MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER PP# 397 RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(Powerpoints used in this message are available at no charge. Just email m ar mnewland@sstelco.com and request #397.)
SCRIPTURES: Matt. 6:33, 11:28, 16:15-16, 20:28; Luke 11:9; John 1:41, 10:10-11, 14:1-3, 20:30-31; Acts 10:38-39; Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 3:20
When you hear the words, ”Jesus Christ" do you realize that “Christ” is the English form of the Greek “Christos” that itself is a translation of the Hebrew word which in English is pronounced “Messiah”?
Both Christ & Messiah mean “the Anointed One,” or ‘the Chosen One.” And whenever Jews talked about Messiah, the one that God had promised to send, they always said “The” Messiah.
For example, when Jesus asked His disciples, “What about you? Who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah (the Christ). You are the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:15-16)
Most of you here have heard & said those same words again & again. We often call it the “Good Confession.” “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
So if Christ is not His last name, what is it? It is a descriptive title & it tells us WHO Jesus is. And for us to understand what that means is very important because it can make a lot of difference in our lives.
I. THREE TYPES OF PEOPLE WERE ANOINTED
In Old Testament times, prophets, priests, & kings were anointed by oil when they were set apart for these positions of responsibility. The anointing was a sign that God had chosen them for the work He had given them to do.
When Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, met Jesus, the first thing he did was to find his brother, Simon Peter, & tell him about his exciting discovery. He told his brother, “’We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought Peter to Jesus” (John 1:41).
What did Andrew mean when he said, “We have found the Messiah?” When Jesus came to earth to live with us & be our Savior, the Jewish people were looking for God to send the Messiah - the anointed, chosen one.
II. THEY MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT THE MESSIAH WOULD DO
Unfortunately, the Jewish people & their leaders misunderstood what the Messiah would do. They had read the Old Testament prophecies (Isaiah 42:1; 61:1-3; Psalm 16, 22, Daniel 9, etc.) that promised God would send a deliverer to save His people.
They read the prophecies of how the Messiah would overcome God’s enemies - & they understood this to mean that he would deliver them from their Roman masters. They expected him to set up a kingdom on earth - a kingdom in which they would be the rulers, not the ruled.
They overlooked the Messiah’s spiritual role as a deliverer from sin and Satan. They didn’t understand that His kingdom was spiritual, not political.
As a result, few of them were prepared to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah. He didn’t fit their ideas of what the Messiah would do.
III. SOME DID RECOGNIZE JESUS AS THE MESSIAH
Some, however, saw beneath the surface & recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah – God’s anointed, chosen one to save them from their sin. It became their purpose to share this wonderful news with others. As he closed his Gospel, the apostle John summarized the message he had been trying to get across.
He wrote, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God, & that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31)
The Gospels repeatedly declare that Jesus is the Messiah – the One chosen by God & anointed by Him to save His people from their sins (Matthew 16:16; Luke 4:17-212; John 1:40-49; 4:25-26).
After Jesus’ resurrection, the apostle Peter proclaimed “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did” (Acts 10:38-39).
Jesus Himself claimed to be the promised Messiah. When He talked with a woman at a well in Samaria, she said, “‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He’“
IV. WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
But what about today? What do people expect the promised Messiah, Jesus, to be?
ILL. Kevin DeYoung, in his Restless and Reformed blog, describes what people say about Jesus today.
"There's the Conservative Jesus - who is against tax increases & activist judges, for family values & owning firearms.
“There's the Liberal Jesus - who is against Wall Street & Wal-Mart, & for reducing our carbon footprint & for printing more money.
“There's the Therapist Jesus - who helps us cope with life’s problems, heals our past, tells us how valuable we are & not to be so hard on ourselves.
"There's the Open-minded Jesus - who loves everyone all the time no matter what (except for people who are not as open-minded as they are).
"There's the Martyr Jesus - a good man who died a cruel death so we can feel sorry for him.
"There's the Gentle Jesus - who was meek & mild, with flowing hair, & walks around barefoot.
"There's the Hippie Jesus - who teaches everyone to give peace a chance, & helps us remember that ‘all you need is love.’
"There's the Revolutionary Jesus - who teaches us to rebel against the status quo, stick it to the man, & blame things on 'the system.'
