Sermon Central
-
The Incognito Jesus
Contributed by John Gaston on Nov 27, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: Frequently Jesus asked people He healed or those who received revelations about Him to keep it quiet and not tell what they knew. At other times His very appearance was altered to disguise His identity. Why did He choose to be incognito?
THE INCOGNITO CHRIST
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: WHEN FULL OF BALOGNE
1. A fly was buzzing along one morning when he saw a lawn mower someone had left out in their front yard. He flew over and sat on the handle, watching the children going down the sidewalk on their way to school.
2. One little boy tripped on a crack and fell, spilling his lunch on the sidewalk. He picked himself up, put his lunch back in the bag and went on. But he missed a piece of baloney.
3. The fly had not eaten; he sure was hungry. So he flew down and started eating the bologna. In fact he ate so much that he could not fly, so he waddled across the sidewalk, across the lawn, up the wheel of the lawn mower, up the handle, and sat there resting and watching the children.
4. There was still some baloney laying there on the sidewalk. He was really stuffed, but that baloney sure did look good.
5. Finally temptation got the best of him and he jumped off the handle of the lawn mower to fly over to the baloney. But alas he was too full to fly and fell straight to the ground... splat!
6. The moral of this story is simple... don’t fly off the handle when you are full of baloney
B. TEXT
“And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, ‘Sir, we would see Jesus.’”
C. THESIS
1. Incognito – (define): “having one’s identity concealed, especially to avoid notice or formal attentions.
2. Why do people go incognito? Because they’re famous and want the freedom to mix with people. Let’s look at the Incognito Jesus!
I. A HIDING GOD/ SAVIOR?
A. STATEMENT ABOUT GOD
“Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Savior of Israel” Isa. 45:15. (This was said by the guy who SAW the Lord high and lifted up….! Quite the opposite, I see God in the Garden calling for man, and MAN hiding!)
B. CHRIST: INCOGNITO IN HIS BIRTH, COMING
1. TO THE WORLD: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him” John 1:10.
2. TO RULERS & JERUSALEM: “The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath” Acts 13:27.
C. INCOGNITO SO HE COULD DISCIPLE
“Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples” Mk. 9:30-31.
D. INCOGNITO WHEN HEALING PEOPLE
1. Healed lepers. “Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them” Matt. 8:4; Mk. 1:44; Lk. 5:14.
2. “Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was” Mt. 12:15-16.
3. “Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it” Mk. 7:36.
4. “Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened” Lk. 8:56. (Jairus’ daughter).
E. INCOGNITO ABOUT BEING THE CHRIST
1. “Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ” Mt. 16:20; Lk. 9:21. (He confessed He was Christ, but then wasn’t the time to reveal it, or they wouldn’t believe Him – Lk. 22:67, Jn. 10:24-25).
2. “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead” Mt.17:9; Mk. 9:9.
3. “Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was” Mk. 3:11-12.
F. INCOGNITO AFTER HIS RESURRECTION
1. 2 DISCIPLES AT EMMAUS: “14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him” Lk. 24:14-16. (31,35)
2. MARY MAGDALENE: “At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus” Jn. 20:14.
3. 5 DISCIPLES ON SEA OF GALILEE: “Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus” Jn. 21:4.
QUESTION: IS GOD TRYING TO HIDE HIMSELF? ANSWER: NO!
II. TRUTH: GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF
A. GENERAL REVELATION
1. First, according to Psalm 19:1-6, Acts 14:17, Romans 1:18-20, etc., God placed in the created order sufficient evidence of Himself that those who do not recognize Him are “without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).
