Who is Jesus to me?
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse…You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” (Acts 17:32-34) C.S. Lewis, Cambridge University
The most important question a reader of the Gospels should be asking is, who is this Man, Jesus, and what is MY RESPONSE to Him? When did Jesus become more than a cuss word in the locker room to you?
The Crowds? 3:7-10 The Source of Good Gifts
The crowds, both Jews and Gentiles, came from all over to reap a benefit (i.e. healing) from Jesus. What motivates you in your coming to Jesus? Do you pursue the gifts of the Giver or is the Giver Himself your treasure? What does a pure pursuit of Christ look like (Luke 10:39,42; Ps 73:23-28; 84:1-2,10)?
The Demons? 3:11 The Son of God
The Demons would’ve passed seminary tests with flying colors. They knew the facts and always correctly identified Jesus. In your life, is there a disconnect between knowing the facts about Jesus in your head and fully transferring your trust to Him with a surrendered and obedient heart (Ps 9:10)? Head--Heart--Hands--Habit
The Apostles? 3:13-19 The Man with the Plan
The crush of the crowds certainly highlighted the need for a trained team to share the ministry load. After praying all night, He sovereignly chooses and appoints Twelve men (Lk 6:12). Each man willingly gives up his old life to be WITH Jesus and to be SENT by Him. What does being with Jesus look like today (John 14:16-20; 15:4-5; 16:7-14; Eph 3:14-21; 1Thes 5:16-19)? To whom is He sending me?
His Family? 3:20-21, 31-35 Our "Out of His mind" Bro
His relatives were baffled by Jesus. A leader always on the outs with the established leaders? A holy man claiming to be God who hung out with unholy sinners and tax collectors? A zealot working so hard he had no time to eat? How has following God’s will and God’s way put you at odds with those closest to you? It appears that Jesus is dissing His family. What point is He wanting to make (Mk 2:35; James 1:1; Jude 1:1; Luke 14:26)?
The Scribes? 3:22-30 The Enemy of Our Religion
The Scribes and Pharisees viewed themselves as God’s representatives and Jesus was not ‘one of them.’ The Scribes, blinded by their fear of being eclipsed by Jesus’ popularity, accuse Jesus of being under Satan’s control (Matt 12:22-24)!
Jesus is giving a poignant warning about of the dangers of a hard heart: persistent refusal to repent and believe leads to Hell. Beware of the hardness of your heart! Are there areas in your life in which you feel ‘threatened’ by Jesus’ Lordship? Is there evidence that your heart is hard (Heb 3:7-15; Mark 7:6-7)?