Understanding Jesus: Identity, Cross, Resurrection, and Response

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound questions that Easter presents, focusing on Mark chapter 8. We began by considering the essential question: "Who is Jesus?" This question has been pivotal for over 2,000 years, and it remains crucial for each of us to answer personally. Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter's response, "You are the Christ," highlights the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one sent by God. However, understanding Jesus' identity is not enough; we must also grasp the significance of His mission.

The second question we addressed was, "Why the cross?" Jesus' death was not an accident but a divine necessity. It was God's plan to reconcile humanity to Himself. Our sin separates us from a holy God, but through Jesus' sacrificial death, He bore our sins and satisfied God's justice. The cross is the means by which we are redeemed and restored to fellowship with God.

The third question was, "Did Jesus really rise from the dead?" The resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith, proving Jesus' divinity and the truth of His claims. We examined various evidences, including eyewitness accounts and the transformation of the disciples, which affirm the reality of the resurrection. If Jesus rose from the dead, it validates everything He taught and accomplished.

Finally, we confronted the personal question, "What am I going to do about it?" Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. This involves surrendering our self-rule and placing our trust in Him as Lord and Savior. The decision to follow Christ is not merely intellectual but requires a heartfelt commitment to live for Him.

Key Takeaways:

- Who is Jesus? Understanding Jesus' identity as the Christ, the Messiah, is crucial. He is not merely a prophet or a moral teacher but the Son of God who came to save us. This recognition demands a personal response to His lordship. [06:28]

- Why the Cross? The cross was necessary for our salvation. Jesus' death was the fulfillment of God's plan to atone for our sins and reconcile us to Himself. It demonstrates God's love and justice, offering us forgiveness and new life. [27:08]

- The Resurrection's Significance: Jesus' resurrection is the foundation of our faith. It confirms His victory over sin and death, assuring us of eternal life. The resurrection is a historical event with profound implications for our belief and hope. [32:25]

- Personal Response to Jesus: Following Jesus requires denying self-rule and embracing His lordship. It involves a transformation of heart and life, aligning our will with His. This commitment is essential for true discipleship. [45:23]

- The Call to Faith: Jesus invites us to trust Him fully, surrendering our lives to His guidance. This decision impacts our eternal destiny, offering us the promise of salvation and a relationship with God. [55:10]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:50] - Introduction to Easter Dilemmas
- [02:59] - Four Essential Questions
- [03:38] - Who is Jesus?
- [05:44] - The Disciples' Understanding
- [08:03] - Jesus' Identity and Claims
- [10:15] - Jesus as God
- [12:21] - Jesus' Oneness with the Father
- [14:32] - Jesus' Eternal Existence
- [19:50] - The Truth of Jesus' Claims
- [21:16] - Why the Cross?
- [27:08] - The Necessity of Jesus' Death
- [32:25] - Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?
- [35:11] - Proofs of the Resurrection
- [45:23] - What Am I Going to Do About It?
- [55:10] - Invitation to Faith

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Mark 8:27-38
- Isaiah 53:5-6
- John 10:30-33

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Observation Questions:

1. In Mark 8:27-29, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" How does Peter respond, and what does this reveal about the disciples' understanding of Jesus' identity? [06:28]

2. According to the sermon, why was the cross a necessary part of God's plan for salvation? How does this align with the prophecy in Isaiah 53? [27:08]

3. What evidence does the sermon provide to support the claim that Jesus rose from the dead? How do these evidences strengthen the foundation of Christian faith? [32:25]

4. In John 10:30-33, how do the Jews react to Jesus' claim of oneness with the Father, and what does this indicate about their understanding of His identity? [13:46]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. Why is it significant that Peter identifies Jesus as "the Christ" in Mark 8:29, and how does this confession impact the understanding of Jesus' mission? [06:28]

2. How does the necessity of the cross, as explained in the sermon, challenge common perceptions of Jesus' death as merely an act of selflessness? [27:08]

3. What role does the resurrection play in validating Jesus' claims and teachings, and why is it considered the cornerstone of Christian faith? [32:25]

4. How does Jesus' claim of divinity in John 10:30-33 confront the listener with a decision about His identity, and what are the implications of accepting or rejecting this claim? [13:46]

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Application Questions:

1. 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? [06:28]

2. The sermon emphasizes the necessity of the cross for salvation. How does this understanding affect your view of sin and the need for reconciliation with God? [27:08]

3. Considering the evidence for the resurrection presented in the sermon, how does this shape your confidence in sharing your faith with others? What specific steps can you take to engage in conversations about the resurrection? [32:25]

4. Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. What does self-denial look like in your life, and how can you practically live out this call to discipleship? [45:23]

