Until This Issue Is Settled
The media is incessant with issues that we must solve – now. We are forever on the brink of disaster. The issues can be physical, or emotional, most are economic and political, some are financial – and on and on. All driven by people who want to make a very good living telling the rest of us what to do, where to spend our time and money, and how to run our lives.
However, until this issue is settled it doesn’t make any difference in the long run about what you do with any other issue in life – none.
Here is the issue
“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’”. Mt. 16:13 (NASB)
The issue for you and me and the whole human race is who is Jesus of Nazareth presented in the New Testament? The Bible teaches that a correct answer to that question puts everything right in your life. A wrong answer means ultimate disaster that has no end.
The Bible from beginning to end says:
- Every problem
- in any realm of reality
- has no solution
- apart from Jesus of Nazareth called Jesus Christ, or Jesus the Messiah.
For example, let’s take the current mess in the Middle East. This situation is due directly to the fact that both Jews and Gentiles have by in large refused to respond correctly to the person of Jesus of the New Testament.
Wow – that’s quite a claim.
So, who is this Jesus?
According to the New Testament he is:
- the fulfillment of prophecies made in the Old Testament that
- God
- the Creator
- would become a man
- live a sinless life
- die an atoning death
- that would pay for
- and remove our sins
- against that very God.
The New Testament goes on to reveal that Jesus, the second Person of the Trinity, is the agent of creation and the universe will not be put back right until He is acknowledged as God by all men. That does’t mean that all men will spend eternity in heavenly union with God – many will not. Human beings who refuse to acknowledge or trust in Jesus for salvation will spend eternity with fallen angels (the devil and his demons) in a place called the lake of fire. But at the final judgment before the exalted Messiah Jesus all men will bow the knee before Him.
So, from time to time amidst the noise you need to go back to the main issue. Who is Jesus of Nazareth presented in the New Testament.
“If you confess with you mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in you heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;” Romans 10:9 (NASB)
What does confess Jesus as “Lord” mean?
“In view of the fact that “Lord” (Greek Kyrios) is used over 6000 times in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT) to translate the name of Israel’s God (Yehweh), it is clear that Paul, when using the word of Jesus, is ascribing deity to him.”
NIV Study Bible, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985, p.s 1721.
Dr. Charles Ryrie puts it this way, “To believe that Jesus (the man) is Lord (God) and that He is alive (which means He died) results in righteousness and salvation.” SO GREAT SALVATION, Victor Books, p. 73
So, back to our original text in Matthew 16. How did the disciples answer the question?
Peter, speaking we are told later for himself and ten other in the group, said,
“Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16 (NASB)
Jesus then answered in verses 17-20 that his life (and by implication all who had a similar faith) was permanently altered. Death would not stop this new group of believing men. He and they were part of a victorious new world and that eventually heaven would triumph over evil, and he and they would be a part of it.
Have you settled this issue for yourself?
