What is a Christian: By Declaration

Father, we thank you, Lord, for tonight and the opportunity you

give us to study Your word. Truly, Lord, it is a great

blessing to be able to examine the text of Scripture and to

realize that You have spoken very clearly, without any

confusion, without any kind of mishaps.

It's all the truth of the living God.

And because of that, Lord, we can take it for what it is at

face value, that it's a holy word of God and therefore it

speaks to every aspect of our lives and it moves us on to

maturity because it does a great work in those who believe.

So we're asking that tonight, Lord, as we study it, you do a

great work in all of us that truly we would come to

understand the beauty of your character and that we would

truly be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ as we understand

what Christianity is all about. So we thank you, Lord, in Jesus

name, Amen. The question is, what is a

Christian? What is a Christian?

That's the question and the answer has been seen over the

last couple of weeks by looking at the Christian's decision.

That's Luke Chapter 9 verse #23 that is that he decides to

Luke 9 · chapter mention

follow Christ, to take up his cross and deny himself.

And then we saw what a Christian is by looking at the definition

of a Christian. That's Philippians chapter 3

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

verse #3 that the marked one, the true believer, is one who

worships God in spirit, who glory is only in Christ Jesus,

and takes no confidence in his flesh.

And then we looked at the Christian and his description.

That was last week, 2nd Corinthians 521, that if any man

be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things that passed

away. Behold all things that become

new. So the description of a believer

is that he is in Christ and Christ is in him.

Tonight we're going to look at the Christian from the

perspective of his declaration. In other words, all true

believers declare the same thing.

That is, they declare the identity of the Messiah and they

declare the ministry of the Messiah.

In other words, they understand who he is and they understand

what he did. In other words, they make a

declaration without any reservation, without any

hesitation, and without any question.

And they make that declaration with true conviction, passion,

and resolution. In other words, they know

exactly who Christ is, and they know exactly what Christ came to

do. So Christian is known not just

by his decision, not just by his definition and description, but

by his declaration. To understand that, turn with me

in your Bible to the Luke's Gospel, the 9th chapter, Luke

Luke 9 · chapter mention

Chapter 9, and in the narrative of Luke Chapter 9, Christ is

Luke 9 · chapter mention

going to ask a question, and that question centers around his

identity. And then he's going to give some

instruction, and that instruction centers around his

ministry. Everything about the Christ

focuses in on who he is and what he did.

And all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who truly and

genuinely know who he is have the same declaration about his

identity and his ministry. So it's a very familiar

narrative to us, but I think that will it will open your eyes

to many things this evening. In fact, we're going to help you

understand why is it those who are closest to you are the

furthest from the Kingdom. We're going to help you

understand why your father or your mother, your brother or

your sister, your aunt or your uncle, your son or your daughter

refuse to believe the things that you believe in spite of

overwhelming evidence, in spite of the very clear indicators of

Scripture. What is it that keeps them from

embracing Christ as their Messiah?

What is it that that keeps them from understanding the things

that you understanding you understand?

What keeps them from grip gripping that the glorious

gospel of Christ that you have completely and totally absorbed

yourself in. We're going to answer that

question for you this evening. But first Luke Chapter 9 verse

Luke 9 · chapter mention

#18 says and it happened that while he was praying alone, the

disciples were with him and he questioned them saying, who do

the people say that I am? They answered and said, John the

Baptist and others say Elijah, but others, that one of the

prophets of old has risen again. And he said to them, But who do

you say that I am? And Peter answered and said, The

Christ or the Messiah of God? But he warned them and

instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying the Son of Man

must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief

priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up.

On the third day. Christ asked the most valuable

question ever, the most important question that could

ever be asked. Who do you say that I am?

If you answer it correctly, then your soul will live in delight.

If you answer it incorrectly, your soul will be damned

forever. So you must answer the question

correctly because it deals with the identity of who Christ is.

Once you understand who He is, then you can begin to understand

what it is he does or what it is that he did.

Now Luke's gospel, it's important to realize where

you're at, what's happening here in the gospel.

Why is the question asked at this time?

Luke is is building toward this crescendo of who is Christ?

What is his identity? Everything about the Gospels

centers around the identity of Christ.

John's gospel talks to us about his deity, that Jesus is God in

the flesh. Matthew's gospel talks to us

about his royalty, that he's the king of Israel, the king of the

universe, and he has a Kingdom that he presents.

