response to the High Priest. To put it in musical terms, this is the grand crescendo of Jesus’ declaration… the loudest and clearest of all. As if to make sure there was absolutely no confusion about who he was declaring himself to be, Jesus added to the answer "I Am" with an additional statement. At first it might seem unassuming to us, but this title was loaded with meaning, and especially for Jesus’ Jewish audience that day. This unique title "Son of Man", was, by far, the most common phrase that Jesus used to refer to the nature of his own identity. In fact, it was used about 80 different times just in the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This phrase was purposefully meant to evoke thoughts and images from Daniel 7, the famous “Son of Man” prophetic passage about the Messiah figure who was to come.

Ref. Daniel 7:13-14.

“I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days, And was presented before Him.

And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom,

That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away;

And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed."

Whenever Jesus says that he is the Son of Man, this is what he has in mind, this is what his hearers had in mind, and it’s what we too should have in mind if we know our Bibles well enough.

The other thing worth noting here, and learning from, is the description Jesus attaches to this title. Specifically, he says two things: First, that he will be seated at the right hand of power, and second, that he will be coming in the clouds. These two statements further identify Jesus with Yahweh. And both images evoke powerful OT Scriptures.

The first, as we see in Philippians 2 is a place of exaltation and authority. But being seated at the right hand of God goes all the way back to Psalm 110, where David declared:

Ref. Psalm 110:1. The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

This is what happened upon Jesus’ ascension back to heaven.

The second, is a promise of his return in a glorified form. Riding on the clouds isn’t something anybody gets to do, that is before airplanes were invented. It was previously considered to be the exclusive activity of God himself. There are a number of OT references to this picture of God riding on the clouds, but to offer one example perhaps the clearest of all is found in Psalm 68.

Ref. Psalm. 68:4. Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.

We should also bear in mind, that after his resurrection Jesus departed from his disciples and ascended into heaven riding on the clouds. He went up riding on the clouds, and promised to come back down in the same way. Ascension Day, BTW, is this week Wednesday, so look to the clouds and remember that just as Jesus went back to heaven he shall also appear again, riding on the clouds.

What does all this add up to? In a word, it’s either blasphemy or Lordship. Caiaphas believed it was blasphemy.

Ref. Mark 14:63-64. Tearing his clothes, the high priest *said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

Result: The High Priest immediately ripped his robes and declared Jesus guilty of the charges against him and worthy of death. So in saying "I Am the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One... I Am the Son of Man", he (and those with him who voted to convict) believed Jesus was committing blasphemy. They believed Jesus was claiming to be God himself. This is an interpretive key to the whole story. Consider their response to his answer, and you know how serious his answer really was. They believed he was crazy, but we believe he was simply telling them the truth… that he really was just who he said he was.

That answer led directly to Jesus' death on the cross. That should tell us how seriously the Jews took his words and used them against him. Jesus was clearly and unambiguously identifying himself with God, or as one with God.

So the real question every person needs to answer is simply whether we believe him or not? Is Jesus really who he said he was? Or is he someone else? Was he telling the truth, lying, or simply out of his right mind?

Here’s the point of application I want you to focus on with me with the time we have left:

Message Point 2 (Application): When our confession of Jesus aligns with his confession, it changes our lives and the world around us.

Now, at this point, as we turn our attention to a personal application of what to do with this revelation of Jesus’ true identity, let’s remember what was happening out in the courtyard with Peter. As I said earlier, there’s a great irony at play in Mark’s telling of this story. For while Jesus is inside confessing his true identity, Peter is outside failing to do the same. And he was arguably Jesus' most devoted follower.

The warning is clear: If it can happen to him, it can surely happen to any of us.

So the question is, ‘Will we deny knowing Jesus when we have opportunity to confess his identity, or will we do the right thing?’

There are really two kinds of confession spoken of in the NT: confessing our sins, and confessing our faith in Christ Jesus. We are called by Scripture to do both. Think of it like this: It's like saying "I'm guilty, but Jesus is not.”

Illustration: The Confession of Daniel Leach (from NBC News March, 2004)

A man who had gotten away with murder confessed to police after seeing “The Passion of the Christ” and talking with a spiritual adviser, authorities say.

Dan R. Leach’s viewing of Mel Gibson’s cinematic depiction of the last hours of Jesus, along with the discussion with a family friend, led him to walk into the Fort Bend County sheriff’s department earlier this month and confess to killing Ashley Nicole Wilson, Detective Mike Kubricht said Thursday.

Wilson’s body was discovered Jan. 19 in her apartment near Richmond, southwest of Houston. All physical evidence pointed to suicide, Kubricht said, and the 19-year-old had gone off anti-depressant medications because she was pregnant.

The pregnancy apparently was the motive, Kubricht said, because Leach believed he was responsible and did not want to raise a child.

Leach, 21, wore gloves and left none of his own DNA behind, Kubricht said.

