February 22, 2019
Mark 6
Who Is Jesus?
There is a lot of confusion over who Jesus really is. From Hollywood to the modern scholars of our day, the picture only gets more blurred. If you peruse current ideas on Jesus' identity you will encounter Jesus as a political revolutionary, a magician who married Mary Magdalene, a rabbi, a peasant Jewish cynic, an anti-Pharisee Essene, a prophet, a hippie in a world of Augustinian yuppies, or even the hallucinogenic leader of a sacred mushroom cult.
Athletes have also come up with some of their own creative portrayals of Jesus. Fritz Peterson, former NY Yankee, pictured Jesus in a baseball uniform: "I firmly believe that if Jesus Christ was sliding into second base, he would knock the second baseman into left field to break up the double play. Christ might not throw a spitball, but he would play hard within the rules." If this is true, the Mets should sign him immediately.
So how do you see him? We should take comfort in our confusion; even the people who had face-to-face encounters with Jesus 2000 years ago were confused about his identity. His family thought he was crazy. The hometown crowd through he was part of the carpenters' union. King Herod thought Jesus was Johnny B. come back to haunt him. Still others thought he was Elijah or one of the fiery prophets of the Old Testament.
In the end there are only two responses to that question. There are only believers and doubters. Your doubt can have its origins in pride, rationality, scientific argument, and even apathy. But the result of your doubt will make you blind to Jesus. Doubt will cause Jesus to be powerless in your life; he will never be able to do any miracles.
And then there are believers. Those who believe will experience his love, his power and his salvation in their lives. If you believe you will have a reason and purpose for your life. If you believe, your identity and eternity will be radicallychanged. It is time to "bet the farm" on Jesus.
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