What Think Ye of Christ? Recognize Jesus as Lord

Psalm 100 opens with a summons to worship, thanksgiving, and praise, setting a tone of rejoicing in God's goodness, mercy, and truth. Worship and hymnody lead into a central summons: to turn the eyes fully upon Jesus amid life’s trials. First Peter’s teaching on faith tested by suffering forms a backdrop—faith matures through trials, producing joy and hope in the promise of Christ’s appearing. The text urges believers to see beyond present clouds and find rest in Christ’s presence, not in emotional spectacle but in quiet, dependent trust.

A pivotal moment centers on Matthew 22:41–46, where the question “What think ye of Christ?” forces a re-examination of messianic expectations. Jewish hopes pictured a political son of David who would deliver Israel by force. Scripture, however, quotes Psalm 110 to show David calling the coming one “Lord,” revealing the Messiah’s divine identity alongside his human lineage. That dual claim confronts any attempt to confine Christ to a merely national or political role.

The people’s responses show varied postures toward Christ: a closed mind that resists inconvenient truth, eager disciples who confess but balk at the cross, honest doubters who seek proof, and indifferent skeptics who reduce faith to cultural sentiment. Acts 2 models the corrective: when the apostles proclaim Jesus as both Lord and Christ, hearers feel conviction, repent, and receive baptism and the Holy Spirit. Repentance becomes the hinge between knowledge and experience; accepting Christ as Savior must also become submission to him as Lord.

The call to live the Christian life lands on three verbs: know, reckon, and yield. Knowing Christ’s identity and work becomes the basis for reckoning oneself crucified with Christ and yielding daily to his life within. True discipleship rejects self-reliant effort and embraces trusting dependence—trusting, not trying. The invitation closes with an appeal to respond decisively: acknowledge Christ’s full person, repent from reliance on works, and yield to the life he gives so that faith moves from confession to transformation.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Turn eyes fully upon Jesus Turning attention to Christ reframes suffering and fear into opportunity for trust. Seeing him as present and sufficient breaks the cycle of self-effort and anxiety, allowing peace that is not merely emotional but rooted in relationship. This posture cultivates a life that testifies to Christ’s sustaining power in ordinary moments. [12:46]
• 2. Christ: divine Lord and human Messiah Scripture identifies the coming one as both David’s descendant and David’s Lord, forcing the recognition that the Messiah is incarnate deity. Embracing that paradox safeguards worship from nationalist or purely moralistic distortions. This union of natures secures forgiveness and authority—he alone can atone and reign. [41:11]
• 3. Repentance requires trust, not works Peter’s sermon at Pentecost links conviction about crucifying Christ with the call to repent and be baptized for forgiveness and receiving the Spirit. Repentance undoes reliance on moral bargaining and instead receives grace through faith alone. This shift moves people from managing guilt to resting in God’s completed work. [63:13]
• 4. Live by faith: reckon and yield Christian maturity flows from knowing position in Christ, reckoning that truth into daily reality, and yielding control to his life within. Reckoning undoes performance-driven religion; yielding produces dependent obedience shaped by strength from the Spirit, not mere willpower. The daily Christian walk becomes sustained trust, not a series of heroic efforts. [71:14]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:12] - Call to Worship (Psalm 100)
• [01:11] - Hymn: I Thirsted in the Barren Land
• [11:15] - Trials, Joy, and First Peter
• [12:46] - Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
• [23:49] - Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:41–46
• [35:54] - Messiah: Son of David or Lord?
• [63:13] - Acts 2: Conviction and Repentance
• [71:14] - Know, Reckon, and Yield (Christian Life)
• [74:57] - Invitation, Prayer, and Response

1. In the passage, what two different titles for the Messiah are presented in the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees?
2. What was the common Jewish expectation of the Messiah, as described from the sermon? [30:55]
3. According to the sermon, what are the three verbs used to describe the process of living the Christian life? [01:11:14]
4. What was the response of the crowd in Acts 2 when they were confronted with the truth about who Jesus is? [01:04:50]

1. Why did Jesus use a quote from Psalm 110 to challenge the Pharisees' understanding of the Messiah? What was He trying to reveal to them about His identity?
2. The sermon describes repentance as a "hinge between knowledge and experience." [01:03:13] What does this mean? How does simply knowing about Christ differ from the experience of repenting and trusting in Him?
3. The sermon mentions that people can have a "wrong perception" of Christ that fits their own agenda. [46:47] What are some modern examples of how people try to shape Jesus into what they want Him to be, rather than accepting who He truly is?
4. What does it mean to "reckon" yourself dead to sin and alive to God, as mentioned in the sermon? [01:11:14] How is this different from just trying harder to be a better person?

1. The call is to turn your eyes fully upon Jesus, especially in trials, to find peace that is rooted in relationship rather than self-effort. [12:46] What specific circumstance are you currently facing that causes you anxiety? What would it look like to consciously stop trying to control it and instead rest in Christ's presence and sufficiency this week?
2. Scripture reveals that the Messiah is both fully God and fully man. [41:11] How does believing in Jesus' divinity change the way you approach Him in prayer during a moment of crisis, compared to viewing Him only as a great teacher or example?
3. Repentance requires trust, not works, and moves us from managing guilt to resting in God's completed work. [01:03:13] In what area of your life are you still trying to earn God's favor or forgiveness through your own performance? What is one practical step you can take this week to shift from trying to trusting?
4. Christian maturity flows from knowing our position in Christ, reckoning that truth to be real, and yielding control to His life within. [01:11:14] Which of these three steps (know, reckon, yield) do you find most difficult to live out daily? Why?
5. The people in Acts 2 were "pricked in their heart" when they realized they had crucified their Lord. [01:04:50] When was the last time the reality of your own sin and your personal responsibility for Christ's sacrifice truly impacted you? How did that conviction change your attitude toward God and others?
6. An "indifferent" view of Christ reduces faith to a cultural sentiment that doesn't change life. [01:00:51] Looking at your daily routines, priorities, and conversations, what evidence is there that Jesus is your Lord and not just a nice part of your background or culture?