Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life - Who Is the Real Jesus?

Episode Date: December 2, 2022

In this passage from the book of Matthew, John the Baptist is struggling with who Jesus is. Why would John, this great religious figure, be dealing with such difficulty? We learn two things from his struggle: 1) you have to make sure you do not try to understand yourself before you understand Jesus, and 2) you also had better realize that if you reject him you’ll never be able to stop searching for him. As a response, Jesus gives John a straight answer. We learn two more things from Jesus. He says, “You will not know I’m the One until 1) you feel my offensiveness and 2) you see how I welcome the weak. Let’s look a little deeper into this interchange and its  burning contemporary relevance for our world today. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 8, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 11:2-6. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Do you know the real Jesus? If you're going to find out whether Jesus is the one to be king of your life, you have to make sure you understand him first in order to understand who you're meant to be, and you should know that if you reject him, you'll never be able to stop searching for him. Today on Gospel and Life, Tim Keller is looking at the Gospels to show us who the real Jesus is and what that means for our lives. After you listen, we'd appreciate it if you'd take a few moments to rate and review the

podcast. When you do, you'll be encouraging others to listen so they can discover the real Jesus because the gospel changes everything. Now here's today's teaching from Dr. Keller. Let me read to you the passage on which our teachings base this morning. Matthew, chapter 11, verses 2 through 6, when John the Baptist heard in prison what Jesus was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, are you the one who was to come,

or should we expect someone else? And Jesus replied, go back and report to John what you hear and see. The blind received sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf here, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Unless it is the man who does not fall away on account of me. This is God's Word. Now,

this is really This is really a very important question to ask if you're going to understand this interchange between John the Baptist and Jesus. John the Baptist used to support Jesus. If you're familiar with the history here, John the Baptist at one point actually encouraged his disciples to follow Jesus. Some of Jesus' original disciples were originally before that, John's disciples. And therefore, right away, if we're gonna understand this passage, we have to say to ourselves,

what's going on here? John had supported Jesus' messianic claims. John had been a backer of Jesus. Why is he now struggling? And that's what he is. This is a very disheartened question. Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another? Now, why would it be that John the Baptist,

this great religious figure, this great man, would be in such difficulty? Why would it be stumbling? Why would it be struggling? And if you look, this wonderful text, it's so brief, but it tells you so much, gives you two reasons. There's two things in the text that tells us why John was confused about the identity of Jesus.

The first was because his life was going so badly. You notice it says, he heard, in prison, John the Baptist had been the sensation of the nation. John the Baptist had been the star of the nations. Huge crowds. Multitudes came out to hear him, and he had gotten up to a place essentially of great popular power, and he had denounced corruption in the government. But he went too far. Herod had thrown him into jail, thrown him into prison, and now his life was hanging by a thread.

And he was irrelevant and forgotten, because all the crowds had gone to Jesus. And one of the things that made him struggle with Jesus was this. He says, wait a minute, wait a minute. If you're the Messiah, if you're the one, and I served you, why is my life such a wreck? If you're this great God, why are you letting such bad things happen to a good person like me? And how can I believe in you in the face of the tragedy of life and the tragedy of my life?

And the second reason he was filled with doubts is a little more subtle, but why does Jesus say, John, don't be offended? See the last verse? Why does Jesus say John don't be offended. See the last verse? Why does Jesus say John don't be offended? Clearly, because Jesus understood that that was John's problem. It says that when he was in prison, he heard the things that Jesus was doing. He heard about Jesus' ministry when he was in prison and it filled him with offense. What was it?

Well, we're going to get to that in a second. But here at the very beginning, let me just show you the burning contemporary relevance not just of this interchange, but of the whole chapter, 11 of Matthew, which we're going to look at this month. Here's why it's so relevant to us today because in the Western world where we live, there has always been a lot of indifference to Jesus, but never before, never in 2000 years really, has there been so many people like John the Baptist who are struggling with Jesus Christ?

