090913

 Click here to hear the sermon

                                                                                 Back to Church Sunday

Proverbs 1v20-33      Warning against rejecting wisdom

James 3v1-12           Taming the tongue

Mark 8v27-38       Peter’s confession of Christ

Who is Jesus for you?

Jesus was still on a retreat with his disciples between Tyre on the West coast, and the region around the north of Galilee, teaching them as they walked together and stopped for lunch and overnight etc.

Peter uses the title ‘Christ’ which had become highly politicised.  Jesus never used this title of himself.  v29. 

In those days religion was politicised and there were many popular political and nationalistic ideas of the Christ, Messiah, coming to save the people. Who he might be and what form their salvation might come in. I suppose most were expecting a strong political and military leader, thinking in very physical terms.

·         Remember the concern of Herod the High Priest with the Magi at the birth of Jesus. Matt 2 and the subsequent slaughter of the babies under 2 years of age.

However it was not Jesus’s purpose to be like one of the OT judges, but rather spiritually to draw his people back to the heart of God, through repentance and a devotion and acceptance of God as their God.

Jesus was very cautious not to get drawn into or caught up in the political and aspirations of the people and so tried to keep his identity on the quieter side telling people not to tell about the miracles etc except to give thanks to God through the appropriate sacrifices at the temple through the priests.

Jesus’s preferred the title ‘Son of Man’ which is used here in juxtaposition to Peter’s use of ‘Christ’.  v31. 

This was the title Jesus preferred and he uses it 81 times of himself in the Gospels and it is never used by anyone else but Jesus.

·        First used in Daniel 7v13-14. He will be enthroned as ruler over the whole earth, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.

By contrast to the popular view this title talks of Jesus’s spiritual and eternal kingdom, Jesus’s greater goal.

·         Mat 8v20. The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

·         Matt 9v6. So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins… Get up, take your mat and go home.

·         Mark 9v31. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men…..after three days he will rise.

Jesus also associates the title with suffering v31, compared to the popular view of Christ as a political or military victor.  (see Isaiah 52v13-53v12).

So who is Jesus for you?

·        A popular Crusader and controversial Church Hero.

·        Or your own personal spiritual guide, redeemer and saviour, leading you back to the Father?     

                        Are you hearing what he is saying to you?