Mark's gospel talks to us about his humility, that he's a great

and wonderful servant. And then of course, Luke's

gospel talks to us about his humanity, that he's God in human

flesh. And yet all the gospels point to

the identity of Christ. In fact, this is how John sums

it up in John chapter 20. He says therefore many other

John 20 · chapter mention

signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples,

which are not written in this book, but these have been

written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the

Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

John says there are so many other miracles that Christ did

that are not recorded here, but these have been recorded, that

you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and

that believing the fact that he is the Messiah, you will have

life in his name. You see, it's absolutely

essential that you understand that Jesus is the Messiah.

Can one be saved and not believe that Jesus is the Messiah?

Answer no. John just told you these things

are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the

Christ, the Son of God, and that believing that fact, you have

life in his name. You cannot be a Christian and

not believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

To be a Christian means, I declare the fact that Jesus

Christ is God's Messiah. That's very, very important to

understand that, you see, because he really is truly God's

Messiah. He is not Israel's Messiah, and

he's not your Messiah, He's God's Messiah.

That's Peter's confession in Luke 9.

You are the Christ of God. You are the anointed of God.

You are the Messiah of God. Simeon says the same thing in

Luke chapter 2. I have seen the Lord's Christ.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

I have seen the Lord's Messiah. Same thing Peter says in Acts

Acts 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 when he says that God announced beforehand by the

mouth of all the prophets, that his, that is God's Christ, God's

Messiah, would suffer and he has thus fulfilled that.

You see, the Messiah is God's Messiah.

You didn't anoint him, God anointed him.

You didn't appoint him. God appointed him.

He is God's Messiah. He is God's anointed.

Very important to realize that because you cannot become a

Christian unless you understand who Jesus Christ is.

It's all about his identity. He is the Messiah of God.

He's God's Messiah. So in the context of Luke

Luke 9 · chapter mention

Chapter 9, Christ asks the question, what is the popular

opinion of who I am? Matthew's account says what do

people say or who do people say the Son of Man is?

Then say that in Luke's Gospel. But in Matthews it does very

important to understanding the question, what is the popular

opinion of who I am? And then he says, But who do you

say that I am? What is the personal opinion?

Because you see, the popular opinion is wrong.

Well, some say you are Elijah, but no one is saying that you

are the eternal one. Some say you are John the

Baptist, but no one is saying you are Jehovah God.

Some say you are one of the prophets, but no one is saying

that you are the prophet that was prophesied in the book of

Deuteronomy. Everybody's saying that you're

great, but nobody's saying you're God.

That's the popular opinion. So Christ says, but who do you

say that I am? Because when you stand before

Christ, your parents won't be with you, the crowds won't be

with you. It'll be you and the Lord, and

you have to give an account for who you say the Son of Man is,

and does that account match with the Bible says about Jesus

Christ our Lord? Now, this is very important

because Luke is building toward this question, building toward

this scenario. When Christ asks, who do men say

that I am? This is life's most important

question because you can't ask what must I do to be saved

unless you ask who is the Son of Man?

One flow flows out of the other. So Christ asked the question.

But Luke has been building through this because every

chapter leading up to Luke Chapter 9 speaks to us about the

Luke 9 · chapter mention

identity of Christ, who He is. That is just so important to

understand. In fact, it says in Luke 1 when

the Angel Gabriel came to Zacharias, he told him in verse

#17 it is he who will go as a forerunner, speaking to

Zacharias about his son John the Baptist.

He will be the forerunner to the Messiah.

So in chapter 1 of Luke, we have the announcement about the

forerunner is going to come before the Lord.

And then you have Gabriel's encounter with Mary.

He tells Mary that you will conceive in your room bear a

son, and you shall name, name him Jesus.

He will be great. He will be called the Son of the

Most High God. So everything is about the

identity of the Messiah. Then Mary writes this song and

Zacharias writes this song under the inspiration of the Scripture

to talk to us about the Messiah, his identity and his ministry.

Then you move into Luke chapter 2, and then the angels come to

Luke 2 · chapter mention

the shepherds, and they declare very loudly the identity of the

Messiah. For unto you this day in the

city of David has been born a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

They understand that the Savior's been born.

The Messiah is here. So they go to Mary and they

proclaim the same thing. They declare the same message to

Mary. And then you have the encounter

with Simeon, and Simeon recognizes that this is the

Lord's Messiah. Again, he is identified by

Simeon. And then you come to Anna.