They struggle with who he is. There's always been indifference, but now, in fact, when you read the New York Times, you'll see that everybody who writes for the New York Times virtually feels exactly like John the Baptist, and that is, how can I believe in Jesus Christ in light of the sufferings of my life and of the world in general? How can I believe? And then secondly, how can I believe in someone who is so emotionally and intellectually offensive in the things that he says and does?

Now, we're going to get to what those are. But the point is, John says, I am emotionally struggling with how my life is going bad, and I'm also intellectually struggling with the offensive way in which Jesus Christ is conducting His ministry. And the average educated person in New York feels exactly the same way. I know, because when I talk to them, they say, well, if He's Jesus Christ, why is life so bad? Why does all these bad things happen?

And secondly, if He's Jesus Christ, how can he make these terrible claims, these claims of exclusivity, these awful claims, they offend me? Same thing had happened to John. And you see how relevant this is? Wouldn't, hasn't anybody here wanted to do this? John asked the question that the modern world is asking, in light of the suffering and evil of the world, and in light of all your offensiveness and all these offensives of clans, how do we know that you are who you say you are?

How do we know? And what's so great is Jesus does not say how dare you question me, but He gives them an answer and it's a complete answer and it's an amazing answer and it stretches on beyond this passage in the chapter and that's what we're going to look at it. But even here this morning, right away we learned so much. If you have any interest in the answer to that question, how does Jesus Christ tell us we can know that He is the One? What does He say?

Is the evidence. What does He say? Here it is. And we actually can learn two things from the question and two things from the one. What does He say is the evidence. What does He say? Here it is. And we actually can learn two things from the question and two things from the answer, two things from John's question and two things from Christ's answer. And here's what they are. The two things we learned from John's answer first. The first thing, let me just say the two together that we learned from John's. The two things we learned from John's question is, if you're going to find out whether Jesus is the one. First of all, you have to make sure you do not try to understand yourself before you understand him.

And you also better realize that if you reject him, you'll never be able to stop searching for him. Those are the two things that we learn. Look, first, I, as a minister, I have to say, I got startled when I saw what John asked. Because over the years, I have talked to many people who are trying to find out whether Jesus is real. Lots of people who want to know whether, they explore, is Jesus real? Do I want to be a Christian?

What do I, is Christianity for me? And almost always, virtually always, they go about it differently, because John the Baptist has a problem. He has a big problem. He is in prison. He is about to be killed. His life is hanged by a thread.

And yet when he goes to Jesus Christ, he says nothing about his problem at all. He doesn't say, if you're the one, get me out of here. Then I'll know. Instead, he says, if you're the one, get me out of here. Then I'll know. Instead, he says, are you the one? He is utterly different than the thief. Remember, there are two thieves on the cross on both sides. And the first thief, the scornful thief,

I guess we call him, in history, the one thief looked at Jesus Christ and he says, if you are the one, get us out of here, then we'll know. So he's very simple. In other words, prove that you are the one by solving my problem. And over the years, everybody, virtually everybody, have ever seen who comes to Jesus and approaches this question and wants to sort of look into Christianity, they always have a profoundly

problem-centered approach to Jesus. They want to know whether Jesus is going to give me the power and the support to live the way I want to live. For example, they just give you four very common examples. Somebody says, well, I'm thinking about being a Christian or I'm thinking about Christianity. I like to know whether it's true. But here's, but I'm struggling because I want to be a doctor

and I don't know whether I'm going to be able to make it in med school. Will Jesus help me get through med school? Or number two, I'm struggling because I have a bad marriage and I'm really thinking of a divorce. What's the Christian view on divorce? Well, will I be supported? Or number three, I have a problem with self-esteem.

I have a problem with guilt. I've been in a lot of abusive relationships. If I come to Jesus, will He make me feel good about myself? Or it will give you a number four. A person says, I'm gay, and I want to know whether, if when I come to a Christian, will I be supported or will I be condemned? What is Jesus' answer to those four questions? They are actually all the same. You know what his answer is? Not

yes, not no. He says they're the wrong first question. Because the reason the thief was wrong and John was right, the reason the thief says, though, I want to know what you're going to do about my life before I give myself to you. I want to know whether you're the Messiah by the way in which you support me. In other words, the thief says, if you let me live the way I know I should live, then I know you're the one.

