Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, Let the one who boasts, boast in the LORD. “  I Corinthians 1:28-31

Gathered around the campfire after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, Jesus asked the life-changing question that He still asks us today, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” The disciples thought for a few minutes and started giving names: John the Baptist, Elijah or maybe “one of the prophets of old has risen.” Jesus gets a little more personal and asks his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” This is the million-dollar question or, better yet, the eternal question. Peter finally gets it right, you are “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:18-21)

“I have heard some people complain that if Jesus was God as well as man, then His sufferings and death lose all value in their eyes, “because it must have been so easy for Him.” Others may (very rightly) rebuke the ingratitude and ungraciousness of this objection; what staggers me is the misunderstanding it betrays. In one sense, of course, those who make it are right. They have even understated their own case. The perfect submission, the perfect suffering, the perfect death were not only easier to Jesus because He was God, but were possible only because He was God. But surely that is a very odd reason for not accepting them?” (C.S. Lewis)

Over the course of time, people continue to be confronted with the same question. Over the years, the crowd has answered that Jesus was a teacher, a good man, prophet or even the leader of Christianity. Yet, as Peter confessed, there is only one answer; Jesus is “The Christ of God.”

A crowd-type answer was made a few weeks ago by CNN TV host, Don Lemon, that Jesus Christ was not perfect. “Here’s the thing,” Mr. Lemon said to Americans upset over criticism of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and other historical giants. “Jesus Christ, if that is who you believe in, Jesus Christ, admittedly was not perfect when He was here on this earth. So why are we deifying the founders of this country, many of whom owned slaves?” (Washington Post)

Honoring and deifying someone are a world apart. I rather doubt if Washington, Jefferson or Lincoln would desire to be deified. Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War wrote, “Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.” He knew the nation had only one place to look for the right answer and that it was not him.

The Apostle Paul understood the heart of the question, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (I Cor. 2:2)

Every person in every generation will be asked the same question: “But who do you say that I am?” How you answer has eternal consequences; just a teacher will not work, just a prophet will not work, just a good man will not work.

What we do have is a perfect Savior. “Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

God is great,

Pastor Lynn Burton