She identifies him by proclaiming to everybody who he

is the Messiah. And then you come to that

encounter in Luke chapter 2 at the end of Luke the 2nd chapter,

Luke 2 · chapter mention

where Christ himself is now 12 years of age.

And it's the only encounter we have of Christ between his birth

and when he's 30, and that is at the age of 12.

And he's going to speak. And what Christ says is the most

important statement he ever makes.

What Christ says in Luke chapter 2 is the most important

Luke 2 · chapter mention

statement that He will ever make as the Messiah on this planet.

Remember, He's lost. When He's not lost, His parents

leave Jerusalem without him. They come back to find him.

He's in the temple. He's having this encounter with

the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the scribes.

He's asking them questions. They're asking Him questions.

And they come and find Him and they say, where have you been?

We've been looking all over for you.

And what does Jesus say? Don't you know I must be about

my Father's business? This is the most important

statement that Christ ever makes, and he does it at age 12.

And the Bible says that Mary is confused, and so is Joseph

because he's making this declaration about his identity.

I'm not your son, Mary. I'm not Joseph's son.

I am my father's son. I am the Son of God.

He makes it very clear. You see, they know he's virgin

born, they know he's the Son of the Most High.

They know his whole life of perfection up to this point, but

they are still confused about the identity of the Messiah.

As he says, I must be about my Father's excuse me, business.

That's very important because you see, 151 times Christ refers

to the God of heaven as his Father 151 times.

That's very, very important. Why?

Because there are 39 books in the Old Testament, and of those

39 books in the Old Testament, there is only two times that the

God of heaven is referred to as Father only twice, but not in a

personal sense, only in a national sense that He is the

Father nationally over Israel. There are 15 other times in

those 39 books that is referred to as a Father indirectly, but

never would a Jew refer to the God of heaven as his personal

father. Jesus is the first to do so

because he recognizes and understands that his Father in

heaven He is one with. That's very, very important.

So if you go with me over to John chapter 5, all this is the

John 5 · chapter mention

is, is defined for you. Remember in John 5 there at the,

the pool of Bethesda, the House of Mercy.

And at this pool, there's this, there's this belief that if an

Angel comes and, and stirs the water, the very first sick

person in the pool is healed. OK, now I that's not true.

It's just what they believed. But we know that Jesus is the

ultimate healer. He's called Jehovah Rapha in

Exodus chapter 15, the Lord my healer.

Exodus 15 · chapter mention

So we know that God's a healer. And there's a man that's been

paralyzed for 38 years, 38 years.

And Christ asked him, do you want to be made well?

Do you want to be healed well? Of course he does.

He tells them to take up his palate and walk.

The problem is it's on the Sabbath day in the Pharisees,

they go crazy over this. They go bonkers.

Not the fact that the guy's healed, but that he's walking

with his palate on the Sabbath day and they're incensed.

And so they ask him, who healed you?

He says, Jesus healed me. And so when you pick up the

narrative in verse #17 it says, or Jesus answered them, that is

the Jews. Now in John's gospel, the Jews

are always the leadership of Israel.

They're not the nation itself. The Jews in John's gospel are

always referred to as the leaders, the Pharisees, the

Sadducees, the scribes. So he says these words.

My Father is working until now, and I myself am working.

Great statement. Now this is what it says.

Verse 18 For this reason, therefore, the Jews were seeking

all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking

the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father,

making Himself equal to God. When Jesus says that He is the

Son of God, when Jesus says that the God of heaven is my Father,

He is making Himself equal with God.

And every Jew knew that. That's why they wanted to kill

Him. In fact, if you go over to John

John 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 and John 10, it says this in verse #30I and the

Father are one. The Jews picked up stones again

to stone Him. Jesus answered them.

I showed you many good works from the Father.

For which of them are you stoning me?

The Jews answered him for a good work.

We do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you,

being a man, make yourself out to be God.

See, the Jews knew that when Christ claimed that the God of

heaven was His Father, He was claiming equality with God.

No Jew in the history of Judaism would ever call the God of

heaven their Father because they are not equal in nature to God.

But Jesus is. That's very important.

That's why he's called the Son of God.

In fact, the confession that Peter makes in Matthew's account

of what Luke is talking about, Luke 9, is Thou art the Christ,

the Son of the living God. Very, very important to realize

that. Now remember in the Old

Testament there are there there's a phrase sons of God.

In the Old Testament, the sons of God are always angels.

