SERMON: BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 16:13-15 [read Matthew 16:13-15]

 

Matthew 16:13-15 (NIV)

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

 

            -- I heard a story about this little boy who was in a family member's wedding -- as the wedding procession made its way down the aisle, the little boy would take two steps -- and then he’d stop and turn to face the crowd -- while facing the crowd, he would put his hands up like claws and roar -- then he'd take two more steps, face the other side, and do the same thing

            -- so he did this the whole way to altar -- two steps -- stop -- and roar -- by the time he got to the altar with the rest of the wedding party, the entire church was rolling in laughter and the little boy got upset and started crying -- his mother came and got him and took him back to her seat -- she said, "What were you doing?" -- he said, "They told me I was supposed to be the ring bear”

 

            -- it's a funny story -- but if you think about it, the behavior of the little boy as he made his down the aisle was kind of like a game of charades -- it was almost like the little boy was asking the crowd the question, "Who am I?" -- but no one could figure it out -- and his mother had to ask him to find out who he was

            -- this question -- "Who am I?" -- is the most important question that has ever been asked -- over two thousand years ago, Jesus asked this question to His disciples -- and He continues to ask it of us today -- and just like the little boy who was the ring bear, a lot of people don’t know the answer to this question

            -- but this is the question that we must answer, and answer right -- because the answer to this question has real and eternal implications

 

            -- this week marks the start of the season of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday on March 5th this year

-- Lent -- also known as the Lenten Season -- is a 40-day liturgical season of penitence, reflection, prayer and worship -- The season of Lent is not in the Bible -- It was started in the early days of the church as a period of remembrance of Christ and preparation for baptism and the celebration of Easter

-- during this season, new converts would be instructed in the faith -- they would undergo catechism and receive intensive lessons on who Christ was, what it meant to follow Christ, and on the ultimate sacrifice that He made for us on the cross of Calvary.

            -- For those who were already Christians, Lent was a time of reflection on their lives and their Christian walks in preparation for the rededication of their lives to Christ on Easter morning -- typically, this would be a time of fasting and prayer for the believers

            -- for us today, Lent is a time when we reflect on our mortality, our sinfulness, and our need for the Savior who suffered and died so that we might be forgiven of our sins and gain eternal life with Him -- and it’s a time for us to consider the question that Jesus asked -- “Who Am I?” -- and to reflect on our answer to that question

            -- so, for the next seven weeks -- up through Easter morning -- we are going to be looking at a series of messages to help us answer Jesus’ question, “Who Am I?”, by looking at the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus from the Book of John

            -- to get us started, I wanted us to look at the passage from the Book of Matthew where Jesus originally asked this question of His disciples

 

II.  Who Am I? -- turn in Bible to Matthew 16:13-15

            -- so, please look back with me at Matthew 16:13-14 [read Matthew 16:13-14]

 

Matthew 16:13-14 (NIV)

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

 

            -- as this passage opens, we see Jesus and His disciples traveling and ministering through the regions of Galilee and Judea -- Jesus had been attracting a lot of people who were really just coming for the entertainment of it all -- for the novelty

-- they gathered to hear Him preach and followed Him in hopes of seeing Him do a miracle -- and during this period of His ministry, Jesus was doing both -- just before this passage opens up, Jesus had miraculously fed the crowds for the second time, feeding over 4000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish after teaching them all day

-- so, seeing the crowds and knowing their hearts, Jesus asked the question of His disciples, "Why? -- Why are these people following Me? -- Who do they say I am?"

            -- His disciples told Him that some said He was John the Baptist -- others said He was Elijah -- some that He was Jeremiah or another prophet -- none of them saw Him for who He truly was

 

            -- do you know what this tells me? -- the people in Jesus' day answered the question of who Jesus was based on their perception of Jesus -- on how He looked to them -- on how He engaged with them -- on what others told them about Him

            -- some saw Him change the water to wine, and called Him “magician” -- others watched as He healed the sick, and called Him “physician” -- some remembered Him working in His father's shop, and called Him “carpenter” -- others heard His teaching, and called Him, “Rabbi” -- but it was very few that called Him, “Master”

            -- many would not look at Jesus objectively, but chose to answer the question based on their own biases and preconceived notions -- Jesus' brothers saw Him as a lunatic -- the priests saw Him as a threat -- the Pharisees called Him unrighteous, because He didn't follow their religious rules -- the Sadducees saw Him as a heretic, because of His teachings on the resurrection

            -- everyone had an opinion about Jesus and who He was -- and they still do

            -- if you were to stop ten random people around town today and ask them, “Who is Jesus?” -- you’ll still get a variety of answers

            -- but the answer to the question, "Who do people say I am?" really isn't what is important -- the important question is in the next verse

 

            -- verse 15

 

Matthew 16:15 (NIV)

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

 

            -- "BUT what about you?  Who do you say I am?"

