Who do you say I am?
Pastor Jiang
Translated by Leo Liu
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Mark 8: 27-30
The Bible tells us that sinners cannot achieve salvation on their own. This in itself makes man created, limited, and changeable, and must rely on the creation, the infinite, and the everlasting God. Truth stands before us again. The gospel is not about me, who am I? what did I do? The gospel is about Jesus. Who is he? What did he do to me? Salvation means that God wants to re-establish our relationship with God, that is, to truly worship Him, truly rely on Him, and truly love His relationship. Today's scriptures talk about the key point of this faith - who is Jesus? On the way to the village of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus suddenly asked the disciples two questions of faith: "Who do you say I am?" The disciple's answer was "Someone said it was John the Baptist, and some people said Elijah Others said that he was one of the prophets. "John the Baptist was a prophet sent by God. He came to prepare the way of the Messiah (Mark 1: 2-4). After Herod killed John the Baptist, he regarded Jesus as the resurrected John the Baptist (Mark 6:16). Elijah was a powerful prophet in the Old Testament. He did not see death, and was taken to the sky by the fire horse in the whirlwind (2 Kings 2: 11-12). The last prophetic book of the Old Testament, the Book of Malachi, predicted that Elijah would reappear. "Look! Before the great and awesome day of the Lord, I will send the prophet Elijah to you! He will turn the father's heart to the children, and the children's heart to the father, lest I come to curse the earth." (Mal 4: 5-6) Some people are more vague, and the answer is one of the prophets. In short, the world is in the same circle, that is, Jesus is not Christ (Messiah), he said a prophet who can perform miracles. The world sees Jesus' identity as a prophet, which is the same as Herod's view of Jesus. Jesus suddenly asked his disciples the second question: "Who do you say I am?" Peter responded and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16)" Jesus was very sure of Peter's answer and said, "Simon Bayonah (Peter), you are blessed! Because it is not the flesh that instructs you, but my Father in heaven. (Matthew 16:17)" Jesus emphasized that Peter could admit that Jesus was the Christ sent by God, the Messiah, and the savior. This is not what the flesh and blood can think of, but it is the work of God and the direction of the Spirit of God. Dear brothers and sisters, why did Jesus stop before asking the first question and continue to ask the disciples the second question "Who do you say I am?". Others talk about Jesus and talk about Jesus is not the most critical. Faith for us is for each of us to answer, "For you, who do you think Jesus is?" This answer is about everything we believe in life. David Powlison, professor at the Westminster College of Biblical Counseling in Philadelphia, said: The most basic question that God puts in everyone's heart is: besides Jesus Christ, who else is trusted, attributable, loyal, and ministering , Objects of awe and joy? These problems ... surface the idol system in people's hearts. "Who do you seek for the stability, security, and acceptance of life ... What do you want from life or what do you expect from life? What can make you truly happy? Where do you come from? Seeking competence and success? " If your answer is "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God", that is to say, you have a fundamental change in your life, everything you belong to Jesus Christ. God opened our eyes and made us recognize that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and the Son of God. Through Christ, God has re-established a reconciled relationship with us, making us subject to God and obeying Him. We are created to return to the eternal Creator, and our changeable hearts to the unchanging truth, holy and loving God. Once Christ is truly known, sinners bow down and worship God in humility. Christ humbled himself to the lowest point in order to find the sinners who had fallen the most. It is at that lowest point that sinners can be illuminated by the Spirit of God and the Word of God, seeing Christ deny himself to save the poor and sinful souls in spirit. Therefore, trust in Jesus Christ completely. Those who humble and bury together with Jesus Christ are blessed, because we will also be resurrected with Jesus Christ in order to bear fruit in the vineyard of God. So Jesus asked "Who do you say I am?" Meditation and prayer: What is the biggest test this epidemic has given me? Today Jesus asked me "Who do you say I am?" How did my answer help me experience this epidemic and how does life help me?