Words of Jesus Podcast - Who Do Men Say That I Am

Episode Date: August 4, 2023

The Ten Commandments state the laws of the Kingdom of God. These behaviors are required to please God. Evangelism through persuasion or education is not the plan of God. Rather, it is people who keep the commandments who get the attention of the Spirit of God. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him... 2 Chron. 16:9 Jesus instructed His disciples, "See that you tell no man." If we won't keep the law, persuasion, resurrection or miracles will not be sufficient to enter the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God comes by revelation, not observation. ***Ch 46: Jesus Asks: “Who Do Men Say That I Am?”Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21WHILE THEY were on the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples:            “Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am?”            The disciples replied:            “Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”            Jesus asked:            “But who say ye that I am?”            Simon Peter answered, saying:            “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”            Jesus responded:            “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. And I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys to the kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.”            Then Jesus instructed his disciples to tell no one that he was Jesus, the Christ.

Think Red Ink Ministries presents the Words of Jesus series with Don C. Harris. Hello friends and welcome once again to the Words of Jesus series. Don Harris here and we are going to be talking today from chapter 46 in our book. Moving right along. Are you thinking red ink? Good for you. Jesus asked, who do men say that I am? You know, just the title of this particular chapter in the book is an intriguing thing to me. If you were, let's just say you have set yourself up as some kind of a celebrity in one way or another.

I don't know, you play the banjo, you play the guitar, you sing, you tap dance. I don't know what it is. And you have an entourage of people that follow you around, that set up your meetings or whatever they do as your staff. And you're going to get together and you're going to have a staff meeting. And your advance team was in another town, as these men were, and now you're going to, you know, they're coming into the staff meeting and there are certain things that they know now that you want to know.

What would you ask them about, you know, are people looking forward to the show? You know, have you sold tickets? How many, you know, how many butts in the seats? You know, how are we doing? And what was the box take? You know, what was, and you might talk about all the things that have to do with show business. But it's interesting that when Jesus had an opportunity to talk to these men, his question was, who do they say that i am

he didn't really care so much or i mean at least not in in this little discourse did he care so much that uh you know do they know about the miracles did they hear about that blind guy that i do they know about that Are we setting up a healing meeting? Does it look pretty good? A lot of people, do they like me? Whatever. No, he said, who do they say that I am? I think in this very question that he asked,

and we're going to read it here in just a second. I think that in this question that he's asking is a key to understanding what salvation is really all about it's not just you know do they believe on me do they believe me but you know do these people have faith in God or whatever else could have been a question. He says, who do they say that I am? Who Jesus is, is extremely important that you know who he is. So important that it was the question that he wanted to know about the people in Caesarea Philippi. Here we go.

While they were on the coast of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, they just got back from town, who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? The disciples replied, well, some say that thou art John the Baptist raised from the dead some Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets then then Jesus asked, but who say ye that I am? Or who do you think that I am? Now he's moved from asking about what the people thought to what his own staff thought at that particular point.

Who do you say that I am? Well, Peter answered, says, staff thought at that particular point who do you say that i am well peter answered says thou art the christ the son of the living god jesus responded blessed are you simon barjona for flesh and blood has not revealed this unto thee but my father which is in heaven and i say also unto thee that thou art peter and upon this rock i will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and i will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth will be loosed in heaven jesus instructed his disciples to tell no one that he jesus was the christ now if this little uh uh exchange between between Jesus and his disciples

actually placed into this talk was the interrupter of, and I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I'll build my church. This is, it's not to be ignored by any means, however, it is a distraction. And what I would like to do is to lift this part from this scripture so that you can see just how clear Jesus was on this particular idea.

What idea? The idea of revelation. I talk about this all the time. It's not education. It's revelation. That's what we're after. Education's easy. Any bonehead can be educated. But you know not everybody can receive revelation from God. Let's take a look at this now, and let's lift out this interrupter of this conversation so that you can see what happened. Jesus, speaking to them when they come back,

he says, now who do they say, who do the men say, that I, the Son of man am they said well some people think you're john the baptist raised from the dead some people think you're elijah some people think you're jeremiah or one of the prophets peter and he says well who do you say that i am and peter says i'll answer that you're jesus christ the son of god the one that was to be sent to the earth the son of the living god i know who you are now was he asking his disciples who do you say that I am so that you can correct these people? Because I think a lot of people feel like that that's exactly what he was saying.

But if we take this interrupter out of the sentence for a moment, you're going to see that Jesus replied to what Peter said with, see that thou tell no man that thing. What thing? That I am the Messiah, the one sent from God, that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I don't want you to tell anybody that. Well, wow, are you sure that's what he was saying?

Yes, I'm absolutely sure of it. Well, then why do we do that? I don't know. I've thought about it and thought about it. Is it just that you want to have lead in the conversation at the water cooler at work? Is it just a matter of ego for you that you be the one that's on top of things,

that you know who's who? I'm afraid sometimes that is the case. But Jesus was making it clear, I don't want you to tell anybody that I am the Messiah. Why would you do that? Are you trying to keep it a secret? No. Let's back up. What did I just get done telling you, Peter? You said that I am the Christ, the Son of the living God. I know that no man has told you that. So how do you know that? The Father has revealed this to you, Peter.