            -- It really doesn't matter what others say or think about Jesus -- it doesn't matter what some TV show or article you read on the internet this week tells you about Jesus -- it doesn't even matter what a church or preacher or even your own family tells you about Him

            -- what matters is your answer to this question

            -- "But, what about you?  Who do you say I am?" -- You know what the others say about Me, but what about you? Who am I to you?"

 

            -- this is a question that every one of us here is going to have to answer at some point in our lives -- if not on earth, then in eternity -- and our answer will have eternal implications

 

            -- as we begin this series on knowing Jesus based on who He tells us He is in His “I Am” statements, I want us to look at two men who were forced to answer the question, “But who do you say I am?,” during Holy Week -- and as we look at their stories, think about how you would have answered if you had been in their place

           

III.  Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet -- John 13:1-10

            -- turn over to John Chapter 13, and while you're doing that, let me give you the context of this passage

            -- This passage tells us about the events that occurred on Thursday night of Holy Week -- the night before the Passover -- this is the day we call Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday -- the term "Maundy" comes from the Latin "Dies Mandati" -- the day of the Commandment -- which refers to Jesus' command for His disciples to love one another

            -- this was the night when Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples in the upper room and then was betrayed into the hands of the chief priests in the Garden of Gethsemane

 

-- look at verse 1-5 [read John 13:1-5]

 

John 13:1-5 (NIV)

1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.

3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

 

-- As we look at this passage in detail, don't forget the question that will be asked and that must be answered this night in the upper room -- "But, who do you say I am?"

-- the first thing we see is that Jesus knew the answer to that question -- He knew who He was -- in verse 1 we read, "Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father" and over in verse 3, it says, "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God."

-- Jesus knew who He was, but what about the disciples? -- at this point, they had been with Him for three years -- they had seen all the miracles -- they had seen Him heal the sick -- cast demons out of the possessed -- and walk on water across the Sea of Galilee -- they had heard His teaching -- they had seen His power -- they had heard what others thought of Jesus -- but had they come to know who Jesus really was for themselves?

 

-- that night in the upper room, Jesus is serving as the host of the supper, an important position.  But as the meal progresses, He gets up, takes off His outer clothes, wraps a towel around His waist and begins to wash the disciples’ feet

-- You need to understand the significance of this and what it meant in Jesus' day for someone to wash another's feet

-- In that time, open sandals were the most common footwear, and it was customary for guests to leave their sandals at the door when they entered a house, because their sandals and feet would have been extremely dirty with dust from the road -- it was considered impolite to come into another's house with dirty feet

-- therefore, it was customary for guests to have their feet washed by the lowest servant or slave in the house -- any servant who was assigned the dirty job of washing a guest's feet was automatically considered the one who doesn't count, the unimportant, expendable slave.

-- the disciples had entered the upper room with the idea that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised earthly king who was going to run the Romans out of Israel and establish His kingdom in Jerusalem -- in fact, they had been quarreling among themselves over who would be the greatest in His kingdom -- they still did not fully understand who Jesus was even though they had been with Him for three years

-- and now they watched in horror as the man they thought was the Messiah -- the man they thought was going to be their king -- got up and began washing their feet

-- they’re confused -- they don’t understand -- even Simon Peter, who once declared Jesus to be the Son of God, doesn’t know what is going on or why Jesus would be doing this -- and so, he sits there, watching, as Jesus works His way around the room, getting ever closer. 

-- Finally, Jesus makes it over to Him.  Peter looks down at His Messiah, acting not like a king but a servant, and reaching for his feet to wash them -- and at that moment, he has to make a decision about who Jesus is

 

-- That is why Peter responds as he does in verse 6

 

John 13:6 (NIV)

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

 

-- It's not possible for us to relate the emotions involved in this verse in English like in the original Greek.  But the closest we can come would be for Peter to say, "You?  You, Lord?  You are going to wash my feet?"

-- Peter can't believe what is going on.  How can Jesus be acting this way? -- Then Jesus responds

 

-- verse 7 

 

John 13:7 (NIV)

7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

 

-- What is going on here?  What is the real issue?  Jesus knows His time is short.  He knows He is about to be poured out as a sin offering for all, so by becoming the lowest, by becoming the servant and washing the disciple's feet, He is forcing them to hear and answer the question that still rings today, "BUT, who do you say I am?"

 

-- verse 8a

 

John 13:8a (NIV)

⁸ "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

 

-- Peter affirms what he has said before.  "NO, you are God.  You are the Messiah.  You will never wash my feet.  You cannot stoop so low."

