WHO IS JESUS? (AUDIO)

King Herod heard about (the work of Jesus) because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, ‘John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.’ But others said, ‘He’s Elijah.’ Still others said, ‘He’s a prophet, lone of the prophets from long ago’ (Mark 6:14,15).

It’s easy for our contemporary culture to look back two thousand years ago and label the ancients as superstitious, or ignorant, or any number of derogatory things. How could they think Jesus was a beheaded wilderness preacher? Or someone that had been dead hundreds of years? Just plain silly, weren’t they?

Yet the words of the people reflected a desire to understand who Jesus was and what he was on about. If they could label him, then they could control him. If he was just a prophet, they could treat him as such – with awe and reverence, yes – but not as the Son of God.

This questioning of Jesus’s identity has never stopped. On the night he was betrayed, Pilate asks the same identifying question: Are you a king? We ask questions of him today, If you are God, can you heal me today?

Certainly, Jesus is a puzzle. This week, we look at the question, “Who is Jesus?” And not only will we seek some clarification, we’ll talk about what it means for us as the Body of Christ moving forward.

Read Mark 6:14-29 and come prepared with questions…

Pr Reid Matthias