And John the Baptist just says, are you the one? And the reason that John is right and the thief is wrong is not because John is more spiritual because he's more sensible and that is this, the thief. And everybody who asked one of those four questions assumes they already know how their life should be lived, who they really are and how the world ought to go before they know whether he is the author of life,

whether he's the one, the one that your heart was built for. How in the world can you assume that you know who you are and what you need before you even know if you were created or you're an accident? How can you know who you are and what you're built for before you even know whether you can communicate and know the creator of the universe? John would never ever say, I know I need to be out of prison. Therefore, are you the one spring me? You know what John says? Listen, John is saying, if I'm on my own, if I'm on my own, of course I need to get out of prison. That's not about I'll be happy. But if you're the one, if you're the one, whatever you ask of me will be a tiny thing

compared to what you'll give me, whatever sacrifice you ask of me will be nothing compared to the glory that will be mine. Whatever you decide is right for me will be consummately wise, utterly practical, perfectly right. John is not such a fool as to think, how in the world can I know what is right for me and wrong for me before I know whether this guy is the creator of the universe and the Lord of my life? Let's not be spiritual, let's be sensible. If Jesus is who He says He is, then you are someone utterly different

than who you think you are now. And if He's not who He says He is, He can't help you a bit. It makes no sense to say, if you are who you say you are, will you let me live my life the way I know I should live? It makes no sense at all. And listen, one of the reasons why a lot of people

have been searching for Jesus and have been asking about this and inquiring after Jesus and not gotten any answers, and they're still in doubt and they're still in confusion, is because if you realize, if you think about it, the thief's question is not a question. It's an order. It's an order. It's a threat. Look, when you come to Jesus with conditions, when you come and say, well, I would be interested

in believing in you. I'd like to be a Christian maybe, but I want to know, will you spring me? Will you help me? Will you do the... In other words, I will come on conditions. What you really mean is I don't want to know if you want something different for me. In other words, I don't really want to know. You're not asking for information.

You're giving an order. Yeah, I have a relationship with you as long as you do what I know needs to be done. And yet that makes no sense at all. Do you see? The reason a lot of people say I've been searching for Jesus, but I don't seem to be getting any answers is because you're asking him a question, you say, and he's not giving me any answers,

but you know what, the reason he's not giving any answers is you're not asking a question. You're not asking for information. If you come with conditions, you don't really want to know who he is. You don't want to know, you're not open. John's question shows us, you have to start by saying, are you the one?

And that's where everything starts. Because before I know that, I can't know anything else. Are you the one? It begins there. Once I know that, it'll change my perspective on everything else. It'll change my perspective on prison. It'll change my perspective on marriage. Print, change my perspective on sex. Change my perspective on everything else. It'll change my perspective on prison. It'll change my perspective on marriage. Print, change my perspective on sex. Change my perspective on doctor.

Everything will be changed. How in the world? Can I ask him a question with an assumption before I know the answer to the thing on which everything else hinges? No, no, no. If you come with conditions, you really don't want to know. The first thing John shows us is that you can't possibly understand yourself

to you understand him. You won't be able to understand yourself to you understand him. And therefore, you mustn't come with any conditions. Now, the second thing we learn, I'm going to be real brief about this one, because it's not the main point. But he doesn't say, he doesn't say, John doesn't say, are you the one? or should we stop looking? He says, are you the one who is to come

or should we look for another? And the implication, which is very important to remember is and realize, John knows that if he's not the one, if we reject Jesus Christ, we won't be able to stop looking. We will always look. If you reject Jesus Christ, you will try to find and make something else Jesus.

You need to realize that. Don't say, well, I want to know if there is a savior of the world or not. When I was a teenager, when I was in high school, there was a great song, it was a big, big, big, the righteous brothers. I was thinking about having this for the offer toary some week.