-- Peter has made his decision.  He has answered the question already -- when Jesus first asked that question of His disciples, it was Peter who answered, "You are the Christ -- the Son of the living God"

-- many people say that to Jesus today -- but do they mean it? -- do they believe it? -- do they live it?

 

-- look back at the second part of verse 8b-10

 

John 13:8b-10 (NIV)

8b. Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."

 

-- Do you see?  When Jesus grabbed the basin and towel, He forced the question to be asked and answered -- it was the answer from Peter that made him clean -- it wasn't the water 

-- The answer from Peter that Jesus was the Lord -- that Jesus was the Christ -- cleansed him from head to foot as if he had taken a bath.  The question was asked and answered, and Peter's answer resulted in salvation.

-- Now let's look at another example where water was involved in the decision.

 

IV.  Pilate Washes His Hands 

            -- Turn over to John Chapter 18

            -- while you're doing that, let me give you the context once again -- this passage takes place on the day after the Last Supper -- early Friday morning.

            -- by this time, Jesus has been arrested by the temple guards and all the disciples have fled -- including Peter, who, despite correctly answering the question, “Who do you say I am?” ended up denying knowing Jesus three times that night

-- for the rest of that night, Jesus was questioned by Caiaphas and Annas and the other temple priests

            -- as this passage opens, it is now early morning, and the Jews are taking Jesus to Pontius Pilate for judgment and punishment

 

            -- look at verse 28-32

 

John 18:28-32 (NIV)

28 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"

30 "If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."

31 Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.

32 This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

 

            -- All night the Jews had questioned Jesus -- they had asked Him repeatedly, "Who are you?" and waited for Him to answer. 

            -- but as He stood there and endured their questions and their persecutions, the question that Jesus first asked His disciples filled the room and their hearts -- “You have heard my teaching -- you have seen my miracles -- you have seen Me in the holy scriptures -- I have done all I can to show you who I am -- now answer this: Who do you say I am?”

            -- the answer was obvious, but their hardened hearts and their bondage to tradition and the law would not let them answer as they should -- instead of answering as Peter, they responded to the question, “Who do you say I am?” by saying, “Blasphemer -- Heretic -- Sinner” -- they say Jesus as someone who should be executed -- so, they hauled him off to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, to be tried before the Roman court

            -- and that question followed Jesus to Pilate's front door -- "But who do you say I am?"

            -- Pilate tried to avoid the question -- in verse 31 he tried to hand him back over to the Jews, but they persisted, so Pilate ordered Jesus to appear before him

            -- the lesson from this is that you can't avoid the question -- everyone has to answer it for themselves

 

            -- verse 33. 

 

John 18:33 (NIV)

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

 

            -- Pilate asks the same question that the Jews had been asking Jesus all night.  The same question that the disciples had asked each day they were with Him.  The same question that the people asked when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday.  "Are you the king of the Jews?" -- a reasonable question in light of the charges against Him

            -- but see how Jesus answered. 

 

            -- verse 34

 

John 18:34 (NIV)

34 "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"

 

            -- Pay attention to what Jesus did in response to Pilate’s question -- how He answered Pilate's question with another, more important question.  Pilate knew about Jesus.  He had to have known about Him. 

-- Here was a man who was worshipped by the multitude just 5 days before when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  Here was a man who attracted so many people that he caused a disturbance when he entered the city and when he walked around. 

-- Here was the man who had caused a disturbance in the temple by overturning the money changer's table and turning loose the sacrificial animals

-- Here was a man who attracted more attention in Jerusalem than Pilate himself.

           

-- The Romans ruled Jerusalem.  They kept peace there.  Surely, if someone was causing a problem or creating a disturbance, the Romans would know about it and would keep tabs on them.  The Romans were worried about rebellion and insurrection, and they would have kept an eye out for anyone who might cause a problem.  In fact, they had arrested Barabbas for that very reason -- because he was popular with the people and was inciting them to rebellion.  Surely, they would have paid attention to one like Jesus who attracted crowds wherever He went.

            -- Pilate may not have ever seen Jesus personally, but he must have known about him.  In fact, we see in Matthew's gospel that Pilate's own wife went to him and told him not to have anything to do with Jesus.  Pilate's whole household had heard of this man who the people claimed was the king of the Jews, the son of God.

            -- That is why Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews.  When he saw the Jews coming with Jesus in their possession, he knew that this was why Jesus was arrested. 

-- And so, he asks Jesus if he was the king of the Jews.  And Jesus responds by asking Pilate back, "Is this your own idea or was it what you heard from others?"

            -- Once again Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter.  Pilate had heard the testimony of the witnesses.   He himself had either observed Jesus directly or had others do so and report to him.  He knew what others thought.  He knew who Jesus claimed to be. 