5. The sermon challenges listeners to make a personal decision about Jesus. What steps can you take this week to deepen your commitment to following Christ, and how can you encourage others in their faith journey? [55:10]

6. Reflect on the transformation of the disciples from fear to bold proclamation after the resurrection. How can their example inspire you to overcome fear in your own faith journey? [39:16]

7. The sermon concludes with an invitation to trust Jesus fully. What areas of your life do you find difficult to surrender to His lordship, and how can you begin to trust Him more in those areas? [55:10]

Devotional

Day 1: Recognizing Jesus as the Messiah
Understanding who Jesus is forms the foundation of our faith. In Mark chapter 8, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter's response, "You are the Christ," signifies the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one sent by God. This acknowledgment is not merely an intellectual exercise but a personal revelation that demands a response. Jesus is not just a prophet or a moral teacher; He is the Son of God who came to save us. Recognizing His identity calls us to submit to His lordship and align our lives with His teachings. [06:28]

Matthew 16:15-17 (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.' 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: In what ways does your life reflect the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah? How can you deepen your understanding of His identity today?


Day 2: The Divine Necessity of the Cross
The cross is central to the Christian faith, representing the divine necessity of Jesus' sacrificial death. It was not an accident but God's plan to reconcile humanity to Himself. Our sin separates us from a holy God, but through Jesus' death, He bore our sins and satisfied God's justice. The cross is the means by which we are redeemed and restored to fellowship with God. It demonstrates both God's love and justice, offering us forgiveness and new life. Understanding the significance of the cross compels us to live in gratitude and obedience to God. [27:08]

Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV): "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

Reflection: How does the reality of the cross impact your daily life? What steps can you take to live in gratitude for Jesus' sacrifice today?


Day 3: The Resurrection as the Cornerstone of Faith
The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith, proving His divinity and the truth of His claims. It confirms His victory over sin and death, assuring us of eternal life. The resurrection is a historical event with profound implications for our belief and hope. Eyewitness accounts and the transformation of the disciples affirm the reality of the resurrection. If Jesus rose from the dead, it validates everything He taught and accomplished, giving us confidence in His promises. [32:25]

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (ESV): "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."

Reflection: How does the resurrection of Jesus influence your perspective on life and death? What hope does it bring to your current circumstances?


Day 4: Embracing Jesus' Lordship
Following Jesus requires denying self-rule and embracing His lordship. It involves a transformation of heart and life, aligning our will with His. This commitment is essential for true discipleship. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. This means surrendering our self-rule and placing our trust in Him as Lord and Savior. The decision to follow Christ is not merely intellectual but requires a heartfelt commitment to live for Him. [45:23]

Luke 9:23-24 (ESV): "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?


Day 5: The Call to Faith and Trust
Jesus invites us to trust Him fully, surrendering our lives to His guidance. This decision impacts our eternal destiny, offering us the promise of salvation and a relationship with God. Trusting in Jesus means relying on His wisdom and strength rather than our own. It involves a daily commitment to follow Him and live according to His teachings. This call to faith is not just about belief but about a transformative relationship with God that shapes every aspect of our lives. [55:10]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to deepen your trust in Jesus? How can you rely more on His guidance in your daily decisions?

Quotes

Who is Jesus? Look at Mark chapter 8. We're going to begin in verse 27. Not only is that an important question today, it has been for over 2,000 years now. Verse 27 says this. Says, "Now Jesus and his disciples went out to the towns of Cesaria Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, saying to them, who do men say that I am?" Friends, is that not the question of the ages? Amen. Men and women for over 2,000 years have wrestled with that question. [00:03:52]

The term Christ here is the Greek translation or equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means God's prophesied and long awaited deliver of Israel of Israel, his anointed one, the the coming high priest, the coming king, the coming savior, the one promised by God all throughout the Old Testament to come that would come and save his people. [00:07:08]

Understanding who Jesus was and who he is is of vital importance. Amen. Many people today follow in the line of those crowds in Jesus's day of thinking who Jesus was. Many people today say, "Well, Jesus Jesus was just a prophet." Yeah, maybe like one of the Old Testament prophets. Some equate him to a prophet like maybe Muhammad in in in Islam. Um, some say Jesus was just a good man. [00:08:23]

As we read the Bible, the firsthand account of who Christ is and what Christ did, Jesus does not leave those options open to us. Um, Jesus clearly proclaims that he is God. Uh, I want to share with you three instances, just three, and we could we could continue on and on all throughout the gospels, but I want to share with you just three instances um about this where Jesus either directly or indirectly claims to be God. [00:09:41]