And because it's very religious, oh yes it is, it was a great song. And the chorus went like this, you are, it's a love song. You are my heart, my soul, and my heart's inspiration. You're all I've got to get me by. Want me to sing it? No. You're, you are my soul, and my heart's inspiration. You're all I've got to sing it. No. You are my soul and my heart's inspiration. You're all I've got to get me by.

You are my soul and heart's inspiration without you, baby. What good am I now? Somebody, you know what that lover is doing without you, baby, what good am I? Without you, baby, what good am I? You're my life. You're my savior. See, he's looking for another. He's looking for another. And somebody says, well, yes, of course, there are people like that. That's emotional dependency. That's unhealthy. But I tell you this, and John tells you

this, everybody in this room is looking at someone or something and saying, without you, what good am I? You're looking at a portfolio, you're looking at a career, you're looking at a person, maybe you're just looking at a dream, but you're looking at something, we have to, we're human and we're gonna say, without this, what good am I? If you reject Jesus, you're gonna have to turn something else into Jesus.

It's not a question of, are you the one or should we stop looking? You won't be able to stop looking. You're going to turn something into Jesus. And will it be like Him, will it be as forgiving, will it be as wonderful, will it be as great and as tender, will it be as high and as low will it be as wonderful? When you go looking for Jesus, just realize if he's not the one, you will be looking for another. But then look, this is a great question. It's a wonderful question.

He's put it in the right way. Jesus is not upset. He doesn't say, John, what's with you? What happened? Why are you doubting? He gives John an answer. He gives John a straight answer, an answer that respects his question because his question is the right question. He comes and he doesn't say, he says, no conditions, I want to know who you are. And I also realize that we're really stuck if you're not the one, but I don't know that you are. How do I know?

Are you the one? And Jesus actually gives him two answers. And Jesus says, you will not know I'm the one until A, you feel my offensiveness and B, until you see how I welcome the week. You will not know that I'm the one until you see. And here's the evidence. You must feel my offensiveness, but you must also see my welcome of the week.

As the holidays approach, the days leading up to Christmas can become very busy, and it can be a challenge to take time to focus on the glory and joy of Jesus' birth. We want to help you prepare your heart for Christmas this year with a free Advent devotional email series. When you sign up today, you'll receive daily email devotional during Advent to help center your heart on the meaning of Christmas. Emmanuel, God with us. You'll also receive Advent Meditation videos each Sunday by Tim Killer, followed by a brief

discussion of the meditation between Tim and his wife Kathy. Sign up today to receive this Advent devotional email series. Go to gospelandlife.com slash advent. That's gospelandlife.com slash advent. Now here's Tim Keller with the remainder of today's teaching. How I welcome the week. Now, in the brief time I got here at the end, I want to give you a beautiful view of the completeness of Jesus' answer, though we're going to have other weeks to look at this.

Go on deeper into the chapter because this is the only place I know anywhere in all of literature where somebody actually asked the modern question, how do we know you are who you say you are, and Jesus gives the answer. Now the first thing that Jesus says is, you will not be able to know who I am and what I am and why I am who I am unless you feel my offensiveness. That's the first thing he says. Now you say, where does he say that? Well see, in verse 6 he says, the only people who are blessed are those who find no offence.

This is the most weird beattitude there is, by the way, in the Bible. Blessed is the one who doesn't take offense with me. But you see, if you think about this with me for a moment, would you just reflect what Jesus is saying is, the only people that have found the blessedness of Jesus are those who must have wrestled with my offense of this. They must have felt my offense of this, see? That's the only reason he would have said it this way.

Blessed is the one, the only ones who are blessed are the ones who have seen the offense of this, felt the offense of this, but haven't taken the offense. They've seen it, they've felt it, but they've dealt with it. If you don't see it, you're not really dealing with the real Jesus. You're dealing with a figment of your imagination, a sentimental religious icon.

