Who Do You Say That I Am?

There is nothing like holiday decorations, caroling, and the smell of Christmas in the air. There are always the school productions, musicals, and events that make the season seam busier the older I become. However, it is also a time to remember the reason for the season. That can sound so cliché. The reality is that fewer people today actually slow down to assess the real reason for this celebration. The birth of Jesus in a manger two thousand years ago gets easily obscured with all the secular events. The real question that really has to be answered by each one of us is, “Who do you say that I am?”

Is Jesus the spirit brother of Lucifer like the Mormons believe? Is He the archangel Michael like the Jehovah’s Witness state? Was He just a good man or prophet like the Muslims teach? Many in the new atheist movement say Jesus never existed at all.  What does the evidence suggest that we can rely on?

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[quote bar=”true” align=”center”]The real question that really has to be answered by each one of us is, “Who do you say that I am?”[/quote]

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At least 18 Biblical prophecies were fulfilled from the Old Testament in the birth of Jesus. The mathematical odds of seven being fulfilled are nearly impossible. Yet, Christ fulfilled so many more. From a historical perspective we know many things about Jesus. Gary Habermas, an expert on the Resurrection of Jesus, says there are twelve (12) separate facts that are agreed upon by practically all critical scholars, whatever their school of thought. These facts are considered to be knowable history:

1. Jesus was born to an unwed mother.
2. Jesus died by crucifixion and was buried.
3. Jesus’ death caused the disciples to despair and lose hope.
4. Most scholars acknowledge that Jesus’ tomb was empty a few days later.
5. The disciples had experiences which they believe were literal appearances of the risen Christ.
6. The disciples were transformed from doubters to bold proclaimers.
7. This message was the central message in the early church.
8. This message was proclaimed in Jerusalem where Jesus died.
9. The church was born and grew rapidly.
10. Sunday, the first day of the week, became the primary day of worship.
11. James, the brother of Jesus, who was a sceptic, was converted.
12. A few years later, Saul was converted from the chief persecutor of the church to its biggest defender.

About a week ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to watch the movie “The Case for Christ.” It is a story about an atheist that had a struggle in marriage after his wife became a Christian. As an investigative journalist with a law degree from Yale, Lee Strobel set out to prove that Christianity was a myth. After studying and interviewing experts in every professional field of study, from medicine, history and science, he came to the conclusion that Jesus not only existed, lived, and died, but actually rose from the grave based on the evidence. It is a journey that everyone of us must travel.

Think about the implications of the birth of Christ over 2,000 years ago. God loved you and me so much that He intervened in human existence to become a man. He lived a perfect life and then willingly went to a cross to redeem us. Why would He do that? God is sovereign over everything and knew that the only way to redeem us was to send His only Son to die and pay the penalty for our sin. The reality is we live in a culture that doesn’t really care to hear much about our failures, and worse, being held accountable for them. However, God’s justice demands accountability. As the late R.C. Sproul said so eloquently, “When we sin, we not only commit treason against God, but do violence to each other. Sin violates people. There is nothing abstract about it. By my sin I hurt human beings. I injure their person; I despoil their goods; I impair their reputation; I rob them of a precious quality of life; I crush their dreams and aspirations for happiness. When I dishonor God, I dishonor all people who bear His image. Is it any wonder, then, that God takes sin so seriously?” Scripture teaches that God loved us so much He came to earth as a sacrifice in our place. There is no greater love than that friends. Our world is broken and we live in a culture that has lost its way. However, in spite of all of this, we can live an abundant live in a relationship with Christ who really loves us. As you enter these last few days before Christmas, ponder these things for your life. Like the question posed by Jesus to his disciple, Peter, over 2,000 years ago, how would you answer him today? “Who do you say that I am?”

S. Montgomery