CCECYOUTH.COM

By Dave Miers

Who is Jesus?  Who do people think that he was? Everyone has an opinion on Jesus.  Some people think he was a cool dude.  Others think that he is their homeboy.  Some think that Jesus was a great teacher.  Some thought he was a liar.  Others said that he was a lunatic.  While others claimed that he was the Lord of the universe!!

Who do you think Jesus is?  Do you think about him?  If you do—what do you think he is like?

About 2000 years ago there was a biography written about Jesus by a man named Mark.  In the gospel according to Mark you see Jesus ask his close friends this question.

Who do people say I am?

How do they reply?  Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah and still others say one of the prophets.

The whole way up until this point the question on everyone’s lips is: Who is this man?  In chapters 1-8 of Mark we see Jesus do some incredible things.  He teaches with authority.  He heals the sick.  He walks on water.  He feeds 5000 people with only a few bread rolls and a couple of fish.  He calms a storm.  He raises a dead girl back to life!

Everyone is asking the question… who is this guy?  Where did he come from?  How can he do all these things?  By what authority is he doing all these things?  And so that was the question on everyone’s lips—and everyone had an opinion on who Jesus was.  Some loved him.  Others hated him.  While still others just didn’t know what to think.

So Jesus asks his friends the question: Who do people say I am?  The disciples share some of the ideas that are going around.  But then Jesus turns the question straight back onto them.

Have you ever had that feeling in class when you think you know the answer—but you’re just not sure—you being to believe that maybe you don’t really know the answer?

My guess is that at this point the disciples think they know who Jesus is—but they aren’t quite sure—and maybe they’re wrong.

So Jesus asks the question: but what about you… who do YOU say that I am?

Imagine that you were there for a moment—what would YOU say?

What does Peter say?

He says: “You are the Christ”.

The Christ?  The Christ?  Isn’t that just Jesus’ last name?  Jesus Christ the son of Mr and Mrs Christ?

For most people today the word Christ is either Jesus’ last name or a swearword.

But 2000 years ago the nation of Israel were waiting for THE CHRIST to appear.

‘CHRIST’ isn’t Jesus’ last name it’s actually a title that says something about who Jesus is.

The word ‘Christ’ is a Greek word that is translated ‘Messiah’ in Hebrew and ‘Anointed One’ in English.

Throughout Israel’s history they had a bunch of different guys who were types of Christ: Anointed Ones.  They were the Kings of Israel who were anointed to rule the people under God’s authority.

But one of the problems with the Anointed Ones in the Old Testament is that they kept on failing.  They didn’t rule how God wanted them to—and they failed the nation.

God in his kindness made some massive promises in the Old Testament that he would one day send a Christ that would come who would be THE Christ.  This Christ would be different from all the ones before him.  This Christ would come and rule in a way that none of the Kings before him ruled.  This King would come and his rule would be established forever (2 Samuel 7).  This King that was coming would be God himself!

So…

When Peter says to Jesus: YOU ARE THE CHRIST—what is he saying?  He’s saying that you (Jesus) are this King.  Jesus you are the King that we’ve been waiting for.

The first 8 chapters of Mark are all about ‘Who is this man?’  The answer comes in chapter 8.  Who is he?  He is THE CHRIST.  And so from chapter 8 until the end of Mark the big question is: what will it mean for Jesus to be the Christ?  And secondly—what will it mean to follow the Christ?

Straight away Jesus says what it will mean for him to be the Christ.  He explains what type of King he is.

MARK 8:31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Jesus repeats this similar statement in ch 9 and 10 as well.  What type of King will he be?  He is a King that will suffer, be killed and rise again.  That’s why Jesus came.  To do that.  To die for us.  But to conquer death and be raised again.

What did it mean for Jesus to walk on this planet?

For Jesus to do the J-walk—it meant he died a death he didn’t deserve.  It meant he loved us when we were unlovely.  What type of King is Jesus?  He’s a servant King… not a king that came to be served but a King that came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

Immediately after this Jesus explains something of what it will mean to follow him  In the end it’s to be like him.  To suffer and to take up your cross.

MARK 8:34 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

What does it mean for us to follow Jesus?  What is the aim of J-WALK?  To see that following Jesus is about trusting in him and denying ourselves like he denied himself…

Next month: part 2

What do you think it might look like to deny yourself and do the J-WALK?

(Discuss in the comments)