But on the other hand, if you take offense, you're not looking at all the evidence that Jesus shows. And the sentimental religious person, or the utter skeptic, are both alike, not really seeing a real Jesus, and neither have the blessedness of Jesus. Now let me show you why. John's offended. Why would John be offended? See, let me show you why John's offended.

Why would John be offended? See, Jesus is actually saying, John, you're offended. I see that, okay? Now you have to get by it. John, it's good that you've gotten rid of that vague sentimental view of me you used to have. You're feeling my offensiveness, good. Now, why would John be feeling the offensiveness?

And all I can say is there's a couple reasons that he's probably offended. And there's the same two reasons people are offended today. Same two reasons I hear on the street of New York. The claims and the cross. The claims of Christ and the cross of Christ. First of all, the claims. You see, John the Baptist believed in the Messiah,

and he was hoping Jesus was the Messiah, but John, like any sensible and reverent Jew, did not expect the Messiah to be a Meglemaniac. And the more he heard about Jesus from prison, what Jesus was saying, the more alarmed he would have had to get any thoughtful person would have. That's what I'm saying. the more alarmed He would have had the get. Any thoughtful person would have. That's what I'm saying. We're trying to say here. Anybody who's thinking and anybody who's dealing with the real Jesus will feel this offensiveness.

Well, you see, the claims of Christ are astonishing. He says, at one point, he says, before Abraham was, I am. He claims to be eternally existent from the beginning. He claims the divine name. He says, I will come back to judge the living in the dead, the heaven and the earth. You see, he takes and encourages people to worship him. In fact, it's on every page. If you read the, it's on every page.

There's a one place that for years, I just went past by. There's a place where he just casually says, is he talking about something else? He just makes a reference. He he just casually says, is he's talking about something else, he just makes a reference, he says, he says, you know, I've been sending you, I keep sending you prophets. I keep sending you prophets. Very casually, off the cuff, which shows it's always there

behind everything he says. He is saying, he's claiming that he is the power behind the universe, that through all the centuries has been sending prophets to the human race. You see, listen, here's why John's getting upset at this point. You get offended by the claims because John began to realize that the offensiveness of Christ was pulling him way beyond where he would have gone with an inoffensive Messiah. Because you see now, because of these claims, Jesus Christ is either the most wicked, most

crazy person on the face of the earth who ever lived, or he is something much, much, much much bigger than John expected. And John realized that if he's the one, a relationship with him will be limitless in its commitment. John realizes that if Jesus is the one, if he's not wicked or crazy, you see, there's no in between now, if he's not wicked and crazy, it means that Jesus can demand anything and he can give anything. That a relationship with this Messiah would be very different than with an inoffensive Messiah. A relationship with an offensive Messiah like this means that the relationship will be all absorbing and limitless in the commitment.

And John's scared and he's worried. And he's offended because of these claims it makes you little. I mean, when somebody makes these tremendous claims, it's saying, if you relate to me, I'm going to be boss. I'm absolute lord if you relate to me. And there's nothing in the middle anymore. Wicked or crazy, see? Or else utterly god, utterly Lord, nothing in the middle. Well, that's upsetting.

The claims, John didn't expect him to say it to talk like this, but then secondly, the cross. Now you say, well, what did John know about the cross? We'll see. John knew enough to see the direction Jesus career was taking. And his own career, Jesus was taking the way of weakness. He wasn't marshalling an army. He wasn't marshalling political party, he was vulnerable, look, his servant John is absolutely vulnerable, smashed like a bug.

And John wants to know, wait a minute, what is going on here? He's confused and he says, Paul says, if Jesus Christ had come in power and said, I'm going to save you through an example. Here's the way you should live. That wouldn't have offended us. But Paul says, the cross offends us. You know why? Yeah, I know.

Here's Jack. Imagine this. Jack gives John a present. Oh, thank you, John says. And he starts to open the present. And it's a book. How to win friends and influence people. So John looks at Jack and says, Why have you given me this gift?

