Everyone seems to have a theory on who Jesus was…only Jesus has the real answer.
Sometime in the 1960s and ‘70s a new kind of thinking arose and specific language came with it. People started “trying to find themselves.” Men and women would begin a personal quest to discover who they were. Young people would drop out of school so they could figure themselves out. Middle-agers, men in particular, would go through a midlife crisis, struggling with their identity and purpose.
Certainly in Jesus’ day, most people did not have the luxury of “finding themselves.” But they did enjoy coming up with theories about who Jesus was…his true identify. The only one who was crystal clear about the answer to this question was Jesus himself. While people guessed, suggested, and made innuendos, Jesus waited for the right moment to declare publicly what he had known from before time.
Jesus always knew his identity and mission. At the right time, he made it clear so that we would have the right answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?”
Think about some of the response you might get if you walked down a major city street and asked people, “Who is Jesus.”
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 161.
1. Jesus said we must “deny ourselves” and “take up our cross;” and if we seek to save our lives we will lose them. (pgs. 291 – 292). What are the implications of these commands for your life, such as marriage, parenting, and career ambition?
2. Look up 1 John 1:5-7 and 2:8-11. What did Jesus mean when He said that “whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (p. 294)? What does this look like for the Christian living a typical daily life?
3. Human kings in the Bible (and in our world today) were exalted and received special honor. When Jesus walked on this earth he acted very differently. What contrasts do you see between how Jesus lived and how other kings live and behave?
4. When Jesus called himself the “light of the world,” he assured his disciples that they would no longer walk in the dark if they followed him. How have you discovered the light of Jesus since you became a Christian and how does his presence keep you from living in the darkness?
5. Jesus is the Savior, Messiah, and Lamb of God. He came to live a sinless life, die on the cross in our place, and rise again in glory to break the power of sin and death. How does the truth of his identity clarify your life purpose and direction?
ReplyDeletePoint to ponder…
Everyone seems to have a theory on who Jesus was…only Jesus has the real answer.
Sometime in the 1960s and ‘70s a new kind of thinking arose and specific language came with it. People started “trying to find themselves.” Men and women would begin a personal quest to discover who they were. Young people would drop out of school so they could figure themselves out. Middle-agers, men in particular, would go through a midlife crisis, struggling with their identity and purpose.
Certainly in Jesus’ day, most people did not have the luxury of “finding themselves.” But they did enjoy coming up with theories about who Jesus was…his true identify. The only one who was crystal clear about the answer to this question was Jesus himself. While people guessed, suggested, and made innuendos, Jesus waited for the right moment to declare publicly what he had known from before time.
Jesus always knew his identity and mission. At the right time, he made it clear so that we would have the right answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?”
Think about some of the response you might get if you walked down a major city street and asked people, “Who is Jesus.”
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 161.
ReplyDeleteQuestions to consider…
1. Jesus said we must “deny ourselves” and “take up our cross;” and if we seek to save our lives we will lose them. (pgs. 291 – 292). What are the implications of these commands for your life, such as marriage, parenting, and career ambition?
2. Look up 1 John 1:5-7 and 2:8-11. What did Jesus mean when He said that “whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (p. 294)? What does this look like for the Christian living a typical daily life?
3. Human kings in the Bible (and in our world today) were exalted and received special honor. When Jesus walked on this earth he acted very differently. What contrasts do you see between how Jesus lived and how other kings live and behave?
4. When Jesus called himself the “light of the world,” he assured his disciples that they would no longer walk in the dark if they followed him. How have you discovered the light of Jesus since you became a Christian and how does his presence keep you from living in the darkness?
5. Jesus is the Savior, Messiah, and Lamb of God. He came to live a sinless life, die on the cross in our place, and rise again in glory to break the power of sin and death. How does the truth of his identity clarify your life purpose and direction?