Expanding Our Understanding of Jesus's True Identity

 

Summary

In this series, we explore the profound question of who Jesus truly is, challenging the notion that our understanding of Him might be too limited. The title "Your Christ is Too Small" is not meant to offend but to provoke deeper reflection on the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. Many cultural conceptions of Jesus exist, but to truly grasp His identity, we must delve into the New Testament and examine how people of His time perceived Him, how He described Himself, and how God identified Him.

C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" offers a poignant metaphor for this exploration. In the story, Aslan, a symbol of Jesus, appears larger to those who know him better, illustrating that the more we understand Jesus, the greater He becomes in our perception. This aligns with the New Testament's message that our understanding of Jesus deepens as we study His life and works.

In the New Testament, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" The responses vary, with some believing He is John the Baptist, Elijah, or another prophet. However, Peter declares, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God," a revelation not of human origin but divinely inspired. This acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one, is profound, yet Jesus often avoided the title due to the misconceptions surrounding it. The Jewish expectation of a Messiah was a triumphant king, not a suffering servant. Jesus's mission was one of obedience unto death, a concept that was difficult for His followers to grasp.

Jesus's understanding of His mission was distinct from popular expectations. He was not the political or military leader many anticipated but a Messiah who would suffer and die. This understanding challenges us to seek Jesus's own perspective on His identity, rather than relying on cultural or historical assumptions. To truly know Jesus, we must embrace His vision of Himself as a servant king, obedient even unto death.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Expanding Vision of Jesus: Just as Aslan appears larger to those who know him better, our understanding of Jesus grows as we deepen our relationship with Him. This growth is not about Jesus changing but about our perception expanding as we learn more about His nature and works. [04:17]

2. The Revelation of Christ's Identity: Peter's declaration of Jesus as the Christ was not a result of human insight but divine revelation. This highlights the importance of seeking spiritual understanding through God's guidance rather than relying solely on human wisdom. [23:07]

3. The Misunderstood Messiah: Jesus's reluctance to embrace the title of Messiah reflects the disparity between His mission and the people's expectations. While they anticipated a conquering king, Jesus's path was one of suffering and sacrifice, challenging us to reconsider our own expectations of Him. [26:08]

4. The Suffering Servant: Jesus's mission was marked by obedience unto death, a concept that defied the traditional Jewish understanding of the Messiah. This challenges us to embrace a vision of leadership and greatness rooted in humility and service. [28:59]

5. Discovering Jesus's Understanding of Himself: To truly know Jesus, we must seek to understand His own perspective on His identity and mission. This requires moving beyond cultural and historical assumptions to embrace the profound truth of who He is. [29:37]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:13] - Introduction to the Series
- [00:34] - Cultural Conceptions of Jesus
- [01:04] - C.S. Lewis and Aslan
- [02:12] - The Chronicles of Narnia
- [03:12] - Lucy's Encounter with Aslan
- [04:37] - The New Testament Message
- [05:09] - Perspectives on Jesus
- [06:36] - Jesus's Question to His Disciples
- [07:22] - John the Baptist and Elijah
- [08:08] - The Role of Prophets
- [09:06] - The Silence of Prophecy
- [10:13] - Jesus's Rising Fame
- [11:25] - The Empty Chair for Elijah
- [12:21] - The Promise of the Messiah
- [13:26] - Peter's Declaration
- [14:30] - Understanding "Christ"
- [16:10] - The Anointed One
- [19:52] - Jesus's Mission
- [21:05] - The Messianic Secret
- [22:15] - Peter's Revelation
- [24:49] - Jesus's Purpose
- [26:08] - The Suffering Messiah
- [28:59] - The Servant King
- [29:37] - Conclusion: Understanding Jesus

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 16:13-17
2. Isaiah 53:3-5
3. Philippians 2:5-8

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Observation Questions:

1. In Matthew 16:13-17, what are the different perceptions people had about Jesus during His time? How does Peter's declaration differ from these perceptions? [06:36]

2. How does the metaphor of Aslan in "The Chronicles of Narnia" illustrate the concept of an expanding vision of Jesus? [04:17]

3. What was the Jewish expectation of the Messiah, and how did it contrast with Jesus's understanding of His mission? [25:49]

4. How does Jesus's question to His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" reflect the cultural and historical assumptions about His identity? [06:36]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. Why might Peter's declaration of Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" be considered a divine revelation rather than a human insight? [23:07]

2. How does the concept of Jesus as a "suffering servant" challenge traditional views of leadership and greatness? [28:59]

3. In what ways does the reluctance of Jesus to embrace the title of Messiah reflect His understanding of His mission? [21:05]

4. How does the story of Aslan in "The Chronicles of Narnia" help us understand the idea that our perception of Jesus grows as we deepen our relationship with Him? [04:17]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your current understanding of Jesus. How might it be limited by cultural or historical assumptions? What steps can you take to deepen your understanding of His true identity? [29:37]

2. Consider the idea of Jesus as a "suffering servant." How can this perspective influence your approach to leadership and service in your community? [28:59]

3. How can you seek divine revelation in your understanding of Jesus, similar to Peter's experience? What practices can help you be more open to spiritual insights? [23:07]

4. Think about a time when your expectations of Jesus did not align with His true mission. How did you reconcile this difference, and what did you learn from the experience? [25:49]

5. In what ways can you actively work to expand your vision of Jesus, similar to how Lucy's perception of Aslan grew in "The Chronicles of Narnia"? [04:17]

6. How can you apply the concept of Jesus's obedience unto death in your daily life? What areas require more humility and service from you? [29:16]

7. Identify a specific cultural or historical assumption about Jesus that you have encountered. How can you challenge this assumption and seek a deeper understanding of His identity? [29:37]

Devotional

Day 1: Expanding Our Vision of Jesus
Our understanding of Jesus is not static; it grows as we deepen our relationship with Him. This growth is not about Jesus changing but about our perception expanding as we learn more about His nature and works. Just as Aslan in C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" appears larger to those who know him better, Jesus becomes greater in our perception as we study His life and teachings. This expanding vision challenges us to move beyond cultural or superficial understandings and to seek a deeper, more personal relationship with Him. [04:17]

Ephesians 1:17-18 (ESV): "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."

Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally deepen your relationship with Jesus this week to expand your understanding of who He is?


Day 2: Divine Revelation of Christ's Identity
Peter's declaration of Jesus as the Christ was not a result of human insight but divine revelation. This highlights the importance of seeking spiritual understanding through God's guidance rather than relying solely on human wisdom. Jesus's question to His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" invites us to consider our own understanding of His identity. It is through divine revelation that we come to truly know Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. [23:07]

Matthew 16:16-17 (ESV): "Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.'"

Reflection: How can you create space in your life to listen for God's voice and seek His revelation about who Jesus is?


Day 3: The Misunderstood Messiah
Jesus's reluctance to embrace the title of Messiah reflects the disparity between His mission and the people's expectations. While many anticipated a conquering king, Jesus's path was one of suffering and sacrifice. This challenges us to reconsider our own expectations of Him and to align our understanding with His true mission. Jesus's identity as the suffering servant calls us to embrace a vision of leadership and greatness rooted in humility and service. [26:08]

Isaiah 53:3-5 (ESV): "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

Reflection: What expectations do you have of Jesus that might not align with His true mission? How can you adjust your perspective to embrace His path of humility and service?


Day 4: Embracing the Suffering Servant
Jesus's mission was marked by obedience unto death, a concept that defied the traditional Jewish understanding of the Messiah. This challenges us to embrace a vision of leadership and greatness rooted in humility and service. Jesus's example calls us to follow in His footsteps, prioritizing obedience to God over worldly success or power. By embracing the role of a servant, we align ourselves with Jesus's mission and purpose. [28:59]

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 areas of your life can you practice humility and service, following Jesus's example as the suffering servant?


Day 5: Discovering Jesus's Understanding of Himself
To truly know Jesus, we must seek to understand His own perspective on His identity and mission. This requires moving beyond cultural and historical assumptions to embrace the profound truth of who He is. Jesus's self-understanding as a servant king challenges us to align our lives with His vision and to seek His guidance in all things. By embracing His perspective, we open ourselves to a deeper, more transformative relationship with Him. [29:37]

John 13:13-15 (ESV): "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you."

Reflection: How can you seek to understand Jesus's perspective on His identity and mission in your daily life? What steps can you take to align your actions with His example of servanthood?

Quotes


In this series of lectures uh that we're going to be doing together we're going to be looking at the question of who is Jesus and we've titled this series your Christ is too small not because we want to insult anybody by a a title like that but because I'm convinced that there is much we all have to learn about the full identity of Jesus of Nazareth. [00:00:01]

What an Insight that CS Lewis gave us in that little children's story because that's part of the message of the New Testament isn't it that the more we examine the person of Jesus the more we probe the work of Christ the larger and the deeper our understanding of Jesus of Nazareth becomes. [00:04:32]

Jesus pulls them aside and he said okay guys what's the scuttlebutt what are they what's the the conversation in The Villages how are the people responding to me how am I being perceived if we would say it in Madison Avenue terms of today's culture Jesus is asking uh his disciples what's my image in the marketplace. [00:06:36]

And so the disciples begin to give Jesus feedback to this question and they say well Jesus uh some say that you're John the Baptist some say that you're Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets the word that we're getting on the grape vine Jesus is that there are people out there that think you're John the Baptist come back from the dead. [00:07:22]

Peter who answers for the group and Peter says Thou art the Christ the son of the Living God do you realize what what Peter is saying here when he makes that statement you are the Christ let's go to the board here for a minute and just write the name Christ so often in our day when we talk about Jesus we don't just say Jesus we say Jesus. [00:13:26]

The name Christ comes from the Greek word Christos that's easy huh you just learned a Greek word it comes right across from Christos to Christ but what's significant about that is that the the word Christos in Greek is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word m which comes into English as Messiah and the word Christos in Greek means anointed one. [00:16:10]

Jesus did not take to himself the expected identity of the Messiah remember when he fed the 5,000 takes a couple of fish and a couple of loaves of bread and feeds 5,000 people you talk about a welfare program that won't quit huh and what did the what was the mob reaction they came to Jesus and tried to take hold of him in order to do what to make him king. [00:19:52]

Every time some somebody tried to talk to Jesus in terms of being a messiah he rejected and walked away and if you read very carefully in the New Testament you will see that Jesus studiously avoids that title Messiah or the title Christ isn't that strange here we talk that's how we call you Jesus Christ but Jesus was very reluctant to assume that title. [00:21:05]

Peter I have to die Peter gets mad God forbid far be it we won't let you go to Jerusalem and now after saying blessed are th Simon bar Jonah and then saying Thou Art Petros the next statement Jesus says to Peter is get thee behind me Satan Jesus looks at his friends and now he hears the same temptation that he faced in the wilderness. [00:26:08]

What we have in the title Messiah is a king who is a slave royalty who becomes a servant a Jesus who understands his own mission as one of obedience unto death that's what he understood it to mean to be the Messiah so I conclude this segment with this point that Jesus understands of himself was not the same as the way other people understood him. [00:28:59]

What we need to discover is Jesus understanding of Jesus if we're going to get an accurate picture of who we really for. [00:29:37]

The more people get to know me the bigger I Look to them. [00:04:17]

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Transcript
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