The Identity of Jesus

Who is Jesus?  How can we relate to him?  Is he “just another human?”  Is he “a perfect and unapproachable God?” Is he our Shepherd that tells us what to do?  Is he a “Master exemplar” to provide an example of how to live?  Jesus invites us to identify with Him, but how do we “relate” to Jesus?!

No one can examine the life and work of Jesus without coming to a conclusion regarding His identity. Everything Jesus said and did points to His divinity, His mission, and His role as God’s Messiah. If a person chooses to ignore this and conclude Jesus was just a man, their conclusion stops there.  But Jesus is so much more.  Here we look at what Luke has to say in Luke 9:18-26.

The opening verses of Luke 9 record Jesus sending out the Twelve to preach and heal. Crowds followed Jesus and His disciples to Bethsaida (near where the Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee in the north). Here Jesus taught and healed, then fed five thousand men, in addition to thousands of women and children, with two fish and five pieces of bread. Mark said Jesus then sent His disciples and the crowd away.  Jesus and his disciples were in a time of prayer and meditation.  Luke tells us that Jesus asked his disciples a simple, but profound question.  

Luke 9:18-19

18 While he was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them,“Who do the crowds say that I am? ”19 They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.”

Jesus prayed often; at least twenty-five distinct times of Jesus praying are recorded in our four Gospel accounts.  If we are to follow Jesus’s model, we will pray with others, and for others, on many different occasions, as well as our praying alone. God, through the apostle Paul, commanded us to be in a state of prayer at all times: “pray constantly”, or “without ceasing.”

Luke did not specify how closely the disciples and Jesus were in this situation, but while Jesus prayed they were close enough for him to ask them a question. As any good “master teacher” does he asked them a question to which he already knew the answer.  He was not asking for information that he didn’t know. Rather, He was asking what His disciples had heard the crowds say about His identity. We could paraphrase it as “what does the world think of me?”

This was a teaching moment to distinguish what the world thinks and what God says. The crowds were looking for a Messiah—but a kind of Messiah that the world expected. They were looking for a political/military leader or ruler like King David, who would overthrow the Romans, and someone who would do miracles and feed them as under Moses’s leadership. In our vernacular he would be “the most popular president”, Superman, and a magician all in one, who, could do no wrong.  We are in an election year and it is easy to see the world is still looking for such a one to follow.  One who will solve “all our problems.”  “If only we had a popular, Superman who was a magician, who was all wise, benevolent, could do no wrong, and would solve ALL of our problems, life would be grand.”  God does provide such, if we just pay attention to God.  So let’s see what Luke says that the people of his day were saying.

The disciples first told Jesus that the crowds thought He might be John the Baptist raised from the dead. Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, had married Herodias, the wife of his brother, Herod Phillip who ruled east of the Sea of Galilee.  John the Baptist had proclaimed Herod Antipas’s marriage to Herodias illegitimate. Like any “good” worldly political tyrant Herod Antipas had John imprisoned, and then had John’s head cut off at the request of Herodias and her daughter, Salome. Worldly politics and worldly political families do NOT like a reality that is not of their own making.  After John’s death, Herod Antipas continued to fear John the Baptist and his judgment and thought Jesus may have been John the Baptist raised from the dead. “He’s the ghost, or incarnation, of a popular prophet!”

The disciples also told Jesus that others in the crowds thought He was Elijah. The Old Testament prophet Elijah spoke for God during the reign of Ahab, king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom). Elijah was born about 900 BC and lived for about fifty years. Much of Elijah’s ministry confronted Baal worship, particularly the king and queen’s participation in and encouragement of it. In Jesus’s transfiguration Elijah represented the Old Testament prophets and Moses represented the law. An emotional metaphor for our era  might be “some say you are Billy Graham come back to life.”

The disciples told Jesus about the crowd’s third response: some thought Jesus was one of the other Old Testament prophets who had been resurrected. They picked their favorite religious leader. “Naw, he’s not Billy Graham, he is Dwight L. Moody (or insert your favorite historical deceased religious leader here).”

Perhaps some of the disciples also wondered about Jesus’s identity. Jesus then turned His focus to the disciples and used the opportunity to teach them about His role as God’s Messiah in contrast to what the world thought the Messiah should be. Not everyone sees Jesus for who He really is.  He asked the disciples the “$64,000 Question”: “who do YOU think I am?”  Let’s next look at their response.

Luke 9:20-22

20 “But you,” he asked them,“who do you say that I am? ” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

21 But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”

The disciples had told Jesus who the crowds believed Him to be. Next Jesus called for their beliefs. “Who do you say that I am? ” The disciples had been with Jesus for some time; had heard His teaching, and had seen His healing and casting out demons. They had been sent out by Jesus and upon returning, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Now Jesus wanted them to understand who He was and the kind of Messiah He would be, so He asked what they thought about Him.

