Who Is Jesus? Savior, Judge, and Son of God

Mark 8 brings the question right down where it belongs: “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus first asks what the crowds are saying, because everybody had an opinion. Some called Him John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. Some admired Him, while political and religious leaders felt threatened by Him. But Jesus does not leave the question out there with everybody else. Jesus makes it personal.

The cultural picture of Jesus can be anything people want it to be. Some treat His name with no respect. Some call Him a legend, a lunatic, or a liar. But the evidence will not let Jesus be merely a made up figure. The prophecies of the Old Testament pointed ahead, centuries before His birth, to where the Messiah would come from and what He would do. Jesus fulfilled not just a few of those prophecies, but hundreds.

The claim that Jesus was a lunatic falls apart because Jesus did not bring out the worst in people. Jesus made people better. Jesus took net casters and dock workers and made them writers whose words have changed history. The claim that Jesus was a liar also falls apart because His life, miracles, death, burial, and resurrection all stand together. A man cannot lie about being the Messiah, die for that lie, rise from the grave, and then change thousands of lives for good.

Jesus plainly claimed to be the Son of God. John records that Jesus said, “I and my Father are one,” and His enemies understood exactly what He meant. Jesus also took upon Himself the name God gave Moses at the burning bush: “I am.” The One walking on the water came to terrified disciples and said, “Cheer up. I am. Stop being afraid.” The great I Am means fear does not get the last word when Christ is present.

Jesus is the way from God to people and from people to God. Jesus is God’s final spokesman, greater than the prophets, Moses, and Elijah. The Father’s voice on the mountain settles the matter: “This is my beloved Son... Listen to him.”

Jesus is also Savior and Judge. Jesus came now to save, like the Lamb of God who takes away sin. But Jesus will one day judge those who reject His words. The question cannot be avoided: What will be done with Jesus? Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, Pilate washed his hands, and Agrippa delayed. The Ethiopian eunuch responded. Christ still stands at the door and knocks, calling people to believe that Jesus is the Christ, turn from sin, and be baptized into Him.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus makes the question personal. Jesus does not permit His identity to remain a matter of public opinion or religious trivia. The crowds can offer their guesses, but Christ asks every heart, “Who do you say that I am?” A delayed answer is still an answer, because neutrality toward Jesus finally becomes rejection. [29:46]
• 2. Jesus cannot be reduced to legend. The prophecies, miracles, resurrection, and historical witness do not fit a fabricated Christ. Jesus fulfilled what God had spoken long before His arrival, and His life carries a weight no legend can carry. Faith rests not on wishful thinking, but on the living Christ revealed in history. [31:44]
• 3. Jesus brings out the best. Jesus did not gather people into darkness, cruelty, or deception. Jesus changed ordinary men, including net casters and dock workers, into faithful witnesses whose lives served others and honored God. His wisdom still exposes what sin destroys and builds what grace intends. [34:13]
• 4. The great I Am defeats fear. Jesus used the holy name of God, declaring Himself to be the eternal I Am. Jesus came across the water to frightened disciples and told them to stop being afraid because He was there. Fear may still come, but Christ’s presence is greater than the storm. [42:04]
• 5. Jesus is Savior before Judge. Jesus offers salvation now because He does not desire condemnation. Yet the Savior who is received or rejected in this life will also be the Judge before whom every person stands. The open door of grace must not be confused with permission to put off a response. [48:02]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [22:33] - Looking Forward to Sunday Fellowship
• [24:07] - Albert Einstein Was Once Unknown
• [26:05] - Jesus Appears at Age Thirty
• [27:11] - Different Opinions About Jesus
• [28:06] - Who Do People Say I Am?
• [29:46] - Who Do You Say Jesus Is?
• [30:03] - Cultural Pictures of Jesus
• [31:23] - Prophecies Pointing to Christ
• [34:13] - Jesus Changes People for Good
• [37:28] - Jesus Is the Son of God
• [39:09] - Jesus Is the Great I Am
• [42:27] - Jesus Is the Way
• [43:10] - Jesus Is God’s Final Spokesman
• [45:32] - Jesus Is Savior and Judge
• [49:40] - What Will You Do With Jesus?

Bible Reading

Mark 8:27-29
“And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” [28:14]

John 10:30
“I and the Father are one.” [38:18]

Matthew 17:5
“He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” [45:15]

Observation questions

1. In Mark 8:27–29, what different answers do the disciples report when Jesus asks what people are saying about Him? [28:46]
2. What change takes place when Jesus moves from asking about the crowds’ opinions to asking the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” [29:43]
3. In John 10:30, how did Jesus’ opponents understand His statement that He and the Father are one? [38:18]
4. At the Transfiguration, who is present with Jesus, and what does the Father specifically tell the disciples to do? [44:54]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is Peter’s confession in Mark 8 more than agreeing that Jesus was a great teacher, prophet, or miracle worker? [37:28]
2. Jesus’ words in John 10:30 were understood as a claim to equality with God. Why does that claim make it impossible to treat Jesus as merely a good moral example? [38:33]
3. At the Transfiguration, the Father tells the disciples to listen to Jesus while Moses and Elijah are present. What does this show about Jesus’ authority in relation to the Law and the prophets? [45:20]
4. Jesus is presented as Savior now and Judge in the future. How should this truth shape the way a person understands both God’s grace and the seriousness of rejecting Christ? [48:08]

Application questions

1. Jesus’ question remains personal: “Who do you say that I am?” How would you answer that question plainly, and what parts of your life show whether that answer is truly shaping you? [29:46]
2. What cultural picture of Jesus are you most likely to hear—from friends, social media, work, or entertainment? Where might that picture fall short of the Jesus revealed in Scripture? [30:08]
3. Jesus changed ordinary fishermen and workers into faithful witnesses. In what specific area do you need Christ to keep changing you from who you have been into who He wants you to become? [34:29]
4. When fear rises because of uncertainty, illness, relationships, finances, or the future, what would it look like to remember that the great I Am is present with you? [42:04]
5. The Father’s command was to listen to Jesus. Is there a clear command or teaching of Jesus that you have been slow to obey? What is one faithful next step you could take this week? [45:28]
6. Jesus offers salvation rather than condemnation, yet delaying a response still matters. Is there any area where you have been putting off surrender, repentance, baptism, or obedience to Christ? What is keeping you from responding? [50:39]