Confronting the Identity of Christ: A Timeless Question

Devotional

Day 1: The Eternal Question of Jesus' Identity

The question Jesus posed to His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" is a question that transcends time and culture. It is not merely a historical inquiry but a personal and eternal challenge that each individual must confront. The answer to this question determines one's eternal destiny, as it requires a deep understanding of Jesus' true identity as revealed in Scripture. This question invites us to move beyond superficial or culturally influenced perceptions of Jesus and to seek a relationship with Him based on the truth of His Word. [10:31]

Matthew 16:15-16 (ESV): "He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"

Reflection: Consider how you personally answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" How does your understanding of His identity influence your daily life and decisions?

Day 2: Recognizing Cultural Distortions of Jesus

Throughout history, Jesus' identity has often been reshaped to fit cultural narratives, leading to distortions that miss the full biblical portrayal of who He is. From the credal Jesus of the Puritans to the personal Jesus of modern times, these cultural distortions can reduce Jesus to a mere figure of love and acceptance, neglecting His sovereignty and redemptive work. It is crucial to recognize these distortions and return to the biblical portrayal of Jesus as both fully divine and fully human, embracing the fullness of His character and mission. [11:40]

Colossians 2:8-9 (ESV): "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."

Reflection: Reflect on any cultural influences that may have shaped your understanding of Jesus. How can you align your perception of Him more closely with the biblical portrayal?

Day 3: Embracing the Fullness of Christ

Jesus is the seed of the woman, the sovereign King, and the sacrificial Lamb. These aspects of His identity emphasize His humanity, divinity, and redemptive work, reminding us of the depth of our sin and the greatness of God's grace. Understanding these dimensions of Christ's identity helps us grasp the magnitude of His love and the seriousness of our need for salvation. It calls us to worship Him in spirit and truth, acknowledging His authority and the sacrifice He made on our behalf. [32:03]

Genesis 3:15 (ESV): "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Reflection: How does recognizing Jesus as the seed of the woman, sovereign King, and sacrificial Lamb deepen your appreciation for His work in your life?

Day 4: The Incarnation and the Cross

The incarnation of Jesus demonstrates the extent of God's love and the seriousness of our sin. By taking on human flesh, Jesus showed His willingness to enter into our brokenness and provide a way for redemption. The cross, a symbol of shame, becomes our confidence as it reveals the profound mystery of God's redemptive plan. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers us forgiveness and new life, calling us to live in the light of His sacrifice and victory. [30:33]

Philippians 2:7-8 (ESV): "But emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Reflection: In what ways can you live more fully in the light of Jesus' incarnation and sacrifice on the cross today?

Day 5: Conviction in a Post-Christian Culture

As cultural Christianity fades, the true Jesus becomes more distinct and compelling. In a world that increasingly distances itself from Christian truths, believers are called to hold firm to biblical convictions and proclaim the true Christ with clarity and courage. The future belongs to Christians of conviction, those who are anchored in the doctrines of Scripture and who proclaim Christ alone as the hope of the world. This requires a commitment to live out our faith authentically and to share the message of Jesus with those around us. [46:58]

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV): "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

Reflection: How can you demonstrate your conviction in Christ through your actions and words in a culture that may not share your beliefs?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we delved into the profound question that Jesus posed to His disciples: "Who do you say that I am?" This question, asked in the district of Caesarea Philippi, is not just a historical inquiry but a timeless challenge that every generation must confront. The answer to this question is not merely academic; it is a matter of eternal significance. Peter's confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," serves as a pivotal moment in the Gospel narrative, revealing the divine revelation that transcends human understanding.

We explored how Jesus' identity has been perceived and sometimes distorted throughout history, particularly in the American context. From the credal Jesus of the Puritans, who emphasized the confessional and doctrinal aspects of Christ, to the Biblicist Jesus of the 19th century, who was often reduced to a personal or cultural figure, we see a pattern of shaping Jesus to fit our cultural narratives. This distortion continues today with the cultural Jesus, who is often portrayed as merely a figure of love and acceptance, neglecting the full counsel of God that includes His sovereignty and His role as the sacrificial Lamb.

