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By George W. Sinquefield
(1 Pet 2:1 KJV) "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,"
(1 Pet 2:2 KJV) "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:"
(1 Pet 2:3 KJV) "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
(1 Pet 2:4 KJV) "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,"
(1 Pet 2:5 KJV) "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
(1 Pet 2:6 KJV) "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded."
(1 Pet 2:7 KJV) "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,"
Webster says that "Precious" means "of great price of value; costly; highly esteemed or loved."
The Bible speaks of many things as being precious:
(Mat 21:10 KJV) "And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?"
(Mat 21:11 KJV) "And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."
If we were to ask people in general today who Jesus is, we would, no doubt, get many different answers.
(Mat 16:13 KJV) "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?"
(Mat 16:14 KJV) "And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets."
(Mat 16:15 KJV) "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?"
(Mat 16:16 KJV) "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus wasn't really that concerned about what the masses were thinking about him. Winston Churchill once was congratulated on the size of a crowd that turned out to hear him speak. He said the crowd would be twice as large if he were being hung.
Jesus knew that some in the crowds cheering him would later shout the loudest for his crucifixion. So, he wasn't really all that concerned when he asked, "Who do men say that I am?" However, he was concerned when he turned to his disciples and asked them, "And who do you say that I am?" Jesus' plan for the salvation of the world lay with this small group of men. He was building a team that would carry on after he was gone. The only thing that mattered to Jesus was their opinion. Who did they think he was?
My friends, that's Jesus' main concern today. Who do we think he is? It matters immensely what you and I think. He is counting on us to offer up our lives in service to the Kingdom. He is counting on us to be about the Father's business in our homes and at school and the office and in all our important relationships. What we think about him is of vital importance. It will determine the level of our loyalty and the intensity of our commitment. Who do you say Christ is?
I. Let us ask God, the Father, who Jesus is.
God answers by saying that Jesus is His Son. In Matthew 3:17 at His baptism we hear the Father say:
(Mat 3:17 KJV) "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
On the mount of transfiguration we hear again the Father declaring that Jesus is His Son:
(Mat 17:1 KJV) "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,"
(Mat 17:2 KJV) "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."
(Mat 17:3 KJV) "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him."
(Mat 17:4 KJV) "Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."
(Mat 17:5 KJV) "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."
Many other Scriptures proclaim the same truth -- Jesus is God, the Father's Son:
(John 3:16 KJV) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
(John 3:18 KJV) "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."
(Acts 3:13 KJV) "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go."
(Acts 3:26 KJV) "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."
(Rom 8:3 KJV) "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"
(Rom 8:32 KJV) "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
(Gal 1:16 KJV) "To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:"
(Gal 4:4 KJV) "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"
(1 John 1:7 KJV) "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
(1 John 5:10 KJV) "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."
A pastor took a group of his people on a trip to the Holy Land. They were at the Sea of Galilee and the guide was telling them about the Sea and the surrounding area. He said, "Now you folks are Christians. I will agree with you that Jesus was a very sharp man. He was a great teacher and great philosopher and a very good man, but I do not believe that He is the Son of God."
This pastor said to him, "You know, that is the most foolish statement that a person could make." The guide asked, "Why is that?" The pastor answered, "That Jesus was just a good man but not the Son of God. Did you ever stop to think about what Jesus said, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father," and "I and My Father are one." Did you ever stop to think that Jesus claimed equality with God? He claimed to be the Son of God."
"Now, if He claimed to be the Son of God and He isn't He could not possibly be called a good man because He would be a fraud and a liar if He is not God's Son."
Richard Fuller said, "Since He (Christ) entered humanity, a new power has been at work; a new force, acquiring fresh momentum every year, has been molding human affairs. I behold Him still present, breathing life and love into millions who would die for Him; inspiring His children with courage and strength as if the shout of a king was arousing them, vanquishing His foes, consoling and sustaining His people and slowly but surely regenerating the world. When I see, when I feel all this, I want no more. I have not a doubt. I say with the centurion, "Truly this was the Son of the living God."