In the New Testament, the phrase sons of God is Jews also.

That's always referring to believing Jews or believing

Gentiles. But the Son of God is a title

reserved only for the Messiah of Israel.

And when it says that Jesus is the Son of God, the word for son

is we OS very important because we OS never refers to the origin

of an individual. We OS always refers to equality

of nature and position. Jesus is never called the little

born one of God. That would be the word brief OS.

He's never called the little child of God.

That would be Tecnon. But he's called the Son of God.

And the word for Son is we OS, and it never refers to the

origin of anything. It only refers to equality of

nature. It refers to the position of

privilege. That's very important.

So not only is Jesus called the Son of God, he's also called the

only begotten, right, the monogenes.

But that doesn't mean that he is begotten of God in terms of

being born or created. No, He's called the monoganase,

and that is a word that deals with preeminence or the son of

choice. It's like it's like Isaac was

the monoganase. He was the only begotten of

Abraham, but he wasn't the only son of Abraham.

He wasn't even the oldest son of Abraham.

Ishmael was. But Isaac was the only begotten

son. He was a son of choice.

He was a son of privilege. He was the select one, the

unique one. That's what monoganase means.

Jesus is always called also called the first born of

creation, the pro total cost. That doesn't mean he was the

first one ever created, because he wasn't.

He was never created. He's the eternal God, but He is

the prototocost, meaning he is the the of all those ever

created. He is the preeminent. 1

Revelation 1/5 says He is the first born of all those who are

resurrected. That doesn't mean he was the

first one resurrected. It means that of all the people

that will ever be resurrected, He is the preeminent one.

That's what prototocost means. These are things you need to

know when you talk to Jews or when you talk to Jehovah's

Witnesses, because they can't refute that, they can't defend

that. They don't know what to say when

you begin to talk, to talk to them like that, because they

can't answer those questions. But you see, it all goes to the,

to the, to the grammar that describes the identity of

Christ, that he is the Son of the living God.

So Christ comes and asks the question, who do men say that I

am? And, and this is so important

because as you go through the, the gospel of Luke, he's always

declaring his identity. In fact, if you, if you go back

to, to Luke chapter 3, in Luke chapter 3, you have the ministry

Luke 3 · chapter mention Luke 3 · chapter mention

of John the Baptist and John the Baptist calls him the expected

one. And that was a title from Psalm

118 and Psalm 40 to talk about the coming Messiah.

And so he identifies him as the expected one.

And his baptism in Luke chapter 3, it says.

Luke 3 · chapter mention

And the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a

dove, and a voice came out of heaven.

You are my beloved Son, and you I am well pleased.

So again, his Father in heaven identifies him as his beloved

Son. As you go on to chapter 4,

listen, even the devil knows the identity of Jesus.

It says in verse #3 And the devil said to him, since you are

the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.

So the testimony of the devil affirms the identity of the

Messiah. They truly is the Son of God.

And then you go to verse #34 of chapter 4 and listen to what the

demons say. Let us alone.

What business do we have with each other?

Jesus of Nazareth, have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God.

So again, there's a declaration of the identity of the Messiah

by the devil, by the demons, by John the Baptist, by Mary, by

Anna, by Simeon, by Zacharias. It just keeps coming over and

over and over again. Even even Peter in Luke chapter

Luke 5 · chapter mention

5 says go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.

And then even over in chapter Chapter 7, at the healing of the

widow's son at Name, they understand that God has visited

his people when the widow's son at Name was resurrected.

And then of course, John the Baptist again calls him the

expected one. All these things are happening

all the while during Jesus's ministry, and yet still people

don't understand who He is. And the question comes, how do

they not get it? How do not grasp it?

In fact, if you if you go back to Luke chapter chapter 5, the

Pharisees ask this question, who is this man who speaks

blasphemies, who can forgive sins, but God alone?

And then you come over to chapter Chapter 7 and they asked

the same question again. Who is this man who forgives

sins? And then even the disciples

chapter 8, who then is this that he commands even the winds and

the water to obey him? Even Herod in the 9th chapter of

Luke, who is this man about whom I hear such things?

See, that's the question. That's why Jesus asked, who do

men say that I am? Because all throughout his

ministry people are asking, who is this guy?

Who is this Nazarene? Who is this one claiming to

forgive sins? Who is this one?

Satan knows who he is. The demons know who he is.

But the people around Israel, they have no idea who Jesus is.

