Sermon Tone Analysis

Matt 16:13-16 (NIV) 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.”

This question is basic to all that we believe and today I want to examine it further and for each of us to search our hearts and ask “Who do *I *say Jesus is?”  Can we respond in the same manner that Peter did?  Or do we have another response like the others mentioned above—He is a good man, a prophet, a great teacher?

In our study of errors of /The DaVinci Code/ we have seen how Dan Brown has continually attacked our beliefs by discrediting our Bible and the truths it contains.

Yet we have seen that his attacks are without merit and have no credibility in themselves.

In our search for the truth, we want to see who Jesus really is.

As we look at the attacks on Jesus, the question comes to mind as to why are people so disturbed by the name of Jesus?

We hear His name used in profanity at work, on the streets, in the grocery store, on TV, and in movies.

Yet to speak His name in a proper context of praise and adoration in any of these places is considered offensive and even banned in some places (e.g.

school or on TV).

What is it about the name of Jesus that is so offensive to mankind? 

Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV) 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God is the one who gave Him such a wonderful name.

It is a powerful name that belongs to a King—the King of Kings.

It is a name that He deserves as a result of being willing to humble Himself and become a man.

Yet not only to be born on this earth, but to suffer a cruel death that He did not deserve for sins He did not commit.

He took upon Himself our punishment and gives us the gift of eternal life and the privilege to belong to the family of God.

Oh friends, He is worthy to be praised and someday all men will bow their knee to Him and declare that He is Lord.

Aren’t you glad you have that right and privilege to do so today!

So why are people offended by the name of Jesus?

Because we have to be willing to admit that we need a Savior.

We must admit that we have made a mess of our life and need His help to straighten it out.

We must be willing to admit that we do not have all the answers and do not know everything.

We must admit that He is God and we are not.

To admit these facts is painful for one reason—PRIDE (the original sin)!

Dr Lutzer referred to the 21 days of truth that we can learn by reading a chapter a day of the book of John.

Let’s take a moment and examine each chapter to see who Jesus is.

1.     Word of God made flesh (vs.

1-14)

2.     Son of Man—miracle at wedding in Cana, zealous for God’s temple

3.     Divine Teacher—Nicodemus and the truth we must be born again—love of God revealed (vs.

16)

4.     Soul Winner—woman at well in Samaria

5.     Great Physician—Healer at pool of Bethesda—doing the work of the Father

6.     Bread of Life—feeds 5,000 men (plus women & children)—walks on water

7.     Water of Life—promise of the Holy Spirit to flow as a river in us (v.

37-39)

8.     Defender of the Weak—woman caught in adultery

9.     Light of the World—healing the man born blind

10.       Good Shepherd—came to bring us abundant life (v.

7-11)

11.       Prince of Life—raises Lazarus from the dead

12.       King—enters Jerusalem as a great King on Palm Sunday

13.       Servant—washed the disciples feet

14.       Consoler—comforts His disciples—the way, the truth, the life and the only way to the Father

15.       True Vine—the One who gives us the ability to bear fruit

16.       Giver of the Holy Spirit—He will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit

17.       Great Intercessor—Our High Priest who goes before the Father on our behalf

18.       Model Sufferer—humiliated and mocked before His accusers

19.

Uplifted Savior—crucified and buried for our salvation

20.

Conqueror of Death—resurrection and the empty tomb

21.       Restorer of the Repentant—forgives and restores Peter

 

In all that has been said in /The DaVinci Code/ there is no mention of His power, His glory, or His being our Savior.

My friends why would we want to accept the lie that He was no more than a good man?

When we just briefly examine these truths from John we can’t help but see that Jesus Christ is not just a good man, but He is the Lord of all!  Dr Lutzer referred to a group called “The Jesus Seminar” who meet to vote on what words Jesus said and what He did not say.

Yet, to quibble over what He said, is to only look at His words.

Look instead at what He did and you will see that truly He is the divine Son of God.

Who else can turn water into wine, walk on water, heal, forgive, intercede, conqueror death, and give us the promised Holy Spirit but the Son of God!

 

Now here is the key to all that is said about who Jesus is in /The DaVinci Code/—the supernatural is denied because the supernatural proves that Jesus is who He said He was.

If we remove the supernatural then we do not believe that the miracles Jesus did are real.

There are 7 miracles recorded in the book of John (there are many more in the other gospels but for the sake of time, we’ll just look at John today).

1.

Water turned into wine (2:1-11)

2.     Healing nobleman’s son (4:46-54)

3.     Healing man at pool of Bethesda (5:1-18)

4.     Feeding 5,000 (6:1-14)

5.     Walking on water (6:15-21)

6.     Healing the blind man (9:1-41)

7.     Raising Lazarus from the dead (11:1-57)

 

Every one of these miracles is proof that Jesus is the divine Son of God.

Listen to the final words of John in his gospel:

John 21:25 (NIV) Jesus did many other things as well.

If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Some have suggested that the disciples made up the stories about Jesus out of a desire to make a mere human into a deity.

There are 2 reasons for why this could not be true.

1.     Jesus would have been a poor candidate for the Messiah (anointed One sent by God).—His teachings contradicted the expectation that the people had for their Messiah.

They were expecting the Messiah to come with a sword and deliver them from the Romans.

Yet, Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world.”

(John 18:36).

Also, don’t forget that the Jews crucified Jesus for blasphemy (Matt 26:65) which would hardly qualify Him to be their Messiah—the sent One from God.

2.     Jesus’ disciples would never have declared that a man—any man—was God.

That was an unthinkable offense which was punishable by death—stoning.

There were 2 basic laws of Jewish thinking that were the bedrock of their beliefs:

A.   The Unity of God—“Hear of Israel!

The Lord our God is one God” (Deut 6:4)

B.    The First commandment—“Thou shall not have any other Gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3)

 

There is only one rational explanation for why Jesus is shown in the New Testament as God—He was who He claimed to be.

Remember that many of his disciples were hardheaded fishermen whose skepticism about Jesus being the Messiah had to be overcome by them seeing the miracles for themselves.

Thomas, for example did not want to be deceived about the resurrection when the other disciples told him about Jesus’ appearing to them.

John 20:25 (NIV) So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

That does not sound like a gullible man who would believe something about Jesus that was not true!

The truth is that the disciples were not looking for the miracles that Jesus did but were often surprised and did not understand them.

It is recorded in Luke 24:36-41(NIV)

While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?

39 Look at My hands and My feet.

It is I myself!

Touch Me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.

41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

As we can see from the scriptures, the Jesus the disciples testify of is not just a good man and a great teacher.