Jesus throughout His ministry declared that God was His Father.
(Mat 7:21 KJV) "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
(Mat 16:17 KJV) "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
(Mat 26:39 KJV) "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
(Mat 26:42 KJV) "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done."
(Luke 2:49 KJV) "And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"
(Luke 24:49 KJV) "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
(John 5:17 KJV) "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."
(John 6:32 KJV) "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven."
(John 10:17 KJV) "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again."
(John 10:29 KJV) "My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
(John 14:12 KJV) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
(John 15:1 KJV) "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."
Hear Jesus as He prays as recorded in John, chapter 17:
Verse 1. "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:"II. Who is this? Let Jesus tell us who He is:Verse 5. "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
Verse 11. "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."
Verse 24. "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
Verse 25. "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me."
Time and again Jesus said "I am":
The DoorIII. Who is this? Men who have loved Him, trusted Him and served Him through the years have answered this question.(John 10:7 KJV) "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep."
(John 10:8 KJV) "All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them."
(John 10:9 KJV) "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
The Good Shepherd
(John 10:11 KJV) "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
The Bread Of Life
(John 6:48 KJV) "I am that bread of life."
(John 6:49 KJV) "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead."
(John 6:50 KJV) "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die."
(John 6:51 KJV) "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
The Light Of The World
(John 8:12 KJV) "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
The Way To The Father
(John 14:6 KJV) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
The Vine
(John 15:5 KJV) "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."
Eternal Deity
(John 8:56 KJV) "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
(John 8:57 KJV) "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?"
(John 8:58 KJV) "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
The Resurrection And Life
(John 11:25 KJV) "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"
The Water Of Life
(John 4:10 KJV) "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."
(John 4:11 KJV) "The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?"
(John 4:12 KJV) "Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?"
(John 4:13 KJV) "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:"
(John 4:14 KJV) "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
(Rev 21:6 KJV) "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."
(Rev 22:17 KJV) "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
Charles H. SpurgeonIV. Who is this? Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world is the only perfect person this world has seen or ever will see."Christ is the great central fact in the world's history; to Him everything looks forward or backward."
And again he says:
"Christ is the great central fact in the world's history; All the lines of history converge upon him. All the march of providence is guided by him. All the greatest and most momentous facts which the history of the world records is the fact of his birth."
Dr. Ralph Grant
"Who does not feel like saying, Praise the Lord for Him who conquered death, hell and the grave. In His living He is our example; in His dying He is our redeemer; in His burial He is our scapegoat; in His resurrection He is our justification; in His ascension He is our head, and in His return He is our hope."
Jean Paul Richter
"The life of Christ concerns him, who, being the holiest among the mighty, the mightiest among the holy, lifted with his pierced hands empires from their hinges, and turned the stream of centuries out of its channel and still governs the ages."
Dr. Crannell
"Bring the poorest, vilest, weakest, most shattered, most saddened human life you please and put it entirely in God's hand, really put it there, and He can, he will, transmute it into purer gold than vibrates in any seraph's harp."
Paul
"In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the God head bodily."
Peter
"Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."
Nicodemus
"Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God."
Polycarp
"Eighty and six years have I served Him and He has done me nothing but good."
Tolstoi
"For 35 years of my life I was a man who believed nothing. Five years ago my faith came to me. I believed in Jesus, and my whole life underwent a sudden transformation. Life and death ceased to be evil. Instead of despair I tasted joy and happiness."
Gladstone
"All that I think, all that I hope, all that I write, all that I live for is based on the Divinity of Jesus Christ, the central joy of my poor, wayward life."
J. P. Morgan
"I commit my soul into the hands of my Savior, in full confidence that having redeemed it and washed it in His most precious blood, He will present it faultless before the throne of my Heavenly Father."
Browning
"If a man plucked even a rag from the body of Jesus and wore it in contempt -- despite self, he would look greater and be better."