In spite of all the miracles, in spite of all the messages, they

still don't grasp the fact that Jesus is the Son of the living

God. They still don't grasp the

identity of the Messiah. And you cannot be saved unless

you know who he is. You cannot, and that's so

important. That's why every Christian has

the same declaration. They declare his identity, that

he is a son of the living God, and they declare his ministry

that he came to die for the sins of man.

They understand that and they declare it loudly without any

reservation. The Old Testament is filled with

the arrival of the coming Messiah and who he would be.

There was no excuse for Israel to miss it.

You can go all the way back to the prophet Isaiah who says

these words. For a child will be born to us,

a son will be given, and the government will rest on his

shoulders, and his name will be called.

Wonderful counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of

Peace. This is what his name is called.

Remember, God doesn't have names plural.

Jesus doesn't have names, plural.

He only has one name, and it manifests itself in different

attributes. It manifests itself in a

multitude of character references, but it doesn't have

names. His name will be called

Wonderful. His name will be called

Counselor. His name will be called the

Mighty God, the El Gabor. So the son given is God El

Gabor. He's also the Father of eternity

or the Everlasting Father, or the originator of eternity.

To be the father of something would mean to be the originator

of something. And so he's called the Father of

eternity. He is the originator of

eternity. The only one who can be the

originator of eternity is somebody who is eternal.

So he is the eternal God. He is the El Gabor.

He is the Son that's given. So it's unmistakable in the Old

Testament. In fact, it says over in Isaiah

44 verse #6 these words, Isaiah 44 verse #6 thus says the Lord.

Thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the

Lord of hosts, or Jehovah Sabiath.

Wait a minute, you have two Jehovahs.

How can you have two Jehovahs? There's only one, unless the 2

are one. That's very important because he

says, look, thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his

Redeemer, Jehovah of armies. I am the 1st and I am the last,

and there is no God beside me. So there's only one God, but he

manifests himself as Redeemer, the Lord of hosts.

He manifests himself as the King of Israel because that's who

Jehovah is. That's very important.

And so it's unmistakable that there is a Redeemer.

That Redeemer is the first and the last.

That Redeemer is God in the flesh.

Same thing is true over in Zechariah chapter 12, when God

Zechariah 12 · chapter mention

says I will pour out on the House of David and on the

heavens of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication, so

that they will look on me whom they have pierced.

That's a great question. How do you look upon a God who

is a spirit who has been pierced?

Because every Jew knows that God is a spirit and Jehovah God is

speaking. So he says, I will pour out on

the House of David the spirit of grace and suffocation, and they

will look on me. This is Jehovah speaking whom

they have pierced. So you ask a Jew, when was the

God of heaven pierced? That's a great question.

How will they answer that? It says, and they will mourn for

him. Well, who's the hymn?

I thought it was, You're going to mourn for me, the one who was

pierced, but you're going to mourn for him.

Who is the Him? It's the Messiah, the Messiah of

Israel. You will mourn for him as one

mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over him.

You see, the triune nature of God is explicitly identified all

throughout the Old Testament. In fact, it says down in chapter

13 verse #7 Awake, O sword against my shepherd.

Why? Because the shepherds of Israel

led the nation into Pagan idolatry.

They LED them away from the Lord.

So God says, I'm going to send my shepherd.

And so he says, awake, O sword against my shepherd and against

the man. Now the phrase the man is not an

ordinary man. He is a supernatural man.

He is a unique kind of man. It says my associate in Hebrew.

It means my equal awake, O sword against my shepherd, the man who

is my equal. Well, who was that?

That's the Messiah. And it says this declares the

Lord of hosts strike the shepherd, that the sheep may

scattered. It speaks of the death of the

shepherd, the death of the man, the death who was one who was

equal with the God, who was speaking Jehovah himself.

So all throughout the Old Testament, everything pointed to

the identity of the coming Redeemer, the Messiah of Israel.

So you come to the New Testament and you read through, for

instance, the Gospel of Luke, and everybody in the chapters

are pointing towards the identity of this Messiah who is

the Redeemer, the Son of God, the Holy One of Israel, the Most

High God. And that's the same guy spoken

of in the Old Testament. But the question still arises,

who is this man? Why don't they get it?

Why don't they understand it? Why can't they digest it?

Why can't they wrap their arms around it?

How do they miss it? How do your friends miss it?