Jesus clearly accepts the proclamation here of what Simon says. He affirms Peter's statement about him as the son of God. Friends, it's as clear as day. Jesus's claim as God is clear. The second um instance I want us to look at is in John chapter 10. John chapter 10 uh verse 30. Jesus makes this statement. And if you read all of John chapter 10, it's just Jesus is talking a lot about his um relationship to the father. [00:12:05]

The Jews clearly understood what Jesus was claiming. And friends, honestly, it's why they ultimately crucified him, right? Why did they choose Jesus to crucify over Barabbus? Barabbus was a terrible criminal. They chose Jesus because they thought Jesus was blaspheing God by claiming himself to be God. So they understood exactly what Jesus was claiming. [00:13:46]

Jesus here is saying a couple of things actually, but first of all, Jesus is taking the very name of Almighty God for himself, the great I am. We sing it like that in English. But in English, this is a little bit uh we lose some things. Okay, let's go back way to the Old Testament when Moses, God was calling Moses and telling Moses um to, you know, he called him to to go deliver the Israelites. [00:16:39]

The Jews knew exactly what Jesus was saying here that before Abraham was I am. I have existed. I have always been and I am the great I am. So Jesus here when and as they're referencing Abraham says listen before Abraham even existed I existed. So he was not just was Jesus a man. Did he become a man? Yes, absolutely he did. [00:18:25]

Jesus had to die. The question is why? Why did Jesus have to die? You know, I pastor, I I just thought it was an example he gave of selflessness to us. Uh it is an example of selflessness, but that's has nothing to do with why he why he went to the cross. Friends, here's why Jesus went to the cross. And let me start back really at the beginning, friends. [00:27:01]

God created us to be in perfect harmony and fellowship with him. In fact, if you read in the beginning in Genesis, Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden, right? Until something happened. until they disobeyed God and they sinned and they ate of the fruit of the tree which God told them not to eat of and they disobeyed God and sin and the results of sin, death, disease, suffering, all those consequences entered the world. [00:27:34]

God loved me so much, friends. He loved us so much that he didn't leave us like that. He knew all that was going to happen. But his plan was not to leave us like that. But God made a way both to pay for our sin and to reconcile us to himself. And that the way for him to do that, friends, was through the cross. It was the only way, friends, was for Jesus, the second person of the Godhead, to step out of heaven and to take our sin upon himself. [00:29:02]

Jesus had to die on the cross because he was taking our sin upon himself and satisfying the wrath of God against sin so that God would be both just that means righteous righteously punishing sin and the justifier that means the one who who makes us right with him uh of the person who puts their faith in Christ. So God is both just and the justifier in that friend. [00:30:16]

Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Because friends, if Jesus really rose from the dead, wouldn't you agree that makes all the difference in the world? Amen. It that's why we celebrate today, friends, because it proves that he was who he said he was and that he did what he said he did. Listen, many people throughout history, especially in the last couple hundred years, have uh have said that a resurrection just can't happen. [00:31:55]

If God can create the world out of nothing. Out of nothing. And let me just pause there for just a minute. Here's what the Bible says in in the Hebrew. It says that God in the beginning, God created the world. And the phrase that is used uh in Genesis chapter 1 is ex nihilo, which literally means he spoke it into existence out of nothing. [00:33:22]

If God can do that, then raising Jesus from the dead is that's no problem at all. Amen. The issue is more a matter of belief in an all powerful God than anything else. Do you believe in a God who that the Bible says created it all out of nothing? And if so, then friends, God having power over death is a small leap to make. [00:34:30]

If someone can predict their own death and resurrection and it come true, I'm a believer. You got me right there. But I understand some of you are a little more hard to harder to convince. That's okay. Let me give you a few other proofs of the resurrection. Second of all, friends, scripture records that there were many eyewitnesses that saw Jesus resurrected, starting with the women. [00:36:13]

The disciples went from cowering in fear, dejected and depressed at his death to later on boldly proclaiming and preaching the word of God, the gospel as the truth. They got thrown into prison and all of them but John suffered a martyr's death and John himself died his spent out his last days in prison. I don't know about you, but those are hardly the actions of men who were hiding uh and living out a lie. [00:39:13]

With all of these reports of Jesus having risen from the dead, if the Jews could have produced a body, if they could have said, "Hey, wait a minute. We all talking about resurrection. It's right here." Some say, "Well, they had the wrong tomb." they went to the or don't you think plenty of people would know it's right here. Um all of the stuff that happened it didn't happen somewhere else. [00:40:00]

The cross of Christ followed by his resurrection is the guide and the means to your salvation. It's the only way. Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father, he says, except through me." Friends, there is no other way. If you're here this morning, maybe you're watching online and you've never surrendered your life to Christ. [00:54:50]

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Transcript
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