The sermon emphasized the importance of returning to the biblical portrayal of Jesus as the seed of the woman, the sovereign King, and the sacrificial Lamb. These three aspects highlight His full humanity, His divine authority, and His redemptive work on the cross. The incarnation and the cross are central to understanding the gravity of our sin and the magnitude of God's grace. In a post-Christian culture, the clarity of who Jesus is becomes even more crucial, as the diluted versions of Jesus fade away, leaving the true Christ distinct and compelling.

As we navigate a culture that increasingly distances itself from Christian truths, we are called to hold fast to the convictions of Scripture, proclaiming the true Jesus with clarity and courage. The future belongs to Christians of conviction, those who are anchored in the doctrines of Scripture and who proclaim Christ alone as the hope of the world.

Key Takeaways

1. Christian Culture:** As cultural Christianity fades, the true Jesus becomes more distinct. Christians are called to hold firm to biblical convictions, proclaiming the true Christ with clarity and courage in a world in desperate need of His truth. [46:58]
** [46:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - Introduction and Scripture Reading
[01:55] - Jesus' Question to His Disciples
[03:09] - Peter's Confession
[05:06] - The Question of Jesus' Identity
[06:27] - Cultural Distortions of Jesus
[09:00] - Peter's Revelation
[11:40] - Historical Perspectives on Jesus
[14:36] - The Danger of Reductionism
[18:43] - The Reality of Christ's Divinity
[21:42] - Peter's High and Low Moments
[25:42] - The Necessity of the Cross
[32:03] - Jesus as the Seed of the Woman
[35:44] - Jesus as Sovereign King
[39:15] - Jesus as Sacrificial Lamb
[46:58] - Conviction in a Post-Christian Culture
[49:54] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Matthew 16:13-23

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Observation Questions:

What were the different responses given by the disciples when Jesus asked, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ([01:55])
How did Peter respond to Jesus' question, "But who do you say that I am?" and what was Jesus' reaction to Peter's confession? ([09:00])
What did Jesus begin to reveal to His disciples after Peter's confession, and how did Peter react to this revelation? ([03:09])
How does the sermon describe the cultural distortions of Jesus' identity throughout history? ([11:40])

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Interpretation Questions:

Why is Peter's confession of Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God" considered a pivotal moment in the Gospel narrative? ([09:00])
How do cultural narratives shape the perception of Jesus' identity, and what are the dangers of these distortions? ([11:40])
In what ways does the sermon suggest that the incarnation and the cross reveal the gravity of sin and the magnitude of God's grace? ([30:33])
How does the sermon propose that Christians should respond to a post-Christian culture in terms of holding onto biblical convictions? ([46:58])

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your personal answer to Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" How does your understanding of Jesus' identity influence your daily life and decisions? ([10:31])
Consider the cultural influences that may have shaped your perception of Jesus. Are there any aspects of your understanding of Jesus that might be more cultural than biblical? How can you address these? ([11:40])
The sermon emphasizes the importance of the incarnation and the cross. How do these truths impact your view of sin and grace in your life? ([30:33])
In what ways can you actively hold onto and proclaim biblical convictions in a culture that is increasingly distancing itself from Christian truths? ([46:58])
Identify a specific area in your life where you might be tempted to conform to a cultural version of Jesus rather than the biblical Jesus. How can you realign your understanding and actions with Scripture? ([18:43])
How can you ensure that your understanding of Jesus includes His full humanity, divinity, and redemptive work, rather than a reductionist view? ([32:03])
The sermon suggests that the future belongs to Christians of conviction. What steps can you take to strengthen your convictions and courageously proclaim the true Jesus in your community? ([46:58])

Sermon Clips

You see, when Jesus asked this question He's asking the question that every single generation needs to be asked and every single generation needs to answer. It is in fact the most important question, it is the ultimate question. Who is Jesus? And, the answer to that question is not a matter of life and death, the answer to that question is a matter of eternal life or eternal death. [00:10:17]