How does your family miss it? When you explain it to him so

clearly and you know who Jesus is, How come they don't grasp

the identity of the Messiah? So Christ asked the question,

who do men say that I am? And there's a responding by

saying, look, you're not normal, you're abnormal.

Why? Because you're like one of the

prophets who has risen from the dead.

That's what it says in Luke 9. Remember, Elijah's dead,

Jeremiah's dead. John the Baptist is dead.

You're Elijah, you're John the Baptist, you're Jeremiah, or

you're one of the prophets who've died and you've risen

again because what you're doing is not normal.

You're raising people from the dead.

You're causing the blind to see. The lame can walk.

You're causing food to be multiplied.

You're feeding thousands upon thousands of people.

Everything you do is miraculous. It's amazing.

So you must be supernatural. But no one's saying you're the

Messiah of Israel. No one is saying you're the God

of Israel. No one is saying that you're the

Son of God. Why not?

How come they're not saying that?

Well, the answer lies in the 12th chapter of John's Gospel.

So turn to John chapter 12 and you will know the answer as to

John 12 · chapter mention

why those children of yours who were raised in a Christian home

don't embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

You want to know why the neighbor that you've been

witnessing to for years and years and years doesn't become a

Christian? You you want to know why you

have witnessed to your parents for years and they have yet to

embrace Christ as their Messiah. How could that possibly be?

When you explain to them over and over again the overwhelming

evidence that Jesus is exactly who he says He is in the

Scriptures and you read it in the Gospels, but yet they still

still do not believe. How does that possibly happen?

When you come to John chapter 12, you're on Tuesday of Passion

John 12 · chapter mention

week. In John chapter 12, earlier on

John 12 · chapter mention

Monday, he arrives into Jerusalem on the backside of a

donkey. That's called the triumphal

entry. If you've been with us for a

long time, you know it's on Monday, not Sunday.

It's very important to realize what the text says.

It's on Monday. He rides into Jerusalem on the

backside of the donkey, and they praise him as the son of David.

They praise him as the king of Israel.

Hosanna save now they're all ecstatic and excited about Jesus

coming into Jerusalem. That's earlier in chapter 12.

But then as you read on and Christ begins to foretell His

death, because you see, not only is His identity important, but

His ministry is important. Why?

Because His ministry flows from His identity.

Only one person can die for your sins.

I can die. I can shed My blood, but My

blood does nothing for you. My blood is only good for me.

My blood is no good for you. But when Jesus dies and sheds

his blood, He provides forgiveness for all those who

believe in him. That's very important to

understand that. And so it says in verse #34 John

12. The crowd answered him.

We have heard out of the law that the Christ, the Messiah is

to remain forever. The Messiah is going to live

forever. Why?

Isaiah 96? He's the everlasting Father.

He is the originator of eternity.

He is eternal. All throughout the Old

Testament, it points to the eternality of the Messiah.

So they say to Jesus, we have heard that the Messiah is going

to live forever. You're talking to us about

dying. You're saying that you're the

Messiah. But how can that possibly be?

You're going to die or the Messiah is not going to die.

He's going to live forever. How can you say the Son of Man

must be lifted up? How can you say that Now?

That's important because the phrase Son of Man used 80 plus

times by Jesus to define who he is because it would reference

Daniel 713 and 14 and every Jew knows about the vision that

Daniel had of the coming Messiah in the flesh one like a son of

man descending from heaven. So Jesus would always use the

phrase the Son of man to identify with Daniel 7 because

he really is a son of man descending from heaven.

That's who he is. And so now they come back to

them and say, wait a minute, the Son of Man is the Messiah, and

he's supposed to live forever. But you're telling us that

you're the Son of Man and you're going to be lifted up, you're

going to die, you're going to be crucified.

So here comes the question. Who is this Son of Man?

Same question. It's the same question over and

over and over again all throughout the Gospels.

Who is Jesus? That's why Christ asked the

question. Who do men say that I am?

It is the most important question ever asked and ever

answered. Answered correctly, it delights

your soul. Answered incorrectly, it dams

your soul. It is life's most important

question, and they're still asking it three days before they

crucify Him. Who is this Son of man?

They still don't get it. They still don't know who He is.

So read on. So Jesus said to them for a

little while longer, the light is among you.

Walk while you have the light so that darkness will not overtake

you. He walks in the darkness, does

not know where He goes. While you have the light,

believe in the light so that you may become sons of the lights.

Christ says that he's the light of the world in John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

He's the light that enlightens every man in the world.