“Yet, Something (the spiritual adviser) said, between that and the movie, he felt in order for him to have redemption he would have to confess his sin and do his time,” Kubricht said.

In other words, in view of Jesus' innocence and his death on the cross, Daniel Leach became convicted of the need to confess his own guilt. So I believe that confession Daniel made was really both at the same time: it was a confession of his own guilt and also of Jesus’ innocence. It was a confession of faith. In fact, while it led to a prison sentence, quite possibly that confession led to his eternal life at the same time. For to confess Jesus as Lord and Christ, is to receive his forgiveness for our sins…. Even murder.

The trouble is, many people - like Peter - fail to confess Christ just when it matters most.

Listen again to Mark’s description of Peter’s failure.

Ref. Mark 14:54. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

Ref. Mark 14:66-72. While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.

“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.

But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.

When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it.

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”

Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

With his answer to the High Priest Jesus made a confession.... a confession of his true identity. That leads then to the opportunity for others, like us, to make what is called a "confession of faith” by agreeing with Jesus’ confession.

Yet, at the very same time Jesus was making his confession before Caiaphas, Peter was denying him. Peter’s failure is meant to inspire our success. Whenever we have opportunity to confess Christ before other people what will we do?

The first time Peter had opportunity to make such a confession of Christ he got it right.

Ref. Matthew 16:13-17 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

Confessing Jesus always comes with some great blessings. In this case, it came with a blessing and a promise from Jesus to Peter. On this rock (Peter and his confession) I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it!

Confessing Christ releases his presence and power on our behalf. It is, Jesus says, the key to our victory over the enemy.

However, what is so ironic about his confession is how Peter denied knowing him when he was under fear of persecution. Fear does crazy things to us if we allow it to. So, as Jesus was inside saying "I Am...", Peter was outside saying "No I Am not!”… I am not a follower of that man… I don’t even know who he is!

The pairing of these stories in this manner are a warning from Mark that even the best of us can fail to make the right confession when under the pressure of fear.

One result of our public confession of Christ is the abundant life he offers us by the indwelling presence of his Spirit. Listen to how John describes this in his 1st Letter:

Ref. 1 John 4:15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.

Ref. 1 John 4:2-3 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

This is a great description of the benefit and blessing of confessing Christ. It brings us into agreement and partnership with the Spirit of God, against the Spirit of the enemy, the AntiChrist.

However, we should also recognize that confessing Jesus may come at a cost. Peter was well aware of this and learned a powerful lesson from his denial. It was not a mistake he would ever make again, from that day on. The point is that confessing Christ may come with some challenges, and particularly rejection or even persecution from others. In fact, fear of rejection can be a powerful force to reckon with that keeps people from openly confessing what they inwardly believe.

Ref. John 9:22. His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.

Ref. John 12:42. Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;

These examples illustrate that believing is not the same thing as confessing!! Believing is internal, but confession is external. To confess something - like faith in Christ Jesus - is a public act of acknowledgment. It is to speak what you believe, as Paul indicated. Every time we speak out on Jesus behalf we are confessing him as Lord and Christ. The result is not only our own salvation, but also the salvation of others.

Ref. Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Friends, listen closely. As I wrap this message up, I want to close with a challenge. I believe we are on the verge of a great spiritual awakening in our nation and around the globe. I believe the power and impact of our confession of Christ will accelerate over the days ahead of us. Are you ready for that? I want to urge you to be ready and willing to speak out on Jesus’ behalf. When someone asks you if you know him, or what you know about him, what will you say? Or, better yet, perhaps you could even be ready to ask others what they make of Jesus claim to be God in the flesh. How people answer this question can change their lives! It’s time for us to find our courage and boldness, and be willing and ready to speak up. Who is Jesus? It’s time for us to confess our answer to that question ourselves and to ask it of others as well.

Illustration: The Confession of Philosopher Peter Sutea

In January 1990, when I was in Seminary training for pastoral ministry, an old man in pajamas sitting on the edge of his bed was interviewed for a television broadcast in Romania. He was the noted philosopher, Petre Sutea. What did he think of the recent revolution, he was asked.

“What revolution?” was his rhetorical reply. Thinking perhaps that his age or his hearing had prevented his understanding the question, the interviewer gently rehearsed the events of the previous month, in which the regime of Nikolai Ceaucescu had been toppled as part of the fall of the Soviet Empire. Sutea replied, “That was no revolution! There has been only one revolution in the history of mankind, the Incarnation of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ!”

What would you have said if you were in his place?

Let’s pray.

Important Reminders/Announcements:

Zoom Room Home Group on Weds. at 7pm

Prayer Focus for May - Family Ministry & Lydia DeMass

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Benediction:

The Aaronic Blessing from Numbers 6:24-26

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

HYPERLINK "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2024:49&version=NIV" Luke 24:49

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

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HYPERLINK "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A29-34&version=NIV" https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A29-34&version=NIV