This question that Jesus asked received a distorted answer in the first century. And this same question receives a distorted answer in the twenty-first century with apologies to our Canadian friends in our American context, or we'll say North American context. If you study the American Jesus it's very fascinating, you can almost break it down into three time periods. [00:11:03]

The first time period is the time period of our fathers, faith of our fathers, our Puritan forebearers. And that Jesus was a credal Jesus, a confessional Jesus. These stalwart England Puritans were committed to the Reformed confessions and the ecumenical creeds of the early church. When they thought about Jesus they thought about Jesus as the God-man who is the substitutionary atonement for our sin. [00:11:32]

What the standards force us to do, what the creeds force us to do is wrestle with the whole counsel of God. Who is Jesus? My goodness there's a lot of texts in here that talk about who Jesus is. And what we need to do is we need to pull all of those strands together, weave them into a beautiful tapestry and that is Jesus fully God, fully human, our substitutionary sacrifice. [00:14:31]

The reality is – and J. Gresham Machen said this so well – "The reality is no matter how bad our distortion is" or maybe I'll flip that around. No matter how close we get to the right picture of Jesus it doesn't matter. Machen said this, "No matter how high your view of Christ is any view that is less than Christ as infinite is infinitely less than the real thing." [00:18:35]

The doctrine of the incarnation reminds me of an old Carter family song. It takes a wearied man to sing a wearied blues. Jesus in His humanity identifies fully and wholly with us. They tell us that today the criteria is authenticity. Not necessarily worried about your credentials, or we don't need to hear, we need to see that you are the real thing. Authenticity is quite a value. Jesus is authentic. [00:32:59]

He is the seed of the woman and He is our sovereign Lord. I think one of the things that we do well in evangelicalism is talking about Jesus as our friend. He's even the kindly neighbor next door, as one popular author put it. He's also our King. Calvin articulated this so well for us. It's roots are in the early church, but Calvin perhaps more than any in the history of theology developed this for us, that Jesus is Prophet, Priest and King. [00:35:44]

The incarnation reaches an all-time low with our flippant, casual depictions of Jesus. It's a flippant thing to neglect that this Jesus is not the sovereign King. Do you remember the moment, of course you do, when the disciples were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration? And for a moment Jesus peeled back His humanity and the glory of God was on display. This is Jesus. Seed of the woman, sovereign Lord and King. [00:38:39]

He's the seed of the woman, He's the sovereign King and He is the sacrificial Lamb. It was the Nicene Creed for us and for our salvation. Without the person of Christ we would not have a proper view of the work of Christ, and that's the gospel, and that's the ball game, and without it go spend your time at one of the Disney parks because that will be more meaningful than this. [00:39:15]

The extent of the remedy is directly inversely proportional to our wretchedness. And if you lassoed Jesus and you bring Him down you will bring down the cross. And what Jesus does there is of no benefit. Machen's primary contender in the 1920's was Harry Emerson Fosdick, and Fosdick would tell the story fresh on the heels of World War I of the grenade that was launched into the foxhole. [00:40:46]

It is the God-man because, in His humanity He identifies with us in our sinfulness, He identifies with us the offending party, and in His deity – His precious blood, as Peter calls it – His precious blood is sufficient to pay the price for our sin. He is the seed of the woman, He is the sovereign King and He is the Suffering Servant. The sacrificial Lamb who died for us. [00:42:44]

But that we proclaim the seed of the woman and the sovereign King in the sacrificial Lamb. That in a post Christian America, catch this, maybe who Jesus is will become more clear, because the mushy middle of a mild Jesus has washed away. And in a post-Christian America the real thing is rather distinct and rather clear. [00:46:58]

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Confronting the Identity of Christ: A Timeless Question

Devotional

Day 1: The Eternal Question of Jesus' Identity

Day 2: Recognizing Cultural Distortions of Jesus

Day 3: Embracing the Fullness of Christ

Day 4: The Incarnation and the Cross

Day 5: Conviction in a Post-Christian Culture

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Confronting the Identity of Christ: A Timeless Question

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