So Christ says, while the light is among you for a little while

longer, three more days, believe the light why you can, because

there's coming today where the light will no longer shine, and

you'll be in darkness. So believe in the light, because

the Son of Man is the light of the world.

And so it says in verse #36 the latter portion.

These things Jesus spoke and he went away and hid himself from

them. That's a very dangerous place to

be when Jesus, the light of the world, hides himself from you.

Why would he do that redone? But though he had performed so

many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.

He had done everything for three years.

There is no doubt who he is, but they're still asking the same

question, who is the Son of man? And so while he did all these

things in front of him and then they still were not believing in

him. This was to fulfill the word of

Isaiah the prophet, which he spoke.

Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm

of the Lord been revealed? For this reason they could not

believe. Notice they would not believe.

Now they cannot believe. Their willful rejection of the

Messiah led to their judicial rejection by the Messiah because

they willfully rejected him as Son of God, Son of Man, Son of

David, Messiah of Israel, God's Messiah because they willfully

rejected Him. Now they are judicially in a

state of rejection forever, for God has turned out the lights on

them because they would not believe.

Now they cannot believe. That's what Jesus says.

So redone for Isaiah said again, he has blinded their eyes, that

he has hardened their hearts that they would not see with

their eyes and perceive with their heart and be converted and

I heal them. These things Isaiah said because

he saw his glory and he spoke of Him.

Nevertheless, many even of the rulers believed in him, but big

but because the Pharisees, they were not confessing him for fear

that they would be put out of the synagogue.

So here comes the answer as to why the people you witness to,

family, friends, relatives do not believe next verse for they

loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

That's why your friends and family do not believe they love

the approval of man more than they love the approval of God.

Put it this way, the affirmation of a false system is more

valuable to them than the transformation by a true Savior.

The affirmation of a false system is more valuable to them

than the transformation by a true Savior.

They love the approval of men. They love the recognition that

they receive. They love to be accepted by men.

See, unbelievers love the the the praise of man.

Unbelievers love the acceptance by man.

The unbelievers love the approval of man.

They love the affirmation of man.

They love the recognition of man.

They love that. That's the characteristic of the

unbeliever. The believer doesn't care about

that. He just cares about being

approved by God, pleasing God. Let me illustrate this for you

further. Turn to John Chapter 9.

John 9 · chapter mention

Go back a couple of pages, John Chapter 9.

John 9 · chapter mention

In John Chapter 9, you have a man who's been blind from birth,

John 9 · chapter mention

who is healed by the Lord, who can now see.

The problem is Jesus healed them on the Sabbath.

Again, the Jews. The religious establishment is

furious, Instead of praising God that a man who's been blind from

birth can now see, they're angry at the fact that this man was

healed on the Sabbath, and they want to know who did this.

So explain to them who did this. And so it says in verse #18 The

Jews then did not believe it, for believe it of him that he

had been blind and had to receive sight, until they called

the parents of the very one who had received his sight and

questioned him, saying, Is this your son who you say was born

blind? Then how does he now see?

Verse 20? His parents answered them and

said We know that this is our son and we know that our son was

born blind. We know that for certain.

But how he now sees we do not know or who opened his eyes we

do not know. Ask him, he is of age, he will

speak for himself. These are the guys parents and

your parents love you. They want to protect you.

They want, they want to make sure they speak for you.

And so the Jews say this is your son.

Was he born blind? Yes, he was.

So now how can he see? We don't know.

Ask him. Why would they say that?

We don't. His parents said this because

they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already agreed

that if anyone confessed him to be Christ, the Messiah, he was

to be put out of the synagogue. For this reason, his parents

said he is of age. Ask him.

The approval or the affirmation of a fault system was more

important to them than the transformation by a true Savior.

That is the only biblical reason given as to why people do not

believe. They would not believe.

So now they cannot believe. Very important.

And because they cannot believe there's been a judicial

rejection and they didn't have belief in the very beginning.

Why is because they did not want to receive any kind of rejection

from their friends or from their relatives or from those who are

higher up. They loved the approval of the

world. They love the approval of man.

They love the recognition they received from man.

They don't want to give that up. So therefore they will not

capitulate to the Christ. Matthew's account says these

words. Who do you say that I am?

Peter says, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Now listen carefully. Jesus says, Blessed are you,

Simon Barjona, you are blessed. Why?

Because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my

Father who is in heaven revealed this to you.