Goethe
"I esteem the Gospels to be thoroughly genuine, for there shines forth from them the reflected splendor of sublimity, proceeding form the person of Jesus Christ, of so divine a kind as only the divine could ever have manifested upon earth."
Carlyle
"Jesus of Nazareth, our divinest symbol! Higher has human thought not yet reached."
Spurgeon
"Jesus Christ is chiefest among ten thousand, and one altogether lovely."
O De Wette
"This only I know, that there is salvation in no other name, than in the name of Jesus the crucified."
Toplady sings:
Rock of ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee.John the Baptist
"Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world."
Peter
"God hath made this same Jesus both Lord and Christ."
Thomas
"My Lord and My God."
Someone has said
He is a Prepared Sacrifice," "The Fountain of Life," "The Bleeding Lamb," "A Rock in a weary land," "The Bridge over Jordan," "The Lion of the tribe of Judah," "The Way," "The Light," "The Rose of Sharon," "The Lily of the Valley," "The Fairest of Ten Thousand," "The Captain of Salvation," "The Chosen of God," "The Power of God," "Christ, the Wisdom of God," and "The Only Begotten Son of God," "The Prince of Peace."
Alfred Lord Tennyson
One day a friend asked Tennyson, "What do you think of Jesus Christ?" Pausing, the poet pointed to a beautiful flower and said, "What the sun is to this flower, so Jesus Christ is to me."
Pilate
"I find no fault in this just man."
Dr. R. G. Lee
He is heaven's water for earth's thirstDr. Herschel Ford
Heaven's light for earth's despair
Heaven's dress for earth's nakedness
Heaven's gain for earth's loss
Heaven's gladness for earth's grief
Heaven's justification for earth's condemnation
Heaven's salvation for earth's damnation
Heaven's life for earth's death."Jesus Christ is the greatest personality of the Bible and of all the ages. His name as such is not mentioned in the Old Testament, yet every part of the Old Testament points to him in some way. When we think of Moses, the deliverer, we think of Christ who delivered us from sin. When we think of the manna in the wilderness, we remember that Jesus is the Bread from heaven. When we think of the blood of the Passover Lamb, we remember that Jesus is the Lamb of God. When we think of Joshua leading Israel to the Promised Land, we think of Christ leading us to heaven. When we think of Abraham tying Isaac to the sacrificial altar, we remember that Jesus was nailed to the cross. When we think of the rock giving water in the wilderness, we remember Jesus, the Rock of Ages, giving us the Water of Life. Yes, Jesus is the heart of the Old Testament."
Maclaran
"The life blood of Christianity is Christ."
James A. Francis
"I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth, as that ONE SOLITARY LIFE."
Another has said:
"Today, amidst the lapse of centuries and waste of worlds, the Christ of the Bible stands alone, a solitary, unapproachable paragon of purity and love. His life, His words, His spirit, His purpose, His ideals, His conceptions, compassion and conquests prove Him to be the Son of God."
Sidney Lanier
"The Crystal Christ"
Hershel Ford said, "You look around and say, "I'm going to find the ideal man." You pick out a man with the finest qualities and say, "I have found him." Then one day you watch him lose his temper and you say, "He is as weak as I am. I must look higher." But you must look all the way to Jesus to find the ideal man. He is the only perfect man who ever lived."
The Bible declares that Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life.
(Heb 4:15 KJV) "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
(1 Pet 2:22 KJV) "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:"
(1 John 3:5 KJV) "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."
God's Word plainly teaches that there is not a perfect person in this world.
(1 John 1:8 KJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
(1 John 1:9 KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:10 KJV) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
In one of his books Haddon Robinson tells about a series of victory parades planned by General Pershing through many European capitals after World War I. He needed 27,000 soldiers to march in those parades. Each participant was to have two qualities. He was to have an unblemished military record, and second, he was to stand at least one meter, eighty six centimeters tall.
Forty american soldiers, guarding an ammunition dump about one hundred miles from Paris, read with interest the notice about Pershing's victory marches. Each man in the company met the first qualification. The second condition, however, puzzled them. They did not know how high one meter, eithty six centimeters was.
