Who is Jesus Really for You?

Who Is Jesus Really For You? Matthew 16:13–16 (NIV84) 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” When Jesus asked his disciples that question, Peter—who was not shy about speaking up—said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” I would like to take you back to the first chapter of John’s Gospel. I think most Christians can recite its first verse: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” But I’m convinced very few could quote the chapter’s last verse. Jesus said to Nathaniel, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:51 (NIV84) The verse is puzzling because what it describes does not happen. The New Testament never records or even alludes to such an event. Or perhaps it does …The answer to the fulfilment of Jesus’ statement depends on how you see the meaning behind it. A literalistic interpretation involves visible angels going from Jesus to heaven and vice versa. This reading turns Jesus’ prediction into an error, because the event never comes to pass. To understand what Jesus really meant, we need to move beyond literalism. The obvious place to start is the phrase “angels of God ascending and descending.” Many readers will quickly recognize its source: Genesis 28, the story of Jacob’s flight from the clutches of his brother Esau. At “a certain place” (Gen 28:11), Jacob spent the night sleeping on the ground and dreamed about a “ladder” (the Hebrew word, sullām, more accurately describes the steps of a ziggurat tower). Verse 12 tells us “the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” God in the form of a man stood next to the steps and said to Jacob: 13 “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:13–15 (NIV84) Despite the comforting message, the dream-vision frightened Jacob (28:17). Upon waking he built an altar to the Lord, exclaiming: 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:16–17 (NIV84) Genesis 28:18–21 (NIV84) 18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God This exclamation provides an important clue to Jesus’ meaning in John 1:51. Jacob’s “ladder” joined heaven and earth. It was the conduit by which, in the vision, God came to earth to be with humankind. In like manner, Jesus says, angels of God would be “ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (a title Jesus uses to refer to himself). As God-come-to-earth, he would be the entry point for humankind’s access to God. Jacob gave the message of divine blessing through himself and his own descendants. Jesus declared the same message at the launch of his ministry. He was the new Jacob. Calling Jesus the “new Jacob” may sound strange. But Scripture presents Jesus in many different ways, For instance: He is introduced to us as the new Adam Romans 5:14 (NIV84) 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 1 Corinthians 15:45 (NIV84) 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. He is introduced to us as the new messianic king David Acts 13:22–23 (NIV84) 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ 23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 2 Timothy 2:8 (NIV84) 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, Revelation 5:5 (NIV84) 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” He is introduced to us as the new prophet “like Moses” (Acts 3:22; 7:37) Acts 3:22 (NIV84) 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Acts 7:37 (NIV84) 37 “This is that Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.’ He is introduced to us as the new high priest Hebrews 2:17 (NIV84) 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Hebrews 3:1 (NIV84) 1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. Hebrews 5:5 (NIV84) 5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” Genesis 28 tells us plainly that Jacob (not Esau) inherited the covenant promised to Abraham and Isaac. Jesus was both the inheritor and the fulfilment of that same covenant. The New Testament explicitly links Jesus to Jacob in Luke 1:33 (NIV84): “and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” And John’s Gospel presents Jesus, the new Jacob, as superior to the original Jacob. I’m sure you still remember the story of Jesus and the sinful Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well just outside Sychar. They had a long conversation but that conversation started with a request from Jesus as John 4:7 (NIV84) so clearly states: 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” According to John 4:9 (NIV84) she responded by saying to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus then said to her: 10 “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” John 4:10–15 (NIV84) There are other layers to the metaphorical connection between Jesus and Jacob’s “ladder.” The Dead Sea Scrolls, written during the first and second centuries BC, give us insight into Jewish theology leading up to the time of Jesus. In the Temple Scroll, the location of Jacob’s dream—Bethel—is associated with the temple in Jerusalem. John’s Gospel, of course, identifies Jesus’ body as the temple, the place where God resided. Listen with me to John 2:18–21 (NIV84) 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. It is curious that the only other time John mentions angels in his Gospel involves the tomb of Jesus: Mary expected to see the lifeless body of Jesus laid out on stone, but instead “saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet” (20:12). In John 1:51, angels mark the “Son of Man” as the gate of heaven. In John 20:12, the angels conspicuously mark his absence from the tomb. He has indeed secured the way to God through his resurrection. So did Nathaniel see the gateway to God’s presence? I think the answer is certainly “yes.” What about you? Do you accept Jesus as the only gateway to God’s presence? The issue of Jesus’ identity was consistently an issue during his life time/ the Gospel don’t shy away from this. The same questions heard in Herod’s court is repeated and in the same order: Is Jesus John the baptizer who came back to life? Is he Elijah? Is he some other prophet? Just when it appears that the disciples have found the right answer (“You are the Messiah”), the audience learns that there is more to Messiahship than anyone bargained for. With that unsettling revelation, the evangelist begins the third major section of the Gospel. Matthew 26:62–63 (NIV84) 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Mark 14:60–61 (NIV84) 60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Luke 22:67–70 (NIV84) 67 “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” 70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am.” Jesus always made sure that his adversaries knew who he really is: John 10:24–25 (NIV84) 24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, John 10:37–38 (NIV84) 37 Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38 But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” The reason Jesus, the Son of the living God, came to earth was to die for you so that you can know and experience God’s love. He healed people, he loved people, he taught about the kingdom of God. But most importantly, He died for you and then demonstrated a victory over your worst enemy—death—by rising from the dead. And just to make sure there was no question, He appeared to hundreds of people. They actually saw him and talked to him. Jesus Christ, who died and rose from the dead for you is the only way you can experience God’s love. What does that mean and what happens next? It depends on who you say that Jesus is. Do you really believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God? What difference does this belief make to your way of living? Don’t you think that we too should learn to speak up boldly and to let our lifestyles and our actions reveal who Jesus really is for us? This is our calling, our destiny, yes, the reason for our existence. Let’s live this life in such a way that people can become excited about the Chris, the Son of God because they can see how He is influencing our lives for the better. Amen.