Today, in our GodQuest message series, we’re going to look at what I believe is one of the most important questions in the world. If you don’t ever ask this question or you answer it wrong, your life will be immeasurably poorer in this life and infinitely worse in the life to come. However, if you know the correct answer to this question and if you choose to act on that answer, your life will be the best it can be in this life and the next. This question is highly controversial because it has so much consequence. This question divides people into two camps depending on the answer they give. The question is the title of my fifth message in our GodQuest message series, “Who Is Jesus?”
Jesus is without a doubt the most influential person who has ever lived on this earth. He never led a nation, never commanded an army, never wrote a book, yet today, Jesus is the lightning rod that divides the world depending on their answer and response to the question, Who Is Jesus? In fact, Jesus Himself asked the question.
Matthew 16:13-16 (NIV) When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
There are two basic answers that are given to the question “Who Is Jesus?” The first answer is that Jesus was merely a man, a good teacher or even a prophet who taught us how to love one another. This answer sees Jesus as a good example, a person to learn from, but no different in essence than other good people that we look up to. More and more people today are giving this answer, that Jesus was simply a good man that we can learn from.
The second answer to the question of “Who Is Jesus?” is that Jesus is the Son of God, who is equal to God. That is the answer that Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples gave. And if Jesus is God, there are enormous implications for each of us and our world. So today, we’re going to examine the evidence to answer the question of Who Is Jesus? Then we’ll evaluate the possible conclusions the evidence supports and finally, we’ll talk about how to respond to the only logical conclusion.
Listen to or watch my October 30, 2011 message Who Is Jesus?