Peter, in his usual manner, responded for the rest of the disciples – “You are God’s Messiah.” Peter had the right title, Messiah, but he did not yet have the right understanding of what that title meant. As we see elsewhere in the gospels at least some of the disciples had a worldly, political  kingdom in mind, “Let one sit at your right hand and the other sit at your left…as you rule.”  Peter got the answer correct but instead of congratulating and celebrating, Jesus warned and instructed His disciples not to use this title publicly. Why?

The command for secrecy was given not because Peter’s confession was false but precisely because it was true.  But such a proclamation would have had disastrous consequences. To Jesus, ‘Christ/Messiah’ meant suffering and death as God’s Anointed, whereas among the people it signified “the anointed king who would throw off the Roman yoke, smite the rest of the world, take on all comers, AND bring political independence and greatness to Israel.” 

Jesus had already rejected the false Jewish interpretation of who/what Messiah would be/do during His temptations  when Satan tempted him with “just see what God will do for you!” and “just be God Now!”, and finally “just let ME be your god!” Jesus also rejected the use of this title after He had cast out demons. If Jesus had promoted the popular use of this title, conflict with Rome would likely have occurred immediately, and attempts to crucify Him  begun at the time of the world’s choosing rather than at the time of God’s choosing—just the right time.  Jesus knew that he was to be the suffering servant Christ of Isaiah, but if he had promoted just another messianic political campaign of “Follow ME I am the Messiah” then he would have declared himself the “enemy of the world” and the “world” would have sought to immediately destroy him.  But because he lived and walked with God, in Truth, his message was lived, demonstrated, discussed, and manifest before the “world caught up with him” and crucified him.  But Jesus also knew that God would be his salvation.

Before Jesus described to His disciples the kind of Messiah He was, He warned them against using this title because of the Jewish misunderstanding of what it meant. To teach His disciples the correct understanding of Messiah Jesus explained the title in a fourfold description of what would happen to Him. Jesus typically preferred to use His favorite title for Himself, Son of Man, to describe His role as the God-man – Immanuel. 

First, Messiah would suffer many things. The Jews never expected Messiah to suffer.  Humanity expected that Messiah would be a “super nanny”. He would ride in like a shining knight on a white horse and magically “make things right” as each individual understood “right” to be.  To say it another way, the Messiah was expected to magically appear and magically appease every individual, and to REMOVE all suffering rather than have to endure suffering.  

Second, Messiah would not be welcomed as God’s representative by the Jewish religious leaders.  The world expected that the Messiah would be a “political party player.” A participant in SOME political party, Pharisee, Sadducee, Essene or some other religious party.  They expected, as we would say, that he would rise from the ranks within the political system.  Or to “replace the current political system he would of course be FROM the current political system.”  But Jesus noted that he would be rejected by the worldly political systems. Jesus was leading humanity away from reliance upon human leadership and TO a reliance upon God’s leadership… just as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Israel, etc. had done.

Third, Messiah would not be a political/military conqueror.  To the world the messiah would be the political leader that would “kick the foreigners out of our land and return things to the ‘good ‘ole days’.” Jesus, said basically no,   That he was here to help each individual conquer their Selfish Inner Nature (SIN). As one saying goes “when you change yourself, you change your world.”  Salvation does not come from the “outside, in”, a magic wand that someone waves magically changing your world.  Salvation comes from the “inside, out”, YOU choosing to change yourself to change your world.

Fourth, Jesus explained to the disciples that the Messiah would be raised on the third day following His death. I imagine that this is the part that the disciples got caught up on the most: “Wait a minute!  If you are the Messiah and the Messiah is the all-powerful political savior of our nation, and you die, then how CAN you be the all-powerful political savior of our nation?…how does THAT work?”  People are still hung up with this concept. 

True to this teaching Jesus did suffer many things, he navigated political oppression from the “religious political parties.”  He was rejected by the “political religious establishment”, especially the politically motivated High Priest Ciaphas and his politically astute former high priest father-in-law Annas, who went so far as to conspire as to causing Jesus’ death.  Jesus was indeed killed, was buried and rose after three days.  

Then Jesus gave them some more seemingly disconcerting news.

Luke 9:23-26

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.

25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?  26 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.

