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September 16 Lesson
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An eternal question: Who do you say Jesus is?
___Luke 9:18-27
___18Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"
___19They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."
___20"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."
___21Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
___23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."
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___By Karen and Tim Gilbert
___In the history of humankind, there have been numerous people who have appeared on the scene and troubled the waters of history. They do things in a different manner and cause the crowds around them to ask questions about who they are. Socrates. Confucious. Buddha. Napoleon.
___How do they change history? Are they harbingers of evil? Are they doers of good? Who are they?
___Jesus was such a person who burst on to the first century scene and through his teachings and actions demanded of people a choice about who he was.
___Luke, the author of this gospel, was a physician and companion of Paul. In his gospel, Luke presents Jesus as both Savior of Israel and Savior of all humanity. Luke seems to be writing for a wider Gentile audience. He presents Jesus as the second Adam come to redeem humanity back to its proper relationship to God. Perhaps he has in mind the churches Paul has founded on his missionary journeys.
___Jesus is called by the Spirit of the Lord to "preach Good News to the poor." This gospel is filled with the concern for people with all kinds of needs.
___A note of joy is prominent in the Gospel of Luke, especially in the early chapters announcing Jesus' birth and at the end when he ascends to heaven. Luke also contains material found only in his gospel such as the stories about the songs of the angels, the shepherds' visit at the birth of Jesus, Jesus in the temple as a boy and the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. There is also an emphasis on prayer, the Holy Spirit, the role of women in the ministry of Jesus and God's forgiveness of sins.
___The focal passage in this lesson comes at a crucial time in the ministry of Jesus. His many miracles have drawn the attention of the crowds. His teaching as one having his own authority has drawn the attention of the Jewish leadership. His work has reached a peak of popularity. This has generated among the crowds who are following him many questions about who he is and by whose authority he teaches and acts.
___The passage begins with Jesus alone and praying when the disciples find him. This reflects an important aspect of Jesus' life. He took regular time to be alone with God and pray. This enabled him to know God's will. From this quiet time, his relationship with God constantly deepened. Because of this time with the Father, Jesus could speak as one with authority since Jesus intimately knew God's will.
___Jesus asks his disciples a crucial question, "Who do the crowds say I am?" The disciples give various answers that show the views of the people about him.
___Some said he was John the Baptist returned from the dead. Herod had already beheaded John by this time and many, including Herod, thought Jesus might be a reincarnation of John. Others said he was Elijah who had been predicted by the prophet Malachi (Malachi 4:5-6) to come before the day of the Lord's judgment. Still others said he was one of the other long-ago prophets come back to life.
___It is not mentioned in this passage, but some of the scribes and Pharisees claimed he was a follower of the Lord of Demons and that he cast demons out using that power.
___Then Jesus put the question to the disciples: "What about you? Who do you say that I am?" Peter promptly answered, "You are God's Messiah"; literally, the Christ of God.
___"Messiah" is the Hebrew word for the "Anointed One." Originally it was used to refer to kings who were anointed by prophets such as Samuel anointing David. Anointing also was a symbol in the Old Testament for the presence of the Spirit of God on a person.
___"Christos" is the Greek word for "Anointed One" and is thus a title in Jesus' name, Jesus the Christ.
___In a parallel passage in Matthew (Matthew 16:13-28), Jesus tells Peter that this declaration came to him from God and affirms that this declaration of faith is the rock upon which the church will be built. Jesus says, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." Jesus is making a play on words using Peter's name, which means "rock," and Peter's confession, which is the rock upon which the church is built. Jesus also indicates that in this confession is the power of the church.
___Jesus says to Peter, "I give to you the keys of the kingdom, and whatever you loose on earth I will loose in heaven, and whatever you bind on earth I will bind in heaven." But Jesus is speaking to Peter as the one who has made the confession of faith of the whole church. The power given is power to the whole church because of its belief in Jesus as the Savior of the world.
___It is recorded in all the gospels that Jesus immediately begins to teach the disciples for the first time about his suffering and death. He says the Son of Man must be rejected by the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law and put to death. He also says he will be raised to life three days later. He then follows this with teachings about the cost of discipleship.
___The disciples do not understand what he is saying. They see the Messiah as a king who will rule Israel in a physical sense and put all other nations under his reign. Jesus is saying that the Messiah is a king, but that king is a suffering servant as presented by the prophet Isaiah. His rule will be established by his suffering death on the cross in obedience to God's will.
___Jesus gives the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone about Peter's confession. Why? It could be that Jesus is aware that the crowds do not understand the nature of his messiahship. Peter's confession occurs soon after the feeding of the 5,000. The crowds do not understand this miracle. They want to make Jesus king because they see him as one who provides for their physical needs. This is not Jesus' purpose. The feeding was a sign of the kingdom of God.
___In John's gospel, the feeding is followed by the "Bread of Life" discourse (John 6:25-59), where Jesus presents himself as the bread come from heaven. In that gospel, the crowds stopped following because the words of Jesus were not what they wanted to hear.
___So here in Luke, Jesus probably wants to keep his messiahship out of the public eye because he fears the people will try to make him a king by force. He knows the time has not yet come for the public confrontation that will lead to his death. Later in his ministry when he knows the right time has come, he will openly allow himself to be proclaimed as the Messiah. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of passion week is an example of this later open proclamation.
___This passage demonstrates that confession of Jesus as Messiah will require discipleship that is costly. One cannot merely profess faith in Jesus; one must follow Jesus. After Peter's confession, Jesus talks about his own death and resurrection and says, "If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget himself, take up his cross and follow me." Jesus presents the cost of following him.
___The focal passage ends with an interesting statement. Jesus says some who are present at that time will not die until they have seen the kingdom of God. Some scholars think Jesus was mistaken here and died before he could bring about a physical, earthly kingdom his followers would see.
___But where did the kingdom of God come in its greatest power? It came at the cross and resurrection of Jesus, where the love of God for humankind was demonstrated in its fullness. Among the crowds surrounding Jesus, there were many who lived to see that fulfillment.
___Who is Jesus? This is perhaps the most important question ever asked, and it is the one which God will require all people to answer. C.S. Lewis says Jesus was either who he said he was or a madman. Josh McDowell says this is evidence which demands a verdict.
___Who do you say that Jesus is?
For thought and discussion
___ What is the importance of the fact that Jesus took regular time out of his ministry to talk with God? What does this mean for our lives and ministries?
___ What do you think Jesus meant in Matthew when he said to Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church"? How do our Catholic friends interpret the meaning of this passage? Why is this passage significant to our understanding of the interpretation of biblical passages?
___ What does it mean for Jesus to be the Messiah, a king, but a suffering servant as well? How do you see your following of Jesus as that of a suffering servant? What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Jesus?
___ What does it mean to "profess" faith in Jesus? Is this merely a verbal confession? What more is required, if any?
___ Who do you say Jesus is? Who is he to you? How is he real in your life?
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