You know, and Jack says, You need it. Yeah, John is offended because you see some gifts can't be accepted unless you admit that you're at social clots. But there's never been a gift like the cross. If Jesus Christ had come in strength to save us and said, here is the example, follow me. I'm leading, I'll show you what to do.

But he came in weakness, the cross says, you are so lost and you are so helpless that only the death of the Son of God will save you and he's gonna take what you deserve. Watch what happens to him, that's what you deserve. There's no way to say thank you for that gift without saying, I'm a lost helpless sinner. I need grace and nothing but grace. And therefore, John was offended.

And Jesus says, good, you're on the right track. Now why would he say that? Here's why. Unless you feel the offensiveness of Jesus Christ, he will never be a transforming presence in your life. Jesus is actually glad that John's offended. He's getting rid of the sentimental. Don't let anybody, listen, I want no one here

to let the modern theories that try to make Jesus in offensive, that try for that middle ground, that Jesus by His offensive, this removes. Don't be duped by them. See, people will say, well, listen, I believe in a Jesus Christ who is just a teacher of love. I believe in a Jesus Christ who said, I love everyone just the way they are and he teaches us how to say, I love you just the way they are and he teaches us how to say, I love you just the way you are. But in your effort to make Jesus' inoffensive, you have made nonsense of history because

why in the world would anyone that children, Mr. Rogers, and those of you who never were children, Mr. Rogers is just a very nice guy who comes on and does children's program and says, hey, I love you just the way you are. And if that's see, if you have an inoffensive Jesus Christ, it makes a mockery of history. Why would anybody have gotten together to kill a man like that? The reason you've got to know that he's offensive is this. What if you say, I don't believe in a God of wrath, I don't believe that I'm that bad and I don't believe that God's that bad, and I believe God just loves everyone.

If you have a God like that who loves everyone, just automatically doesn't need to kill Jesus on the cross or any of that stuff, oh no, no, no, I believe in a God who loves everyone. Inoffensive, when you think about his love, is that going to change your life? If that God exists, his love for you cost him nothing. And you may think about it and it all it can do is make you feel a little bit nice, but when you think about the offensive Lord who says, you're so weak, for me to love you, I had to come and die to take your place. You see, when you think of the love of an inoffensive Jesus

who loves everybody sort of naturally, when you think of it, it's going to make you weak, is it going to humble you, the dust, is it going to lift you to the skies, is it going to make you realize he loved me like that, that he would do that for me. Are you going to think about his value, are you going to feel valued, are you going to be electrified? Will he be a transforming presence in your life? No! And if he comes in just as a nice teacher, he'll have a lot of interesting suggestions.

Some of you believe that you are dirt. And if you get a guy coming into your life to say, I love you, that's a suggestion. He's never going to change your life. You have to know that the one comes in is the Lord and Master, the author of life. If you don't feel his offensiveness, he will never be able to be a transformer in presence in your life. And for a lot of you, you've never seen this. You don't really like to think about wrath and death. You just think of Jesus as a sort of a helper, as kind of an example. You have an inoffence of Christ, and therefore you do not

have an electrified and transformed life. And that's why Jesus is saying, blessed is only the ones who have wrestled with my offenseiveness. But, secondly, and lastly, but have not taken offense. You see, the person who's never seen the offense, your life won't be changed by him, but the person who takes offense and says, yes, I hate all these claims.

These claims that he's God and he's the one and he's the Savior, I hate it. Both of you miss out. And Jesus says to those of you who are ready to walk, those of you who are saying, I think he is a megalomaniac. Those of you who say ready to walk. Those of you who are saying, I think he isn't Meglemaniac. Those of you who say, I think he is. I really, I think these claims of him being

an exclusive savior, I'm ready to go. What does he say? What does he say to John? What does he say to you? Here's what he says. He says, okay, now look, I might be wicked or crazy. We've eliminated that I'm Mr. Rogers.

