As we define Jesus what is the reflection we see in our perception of him? Note from Wednesday bible study 11-18-20
Mark 8 /27-33
Who was Jesus thought to be?
and
As we define Jesus what is the reflection we see in our perception of him?
27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cæsarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? 28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. 29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. 30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. 31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
That question:
Who Do You Say that I Am?
There comes a time in the life of every Christian when you have to come to grips with the person of Jesus Christ and your relationship to him. You can weigh the witness of scripture and take into account all the commentaries on the life of Christ; you can consider the views others, past and present, but you can’t escape this one central question: Who do you say that I am?
This evening as we listen once more to this familiar passage from Mark’s gospel, I invite you, yet again, to put yourself in the story and ask, “What is my relationship to Jesus Christ?”. How would I define Jesus?
The text begins with a question we can all relate to: Who do the people say that I am? How do others see me? By what name and traits and deeds am I known? The question strikes at the heart of our quest for identity: If others were asked to describe you today, what would they say?
The most common way for others to know us is by name. That’s usually the first step in getting acquainted. It’s important, not only for others to know what to call you, but because your name is more than a label, it reflects who you are – your family heritage and your self-identity. It takes on the characteristics of “YOU”…
When I taught Sunday School in a Presbyterian Church school, for a short time many years ago, I used to do a children’s sermon in which I’d intentionally call each child by the wrong name. I’d look at Suzy and call her Jane. Then I’d look at Sean and call him David. Invariably, they’d protest: “That’s not my name!” And they wouldn’t let me go on until I got it right.
The children were perceptive. Your name is a symbol of who you are. It influences how others think of you and how you think of yourself. Remember the old Johnny Cash song, “A Boy Named Sue?” What qualities are attached to your name?
Names make a difference. A strong name inspires respect. This is why children often take on a more formal name when they become adults – Billy Earl wants to be called Bill or William. Jenny Girl prefers to go by Virginia.
Have you ever thought about the relationship between your name and your personality? You’ve seen the little books that list various names and their meanings. Well, there’s some truth to this. In many ways a name can become a self-fulfilling prophecy that can help shape you into the person you become.
In the story of Jesus’ birth it’s clear that Jesus’ name was not chosen by accident. Joseph and Mary did not pick the name because it was pretty or cute. They named their baby, Jesus, in obedience to what the angel Gabriel told Mary:
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb,
and bring forth a son,
and will call his name ‘Jesus.'” (Luke 1:31)
From his birth in a stable to his death on the cross to now, men and women of faith have revered the holy name of Jesus. And Paul assures us that in the fulfilment of God’s great kingdom there will come a time when:
“ at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)
Who do others say that I am? The most common way others know us is by name. How else are we known?
We’re also known by our relationships. “Who is that tall little kid?” people used to ask of me. “Why, that’s Thad and Reitha’s son.” I’ll never forget my wife’s surprise when our daughter started school and she realized that she was no longer just Mrs Bruce; now she was Marilyn’s mom. Remember what the elders in Nazareth said about Jesus?
“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22) Or isn’t that the carpenter, son of Mary…
When I was growing up, my Uncle and Aunt insisted that my cousins think about settling down somewhere other than our home town when they got out of college or training. No offense against the ole home town, they just didn’t want them to be limited by their stations in life. They wanted the children to have the chance to make a name for themselves and be accepted for who they are, not for whose children we were, or be stereotyped in any other way. We had many areas of wisdom in my family growing up…
Looking back, I see that as an act of devotion and sacrifice on their part – to push my cousins out of the nest and encourage them to fly on their own, even though it meant leaving them behind. Intuitively, they were aware of this one truth: We’re known by who we’re related to.
We’re also known by the company we keep: “Birds of a feather flock together,” they say. This is one reason the Jewish leaders had such a hard time with Jesus, he associated with the wrong people. He walked among lepers and ate with tax collectors and sinners. He broke the rules of social convention. His primary relationship was with God the Father. A concept that they vehemently struggled with..
It’s a good practice, from time to time, to take inventory of the people you hang around with. Do they encourage you in your Christian walk? Do they complement or compete with your core beliefs and values? Are you influencing them toward Christ or are they influencing you??? Maybe in the other direction….
It’s also a good practice to take inventory of how much time you spend with God in prayer. Is your relationship with God primary or secondary? Your relationships go a long way in defining who you are, for better and for worse.
So does your vocation. One of the first questions we normally ask of someone we don’t know is, “What do you do for a living?” It makes a difference, for example, if you tell them that you’re a teacher or social worker, as opposed to, say, a bootlegger or hit man. Of course we are a retired crew for the most part but we maintain the identity of our past vocations for good or bad. We are also a product of what we are projecting every day, even in our retirement. Being retired doesn’t absolve us of responsibility for our conduct or our identification with “who we are”…
Seriously. People know us for the type of work we do or in our case, have done. I once had a friend from our church who was an FBI agent. He was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever known, but, for the life of me, I couldn’t get over the fact that he was a agent , and I told him so. I said, “Kellis, you intimate me.” “Why?” he asked. “Because you’re a FBI agent ,” I said. “I figure if there was just one ounce of dishonesty or deceit in me, you’d know it.” He smiled and said, “And you’d be right.” The amazing thing was that he loved me anyway and was proud to introduce me as his friend.
One reason why Jesus was such an enigma for the people of his day is that they couldn’t quite pin him down to a vocation they understood. Was he a rabbi? Some said he was, but then, he didn’t sound like the other rabbis. Remember what Mark said?
“They were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as having authority,
and not as the scribes.” That was back in (Mark 1:22)
Was he a prophet?
He sounded like a prophet at times, but, then, unlike the prophets before him, he loved to socialize. He attended weddings and had dinner with wealthy people. He didn’t fit the mould. This is the meaning of the cryptic little passage in Matthew’s gospel where Jesus said: Maybe you remember….
“But to what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children sitting in the marketplaces,
who call to their companions
and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance.
We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking,
and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
But wisdom is justified by her children.” (Matthew 11:16-19)
The people of Jesus’ day didn’t know what to think of him. It’s no different for us today. We expect others to conform to certain expectations. Whatever your station in life, you’re supposed to look and act the part.
Who do others say that I am? The people of Jesus’ day couldn’t say for sure. Some thought he was John the Baptist, who’d come back from the dead. Others thought he was the prophet Elijah, who’d returned from on high. Some regarded him as a great teacher; others, a miracle worker or faith healer.
No one seemed to know for sure. And as much as we might like to think otherwise, can we define Jesus? More importantly , who is Jesus in relationship to ourselves? We can define ourselves by explaining who Jesus is through our eyes… Our perception of the world always reflects who we are inside…
For this reason this question……..
“But who do you say that I am?” , seemed to replay over and over for me. But as I pondered it, a moment of clarity came, In that very moment it occurred to me that at the end of the day what’s important is not that you get the right answer but that you come to your own profession of faith. When you do, you not only define your relationship to Jesus, but his relationship to you.
Listen carefully: When you come to know Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, others come to know you not simply by name and vocation and who you happen to be related to; they come to know you as a child of God and a witness to the saving power of his love and grace.
Only as the confession comes from the heart and reflects your own faith and devotion will it lead to a life of peace and joy and the knowledge of salvation through repentance. And when it does, you, too, will sing with all the saints, Yes he is a living God….Yes I know who he is and YES I have a friend in Jesus….We have a friend in Jesus !
“I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart.
You ask me how I know he lives?
He lives within my heart.”
Bless us all… In Jesus name……
Amen.
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