Traveling rabbis were common in Jesus’s day. Those who followed them were called disciples or learners. Jesus explained exactly what following Him would mean by issuing three specific commands.  First, all those who follow Jesus must put Him first in their lives by denying their own desires. As we see in Eastern martial and religious traditions it was common for a student to live with, even in the same house, as the master they were learning from.  Basically, as an apprentice, they adhered closely to the Master so that the could learn the teachings or trade of their desires.  They had to become so saturated with the Master’s teaching that they were a part of his family.  They could not carry their individual desires with them. They must be totally committed to the teaching and guidance of the Master.  Biblical faith requires a commitment to Jesus as Lord—even above one’s personal desires. Biblical faith requires this same commitment today as it did when Jesus first commanded it. Biblical faith that results in following Jesus requires a commitment to deny our desires and adhere to our Master Teacher’s guidance.

Second, Jesus commanded each person who followed Him to take up his or her cross daily. Have you ever contemplated what “our cross” is?  There are MANY interpretations, metaphors and symbols of what this phrase is referring to, but have you ever stopped to consider that “our cross” is “our body?”  Stand up with your arms outstretched and you are in position to fit on a cross, you ARE the shape of a cross.  Your cross IS your body.  We are commanded by Jesus to “take up our cross daily” and follow him.  It can be as simple as “use your body to follow Jesus’ teachings on a daily basis.” We have to be willing to stand by our beliefs and the teachings of Jesus daily…even to the point of death daily.  We know that even IF we physically die that our spiritual selves will continue forever.  

God has a purpose for each person; that purpose begins with denying our personal desires and replacing them with what God’s desires. Luke reflected that Jesus’s expectation was daily, emphasizing the requirement that His disciples were to practice a lifestyle consistent with putting Jesus’s teachings first. The word lifestyle is derived partially from an ancient word making up the word style and was derived from a writing instrument.  Your life is the writing instrument that determines your lifestyle. Following Jesus’ plan for our lives entails taking up our crosses (bodies) and living as God desires as our daily commitment. 

The third aspect of discipleship is Jesus’ command for His disciples to follow Him. 

Rather than three distinct commands, these commands combine perfectly to describe a genuine follower of Jesus. To follow Jesus involves obeying all His commands 24/7/365. This lifelong process is called sanctification (becoming holy) and is the second of the three aspects of salvation. (Conversion is first; sanctification is second; glorification is the third and occurs at death or when we see Jesus whichever comes first.) 

Jesus pointed out the impossibility of people achieving their goals outside of God’s plan.  The word translated life here is also translated soul and refers to the aspect of self that distinguishes one person from another person and continues beyond death. It is our BEing, our SELVES, our character, principles and values. Every person who follows Jesus according to His definition of discipleship will be saved, even if they lose their physical lives.

Jesus’s third contrast deals with the obedience required of His followers. Being ashamed in this context refers to disowning Jesus. Remember the old TV series Kung Fu that described the life of a Shaolin Temple Buddhist Monk as he travelled in America?  There were numerous scenes of these monks practicing to discipline their physical bodies in order to do seeming miraculous feats of strength and wonder.  Let’s take one…dodging spears for example.  Because he had followed his teachers and their teachings rigorously, and because he practiced these teachings religiously he was able to dodge arrows, spears and all kinds of projectiles with seeming ease.  Now imagine a Shaolin monk who just SAID he was a devotee of the Shaolin teachings, who never adhered to them and who never practiced them.  He would be just another worldly human.  The probability that he could dodge a spear or arrow would be drastically reduced.   There would be no TV show, because such a one would die early as he never mastered the skills taught.

Jesus is telling us a similar thing.  If you learn.  If you adhere to these teachings.  If you practice these teachings as a daily lifestyle, then you will have Mastered (the literal meaning of the word Kung Fu) life and will be able to display and teach these to others.  But you must be willing to face even death, knowing that you will be eternally saved.  But if you cower and step away from the teachings and discipline, then you will get the choice of your decisions.  If you reject your Master’s teachings, your Master will say “I didn’t teach that…he’s no student of mine!”

We are called to identify with Jesus, and we are called to identify so closely with Jesus that our daily responses to life are basically the same as Jesus’ responses to life would be.  When you know the identity of who Jesus REALLY is, the Messiah – the Master teacher who we follow – then it is easier to IDENTIFY with Jesus to the point that your life is basically a living display of the teachings of Jesus and his response to the world.

Here is a thought experiment you can work on:

• Write in your own words the answer to Jesus’ question:  “Who do YOU say that I am?”
• Search the internet for “identity of Jesus” and find all of the various answers to Jesus’ question” “Who does the world say that I am?”
• Consider your understanding of of Jesus’ teachings for life.  Do you feel, do you think, do you know that you are sufficiently practicing these teachings in daily life so that the world can see Jesus in your daily life actions?  
• If so, keep at it!  If no then consider this question: Are you willing to live, to exhibit the character, teachings, and feelings, so much like Jesus lived that you are willing to die when the world opposes you as the world opposed Jesus?  If not, why not?  If not what would it take to be so prepared?

The more you identify with Jesus the more you may identify Jesus to others.