Since nobody in camp knew how tall that was, they began to compare themselves with one another. They stood back to back like children in a kindergarten until they knew the tallest through the shortest men in the company.
Slim, the tallest, figured he had it made. Shorty, on the other hand, knew that if he qualified, everyone else would, too.
When a captain from headquarters arrived to find out if anybody qualified, the soldiers told him their problem, "We don't know how tall one meter, eighty six centimeters is." So he translated the meter and centimeters into feet and inches and made a mark on the mess hall wall.
Some of the men looked at that mark and turned away, knowing they could not measure up to it. Others stood up against the wall, but they fell short of the mark by an inch or more. Finally Slim stretched himself as tall as possible, but he fell one quarter of an inch short. Not one of them came to the six feet, one and one fifth inches that one meter, eighty six centimeters represents.
Not one of us can measure up when we compare ourselves with Jesus.
(Rom 3:23 KJV) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
It is easy, isn't it, to feel good about ourselves and our accomplishments when we use other people as our standard? But what happens when we measure ourselves to Jesus? Do we love as he loved? Are we able to forgive as He forgave? Could we lay down our lives not just for our friends, but even for our enemies? Using Him as our standard, none of us measure up.
During His time on earth, our Lord showed Himself to be humble, loving, patient, forgiving, self-sacrificing, compassionate, submissive, obedient, courageous, and holy. No wonder Paul said he was an imitator of Christ. The Lord is our perfect model.
In his book How To Begin the Christian Life, George Sweeting tells this story. "In an Italian city stands a statue of a Grecian maiden with a beautiful face, a graceful figure, and a nobel expression. One day a poor little peasant girl came face to face with the statue. She stood and stared, and then went home to wash her face and comb her hair. The next day she came again to stand before the statue, and then to return home once more. This time she mended her tattered clothing. Day by day she changed, her form grew more graceful, and her face more refined, till she greatly reflected the famous statue. She was transformed in appearance!" Sweeting commented, "Just so, the spiritual man must each day seek to conform to the perfect image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
V. Who is this? He is the Savior of the World.
Jesus and Jesus alone can save those who are lost in sin and on their way to hell.
(Luke 2:11 KJV) "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
(John 14:6 KJV) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
The news that One had come to redeem a lost world was, indeed, the best news this world has ever heard or ever will hear.
No doubt we have all heard of Brother Bryan of Birmingham, Alabama. He served for more than half a century to all classes of people. He was pastor at large. In his last illness, the people thronged to see him whom they loved. His preacher son, who came home to be with his father, heard him say over and over again, with voice slightly above a whisper; "So many people, so many people." The son thought that the coming of so many people was a weariness to his aged father. He suggested; "Father, we will ask them not to come in. They will understand." To this the aged father replied; "Oh, my son, you don't understand. So many people without Christ."
May I ask you -- Are you one of the many who are without Christ and, therefore, without salvation? Jesus died for you and He longs for you to receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
In the mid 1950's the world was shocked when five missionaries were killed by some Auca Indians in South America. They were trying to reach these primitive people with the gospel. Later, the tribe welcomed into their community the wife of one of the martyred missionaries and the sister of another, and translation work on the New Testament began.
Veteran missionary pilot Bob Griffin tells about the difficulty the translators had putting the word reconciled into the Auca language. They searched for an equivalent but found none. Then one day a translator was traveling through the jungle with some of the Aucas. They came to a narrow, deep ravine, and the missionary thought they could go no farther. The Aucas, however, took out their machetes and cut down a large tree so that it fell over the ravine, permitting them all to cross safely.
The translator, listening intently to the Aucas, discovered that they had a word for "tree across the ravine." This seemed to be the best way to express the meaning of the word reconciled.
The great "ravine" between sinful man and a holy God was bridged by Jesus Christ. He became man, lived a sinless life, and died for us. He reconciled us to God. He is our "tree across the ravine."
(John 3:16 KJV) "For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life."