Monumental statement. You cannot convince somebody

that Jesus is the Son of the living God.

No matter how hard you try, no matter how great your argument

know how well versed you are in Scripture, you cannot convince

them. Peter made the great confession,

this great declaration about the identity of Christ.

Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And the only way he could do that was not because somebody in

human flesh convinced him that Jesus was the Son of God.

Jesus made that statement. Flesh and blood did not reveal

this to you. Nobody of a human nature

revealed this to you, Peter. But my Father, who is in heaven,

he revealed it to you. Wow.

Nobody can confess Christ as Lord unless the Father reveals

Christ as Lord to them. The Father must do that.

If someone does not believe in the deity of Christ, you're not

going to convince them that Christ is God in the flesh.

You can't. God has to work in their heart.

God has to reveal it to them. That's why salvation is the work

of God and not a work of man. Yes, we preach the gospel and

yes, God uses His word in the lives of people to open their

hearts. But God does all that.

We do not. We are vessels, we are

spokespeople, we are preachers of the good news, but does not

depend upon me in order for you to be saved.

That's God's work, and only God can reveal to you his identity.

Life's most important question, Who do men say that I am without

the Christ? It's none of the living God.

Note this Matthew Chapter 11 verse 25.

Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus said, I praise you Father, Lord of

heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the

wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants, to

babes. Yes Father, for this way was

well pleasing in your sight. Why did God reveal Himself to

some and not to all? Because this was His good

pleasure. That's why.

Verse 27. All things have been handed over

to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father,

nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to

whom the Son wills to reveal him.

Wow, what a statement. The only people who come to know

Christ are the ones to whom God reveals himself to them.

That's it. But the question still remains,

who do you say that I am? Why?

Because look, He goes right in to verse 28.

From divine election to human volition.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will

give you a rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn

from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will

find a rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my

burden is light. God gives an invitation to all

come, come to me all year that our labor, labor and are heavy

laden. I'll give you rest, but you

can't come or you won't come unless the Father has revealed

himself to you. So therefore the Christian's

declaration is this. Jesus Christ is God's Messiah.

He is the Son of the living God. Every believer declares that

loudly and clearly, without reservation, because they know.

And not only that, they also declare the ministry of the

Messiah. For back in Luke Chapter 9,

Luke 9 · chapter mention

Jesus says this. He warned them and instructed

them not to tell this to anyone. Why?

Why not tell everybody that Jesus is the Messiah, the

Messiah of God? He says.

Don't tell him that. Why?

Because they have a misconstrued idea of who the Messiah is.

Instead, tell him this. The Son of Man must suffer many

things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and

scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.

Every believer declares the centrality of the cross.

They'll speak first of all about the necessity of the cross.

He must suffer. Then they'll talk about the

certainty of the cross, because it is going to happen.

Then they talk about the brutality of the cross, because

He will be scourged, He will be mocked, He will be beaten, He

will be killed, and then they always talk about the victory of

the cross. He will rise again on the third

day. The identity and ministry of the

Son of God is a declaration that every believer makes without

reservation, without hesitation, and without question.

Why? Because it is their absolute

conviction of who Jesus is. And that conviction becomes

their confession and declaration.

And that's why they proclaim it loudly.

That's the gospel. That's the message that we have.

And every believer declares that not only does he make a decision

to follow Christ, not only does he defy is he defined by those

who worship God in spirit, those who take no confidence in the

flesh and glory only in Christ Jesus.

And not only they described as being in Christ and Christ being

in them, but they make this declaration publicly and loudly

that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and He is the

only one who could die for your sins.

He did it at Calvary and he rose again the third day because he's

the victorious warrior over sin, death and Satan.

On top of that, he's coming again.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today,

and we thank you for the opportunity you give us to study

Your word. Pray, Lord, that we would all

understand the Great Declaration of Peter and the Apostles and

come to realize who You are and what You've done, and that we

live in the light of Your glorious Kingdom.

And our prayer, Father, is that we would truly honor You as you

live each day. Thank you for your word.

Thank you for its clarity. Thank you that when we read it,

we can understand it because we're children of the living

God. You've opened their hearts.

You've helped us to see who you are.

We grasp your identity. And our prayer, Father, is for

those close to us, our family, our friends, our work

associates, our teammates, our classmates that as we speak

forth the gospel, they would come to understand who you are

and what you did for the glory of your Kingdom in Jesus name,

Amen.