Look at how I live. I might be wicked or crazy. We've eliminated that I'm Mr. Rogers. Look at how I live. Look at my life. He says, go back and report to John what you hear and see. The blind received sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy intercured, the deaf here, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor. We'll get back to all that later, but look at this. Here's what Jesus is saying.

He says, John, thankfully you have gotten rid of the inoffensive view you had of me. Now you see who I am. I might be wicked and crazy. Let me ask you something. Have you known any Meglemaniacs? Almost all the Meglemaniacs only go around with the elite, and when they do associate with the poor, they oppress them. They manipulate them.

They use them. But look at me. The poor hear me gladly. They're the ones. Listen, John, do you know any wicked, crazy Megalamaniacs? I could be that, but do they act like I act? Do they love like I love? Do they change people like I change people?

Look, he says in verse six, be offended. Feel my offense. Don't you dare make me just a nice guy. Don't say he's just a nice, small teacher, but then look past your hurt pride. Pass that to the evidence. How could I be that wicked crazy maglomaniac and do this? See what he's really saying is, if you really see the whole picture, you're

sort of shut up, come to me, and I will change your life, I will transform your life utterly and completely. But nothing in the middle, nothing in between. Blessed is the one, and only the ones who have wrestled with my offensiveness, but not taken my offensiveness because they see that ideal with people who know you have to be saved by grace. The claims of Christ and the cross of Christ are offensive because they teach you

that you're saved by grace only. Most, everybody in this room does not come from the class of people that Jesus says have historically liked me best. The people in this room are educated people, your professional people, and you think you're in control of your lives. You think that the reason things are going well is because you've tried hard. Therefore, you want a religion, not of grace, but of doing what I need to do and getting there. But the poor of the world know that where you are is because it's a gift. They know you're not in control of your lives. And when they have Jesus Christ come to them and say, come unto me, O ye who are laborer and heavy laden, come to me, you who are poor in spirit, come to me, you who know that you need grace alone.

They're the ones who come, generally not so many from us. And therefore Jesus is saying, blessed is the one who struggles with offense, but doesn't take offense. Swallow your pride, come to me. One of the nicest things is that Jesus is an offended if you're struggling with his offenseiveness. Here's what I want you to do. Those of you who think you're not sure whether you're believers, you don't know whether you believe in Christ.

Number one, don't speculate, do what John did. Actually go and see and hear and talk to Jesus. Don't just sit around and argue. Read a gospel. Jesus doesn't say, go back to John and make him think smarter. He says, tell him what you see. Look at him, look at how he lives. See and hear him.

Read a gospel, go to a Bible study, come to the classes afterwards, please. Spend time looking at him, not just thinking and don't go with any conditions. And Christian friends, do you realize that one of the reasons why we are not having Jesus a transforming presence in our lives is because to some degree we make him inoffensive. We tame him.

We don't like to see how utterly we are dependent on his grace and how completely we need to obey him. We don't feel his offensiveness and therefore we don't marvel at him. And we're not experiencing the blessedness. Christian friends, anybody in this room who says, I'm not experiencing that blessedness, the answer is really here for you because, you know, John the Baptist is a great model for skeptics, but he's actually not a skeptic.

He's like you and me. He's a believer. His life is going bad, and he has stopped really believing. He's afraid. And Jesus says, remember my offensiveness. Push yourself to the extremes and then see who I am. Realize that you can only be saved by grace. Marvel at me.

Do that. Let's pray. Thank you, Father, for granting us this wonderful interchange. Help us to see that we will be blessed if we see but not take offense, Jesus Christ. Help us this year here in these morning services to see and hear who he is. We pray it in Jesus' name, amen. We hope you enjoyed today's teaching about knowing Jesus, and we hope you'll continue

to join us throughout the month as we continue to discover the joy and freedom of putting him at the center of your life. Before you go, if you were encouraged by today's podcast, please rate and review it so more people can discover the message of Christ's love. Thanks again for listening. This month's sermons were recorded in 1996. The sermons and talks you hear on the Gospel on Life podcast were preached from 1989 to 2017, while Dr.

Keller was senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church.