"There's the Guru Jesus - a wise, inspirational teacher who believes in you & helps you find your center.
"There's the Good Example Jesus - who shows you how to help people, change the planet, & become a better you.
"And then," DeYoung says, "there’s Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. This Christ is not a reflection of the current mood or the projection of our own desires. He is our Lord & God. He is the Father’s Son, Savior of the world, & substitute for our sins – more loving, more holy, & more wonderfully terrifying than we ever thought possible."
(Adapted from “Who Do You Say That I Am?” Kevin DeYoung, Restless and Reformed blog, posted 6-10-09.)
Philippians 2:9-11 NIrV says “So God lifted him up to the highest place. God gave him the name that is above every name. When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone will kneel down to worship him. Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And God the Father will receive the glory.”
Sooner or later, every knee will bow to Jesus Christ. But right now, there are many who reject that idea - who rebel at the idea that Jesus Christ deserves that kind of honor.
ILL. Charles Colson was one of the men involved in the Watergate scandal. And he went to prison for that. But while in prison, he decided he didn’t want to be that kind of man anymore.
He turned his life over to Jesus & began a prison ministry, & would often speak about his faith in news interviews. But the reporters weren’t buying it. He said he would deliberately explain that he had “accepted Jesus Christ” but those words were invariably changed to, “Colson’s professed religious experience.”
He also “discovered that one major U.S. daily newspaper, as a matter of policy, would not print the two words ‘Jesus Christ’ together. When combined, the newspaper editor said, it represents an editorial judgment.” (“Kingdoms in Conflict”)
Isn’t that interesting? That editor realized that when you said “Jesus Christ” you were saying that Jesus had the authority to be Lord. But because they rejected Jesus as Lord, they refused to put those 2 words together in a sentence.
But that doesn’t matter - because one day, every editor & every reporter, & every politician, & every person will bow & confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And at the end of time, they’ll wish they’d done it sooner.
I began this message by saying that I often ask you to say, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” But I have come to the conclusion that it would be even better if we would change that to “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, & I accept him as my Savior & my Lord.”
So what does it mean, that Jesus is MY Lord? Principally, it means I intend to do things His way. If Jesus Is Your Lord it means you’ve surrendered your life To Him; that you intend to seek ways to serve Him; that you will talk about Him because you love Him; that you will avoid embarrassing Him with your words, your actions, & your attitudes; & that you will try to love others… including your enemies.
Now, you could probably come up with a few extra items to add to that list - ways you would expect a Christian to honor & obey their Lord. But the fact that Jesus IS our Lord goes beyond what WE should do for Him. It goes to the heart of what HE has offered us.
Jesus said, “The Son of Man came NOT to be served but to serve, & to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) In other words, a good Lord protects & provides for his people. That’s why Jesus said things like this:
“Come to me, all who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) “Seek first the kingdom of God, & his righteousness; & all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
“Ask, & it will be given to you; seek, & you will find; knock, & it will be opened to you,” (Luke 11:9) “I came that they may have life & have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11)
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. … And if I go & prepare a place for you, I will come again & will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
Jesus came to do all that for you & me. But there is a catch. In order to receive those blessings, you have to become a part of His family.
You have to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
You have to repent of your sins (surrender yourself to Him) so Jesus blood can cleanse you.
You have to proclaim (confess) that from now on He will be your Lord.
And you have to follow his example & command by being baptized into Christ.
ILL. A nurse in the Pediatric (Children’s) Ward, before listening to a little child’s heartbeat, would plug her stethoscope into their ears & let them listen to their own heartbeat. Their eyes would always light up with awe, but she never got a response to equal 4-year old David's comment.
She tucked the stethoscope gently into his ears & placed the disk over his heart. "Listen," she said, "What do you suppose that is?"
He drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line & looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap-tap-tapping deep in his chest. Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin, & he asked, "Is that Jesus knocking?" (Contributed by Kent Kessler to Sermon Central)
In Rev. 3:20 Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in. I will eat with that person, and they will eat with me.”
Is Jesus knocking on your heart’s door today? Then come & invite Him in as your Savior & Lord!
INVITATION
(The basic theme of this message was inspired by an excellent sermon by Jeff Strite which he contributed to Sermon Central.)