            -- So, Jesus turns the question back on Pilate and says, "You've heard what others say.  You've heard what I say.  Now, what do you say?  Who do you say I am?"

 

            -- verse 35

 

John 18:35 (NIV)

35 "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" John 18:35 (NIV)

 

-- Once again, we see Pilate trying to get out of answering the question -- "I'm not a Jew," he says.  "I don't have to answer your question."  -- Pilate does everything he can to avoid answering Jesus directly.

 

            -- verse 36-38a

 

John 18:36-38a (NIV)

36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked.

 

            -- Now we can see the true conflict in Pilate.  He wants to believe.  The answer is written on his heart.  It is written on all our hearts. 

            -- Even before we heard about Jesus, we knew the truth about God.  That is why God says in Romans 1 -- "what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

            -- We have no excuse.  We know the truth.  Pilate knows the truth in his heart, but his head and his position won't let him answer the question that Jesus asks. 

             -- So, he avoids answering the question by responding, "What is truth?"  -- This is a man who wants to do the right thing, but doesn't want to commit -- However, non-commitment is not an option.

 

            -- verse 38b-40

 

John 18:38b-40 (NIV)

38b. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.

39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"

40 They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.  

 

            -- Pilate tries once more to pass the buck -- to get out of answering the question.  He offers Jesus back to the Jews, but they refuse.  They have made their decision.  They have answered the question -- now Pilate must answer it for himself

 

            -- Please turn over now to Matthew Chapter 27 and let's finish Pilate's story up there.

            -- Matthew 27, verse 24. 

 

Matthew 27:24 (NIV)

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"

 

            -- The Jews tried to force Pilate to make a decision -- to answer the question that Jesus had asked, "But, who do you say I am?" -- but Pilate wouldn’t do it

            -- rather than answering directly, Pilate tried to release Jesus time and time again, but the Jews disagreed -- finally in desperation, Pilate takes a basin of water and washes his hands and says, "I am innocent of this man's blood." 

            -- Pilate thinks that by doing this act, by washing his hands, that he can relieve himself of responsibility, that he can avoid having to answer the question.  Pilate thinks that he can just be neutral and take neither side.  But he can't -- anymore than we can.

            -- Jesus said that those who are not for him are against him -- Either you are for Jesus or you are against Jesus.  You cannot be neutral on an issue like this.  You cannot be apathetic on an issue like this. 

            -- Either you choose to be for Jesus or you choose to be against Him.  Either you name Him as your Lord and Savior, as the Son of God, or you deny His deity.  There is no other choice.

            -- And so, Pilate ultimately answered the question when he did not proclaim Jesus as the King of the Jews and let Him go, but instead tried to wash his hands of the issue.

 

V.  Closing

            -- This morning, we have looked at the stories of two men -- each who were faced with a question that neither wanted to answer. 

            -- Both stories had a common theme -- Both men faced a similar dilemma -- Both men were asked by Jesus -- a carpenter from Nazareth -- a teacher -- a healer -- a miracle worker -- the same question, "Who do YOU say I am?" 

            -- And in both cases, water was there -- in both cases, water represented the path that each man chose to take -- water that represented the answer that each man made.

 

            -- The Bible tells us that there is a river that runs from the throne of grace -- it is this river -- it was this water -- that intercepted the lives of Peter and Pilate that week so many years ago. 

            -- On this river there is a fork -- representing different paths to take -- representing the two answers to the question that Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?"

            -- Peter took the right fork and continued down the river of cleansing provided by the Holy Spirit, washed clean and born anew when he accepted Jesus as the Christ, as His Lord and Savior.  Peter took the fork that led to God.

            -- Pilate took the wrong fork, he tried to wash his hands of Christ, and ended up traveling down the river of despair, drifting further and further away from God.

 

            -- Like Peter and Pilate, we are all traveling on this river.  The current is sweeping us along and we are coming to a fork and we must make a decision.  We must make a choice.  We must pick a side.  We must answer the question from Jesus, "Who do you say I am?"

            -- A choice is demanded -- we have to pick our direction

            -- We can do what we want with Jesus.  We can study His life.  We can study His theology.  We can reflect on the prophecies about Him.  We can hear what others say about Him. 

            -- But the one thing we can't do is to walk away in neutrality.  The one thing we can't do is to refuse to make a decision.  No fence-sitting is permitted.  That is one luxury that God doesn't permit.

            -- Either we allow Jesus to wash our feet and make our body and souls and spirits clean -- or we wash our hands of Him -- Either we side with Peter or we side with Pilate -- Either we believe Jesus is the Son of God or we don't.

 

            -- Jesus is here right now and he's asking you a question..."Who do you say I am?"  How will you answer?

 

            -- Let us pray.