Matthew 16:13-18 – Who Is Jesus? – Bible study

Matt 16:13-17 Who Is Jesus? Who is Jesus? I hope that in every service I attempt to answer that question to some extent, but especially this morning I hope to shed some light on it. Who is Jesus? He is portrayed in many different ways and many different lights. Some consider Him to be God. Others consider Him to be a great prophet. Others think He was only a good man. Still others are certain He was a hoax. I do not know that I could persuade anyone to change their mind about who they believe Jesus is, but I do know what I believe about Jesus and more, I know who the Bible proves Jesus to be. I. Jesus is the Son of God A. This was Peters declaration, and he was right. Matt 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. B. What does "Son of God" mean? 1. It does not mean that Jesus was conceived by God and had A beginning. That is what the Mormons believe. 2. The term is a declaration of the incarnation of God. a. Jesus was never a Son until He was born of Mary. (1) Some might mistakenly call Jesus the Son of Joseph. (a) That would be wrong. (b) Jesus was the adoptive Son of Joseph. (2) But Jesus was the Son of Mary and God. Lu 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. b. So when we call Jesus the Son of God, we are making a reference to God being born in the flesh. C. Now, if you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that is your prerogative, but please dont say that the Bible doesnt declare Jesus to be the Son of God, because it does. 1. I grow tired of hearing unsaved theologians and preachers try to make the case that the Bible doesnt mean what it says. 2. The Bible says what it means and means what it says. 3. Listen to what the Bible says concerning Jesus being the Son of God. a. Mark started his gospel by declaring it. Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; b. The demons knew and stated who Jesus is. Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? c. The centurion who was in charge of the crucifixion and saw the supernatural events around it declared Jesus the Son of God. Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. d. Jesus even declared Himself to be the Son of God. John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. D. Not only does the Bible SAY that Jesus is the Son of God, the Bible gives us proof. 1. What is the proof that Jesus is the Son of God? 2. The miracles that Jesus performed. 3. Listen to Jesus own challenge: John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Fathers name, they bear witness of me. John 10:38 though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake. 4. I know that some would say, "But that is just the Bible. You cant trust the Bible." a. But we do not have just the Bible. b. We have history too. A third and fourth-century church historian, Eusebius, in his book The History of the Church From Christ to Constantine, quotes a Quadratus who sent a letter to the emperor in defense of Christianity. Quadratus wrote: "Our Saviors works were always there to see, for they were truethe people who had been cured and those raised from the dead, who had not merely been seen at the moment when they were cured or raised, but were always there to see, not only when the Savior was among us, but for a long time after His departure; in fact some of them survived right up to my own time." 5. Again, believe it or reject it, the choice is yours, but if the Bible is true and Jesus is the Son of God THEN a. Then every word Jesus said is true. b. Then there is a heaven and a hell. c. Then Jesus is the only way to heaven. d. Then you must make a clear cut decision to be saved and back it up with a sold out, God-honoring, radical Christian life. II. Jesus is the Lamb of God A. The term is only used twice in the Bible and both times, the same person used it, John the Baptist. Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Joh 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! B. Some do not understand the difference in some of the titles we attribute to Jesus. 1. If you stop and think about them, they will teach you about Jesus. 2. When we call Jesus the Son of God, we are referring to who He is. Jesus is God in the flesh. 3. When we call Jesus the Lamb of God, we are referring to what He did. Jesus paid for our sins. C. We know that God created man sinless. 1. Man choose to sin. 2. Sin can only be removed by payment. Somebody must pay for it. 3. Payment for sin is eternal death, so if you are going to pay for your sin, you will have to spend eternity separated from God. 4. Hell is the place where God is not so hell is where you will go for all eternity. D. That leaves mankind in one terrible dilemma! 1. The only way he can pay his debt is to perish for eternity! 2. But a sinless person could pay a sinners debitif there was a sinless person. a. Jesus, God, put on fleshbecame the Son of Godso that He could pay that debt for us. b. Jesus is not just the Son of God, but the SINLESS Son of God. E. God taught us the possibility of the sinless dying for the sinful in the Old Testament. 1. In the Old Testament, God would let man offer a sinless animal to temporarily hide his sins. 2. The animal most commonly used was the lamb. F. So listen again to what John the Baptist called Jesus. John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 1. John called Jesus the Lamb of God, that is, the One who was sinless and able to die for us. 2. That is why we refer to Jesus as our Substitute. He was the sinless Son of God who died for our sins. G. This was ALWAYS Jesus intention. John 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. H. What is the proof that Jesus is the one and only Lamb of God? The resurrection! Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with powerby the resurrection from the dead: 1. The component that makes Christianity different from all other religions is not that we claim to have an inspired Bible, miracle-working prophets, or even a Messiah. 2. The single component that makes Christianity unique is that we have an empty tomb! III. Jesus is the High Priest Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. A. Our culture is not familiar with a high priest. 1. In general, the high priest stood between the sinner and God with two tasks. a. The high priest taught man about God and how to approach Him. b. The high priest interceded for the sinner and seeks his forgiveness. 2. In the Old Testament, the priests would slay the animals and then apply the blood to the altar, thus temporarily hiding the sinners sins. 3. Jesus did it better: B. Jesus took His own blood into the heavenly temple and applied it to the eternal altar. Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 1. This gained "eternal redemption" for us. 2. No other sacrifice will ever need to be offered. 3. Jesus blood is more than sufficient for every persons salvation and every persons sin. 4. That is why we are eternally saved. 5. If we could get lost again, no other sacrifice would be available to us. Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 6. And after Jesus, our High Priest, offered His own blood, there was nothing else for him to do as the High Priest so Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. C. What is the proof that Jesus is our High Priest? No more guilt. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 1. One who has meet Jesus as the High Priest has nothing for which to be guilty. 2. Our sins are gone. John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Romans 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.