And I want to make sure that when people do have this revelation that I am who I say I am, that it's not because somebody has convinced them or even that they have sat down with their Bible and deduced that i am the son of the living god you see because it's the father's business to reveal to the world who i am nobody knows the son except those that the father reveals the son to nobody knows the father except those to whom the son of man will reveal him this is very important to him and to the ministry and he makes it very

clear you can through good intention and because i don't know like i say you want to be first in line at the water cooler the guy with the info, the man with all the inside information, or whatever else that motivates you to tell people that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, I want you to know that you're going against the plan that Jesus had for the earth. And that was that if people will keep his commandments, they'll deny themselves they'll take up their cross and follow christ if they do that the father will reveal to them just exactly who he is what's the most important little bit of uh of knowledge What's the most important thing to Jesus Christ? Who do they say that I am? I don't care if people like what I'm saying. I don't care if they think that I'm some kind of

wordsmith and I'm able to put together great sentences and deepen dark sayings or, you know, that I'm able to, you know, to be able to quip and to quote and motivate people. I'm not a motivational speaker. I'm the son of God. And through what I do and through what you do, we want to bring people into the kingdom. How? Teach them to keep the commandments.

Send them toward the commandments. Does that go against your grain? Teach them to keep the commandments. Send them toward the commandments. Does that go against your grain? I mean, as a modern-day conventional Christian, because, you know, nobody, essentially nobody teaches that the commandments have this kind of value anymore. I don't know why that's true, but it is. People say it's by faith. It's only by faith.

It has nothing to do with what you do. The commandments have passed away. Isn't that what we hear all the time? Jesus sent people toward the commandments. As a matter of fact, when Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus, you know, Lazarus is down there, you know, the poor man that everybody despised.

He was being begged of a king, of a god, of a higher up, an uppity up in society that had more. He could buy and sell Lazarus a million times. But he found himself in torment. And Lazarus was comforted in the bosom of abraham that rich man said bid lazarus come and give me a drink of water and uh you know abraham was saying you know what yeah i don't think you understand things have changed here if anybody's getting bidden to do anything it's going to be you not not him. You see, things change. And that was the whole purpose in Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus.

He wanted us to know that things there are not like they are here. Lazarus, you wouldn't even invite him into your home. You wouldn't have him on your back porch. This other guy, he's honored. You'd tell everybody you know if he came to dinner But you see there's coming a time when things are going to turn they're going to they're going to change From what you know today that was the whole purpose in this story however

This this rich man who found himself in torment was, very concerned about his brethren at home. He says, you know, I got brethren. I got brothers. I don't want them to come here. If you'll let me go back, I'll tell them about this place. Well, naturally, you'd think, well, he's just trying to escape. Not so fast. Because when Abraham says, no, you can't do that, that's not going to escape. Not so fast. Because when Abraham says, no, you can't do that.

That's not going to happen. He says, okay, all right, what do you think? I'm just trying to escape. Look, this is important to me. I don't want my brethren to go through this. I'll tell you what, why don't you send Lazarus back? Let him go back and warn my brothers that they don't come to this place now abraham

says well they've got jesus well they got a bible well you know they've got churches they got preachers they'll be all right did abraham say that no ab says, they've got the law. They have Moses. They've got the prophets. Let them hear them. Well, you don't understand, Abraham. I had the law. I had Moses and the prophets. I had everything that you say is enough for my brethren, and I'm here. So I don't think that's even sufficient. These people need something. They need a miracle. They need a sign.

Here we are talking about signs again. They need a sign so they won't come to this place. Abraham told him something that just makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. He says, they have moses and the prophets let them hear them oh no no no it's not enough abraham says look rich guy let me tell you something you may not know if they won't hear moses the prophets, if they can't understand this by keeping the law, they're not going to be persuaded. Though one rose from the dead.

You want a sign? I'm telling you, somebody coming back from the dead after being dead for three days and three nights. How many hours 72 after being dead for three days and three nights and then stand on their feet again alive as a testimony of resurrection is that a miracle enough for you listen it's not going to be miracle enough for anybody if they won't keep the law, nothing's going to save them. There's no sign it's going to save them. Oh, but if you save their grandmother, you know,

I've heard of atheists that are atheists because God didn't save their grandmother from death. She's 72 years old, 92 years old, 108 years old. How old do you want her to be when she dies? Well, this is not enough. So there is no God because he didn't do some miracle for me. Listen, they're not going to be persuaded. The one rose from the dead. If your grandma came out of the grave tomorrow, it wouldn't stop you from being an atheist. You have the law and the prophets.

If you want this, you can do this. It's not lack of a miracle. It's not lack of God's intervention in your life. And you need not think that that's going to fix everything, because it won't. Abraham says that this is a fact, and Jesus proved it. It was not a fact. Several shows, we were talking about the sign of the prophet Jonah. Has there been a prophecy more butchered than that one by the church? He gave us a sign. It's the only sign you're going to be given

and it's not going to be enough who do they say that i am well you know i think we could convince them if we if we you know uh advance the miracle thing a little bit more maybe Maybe we need some, give Madison Avenue a shot. Let's do some publication. Let's send out an advance team with posters and put them all over town. Tell them, you know, we're having a miracle meeting. Because if they see miracles, why, then it'll work.

No, it's not going to work. It's not going to work. This is by what? Revelation. He even says that the coming of the Son of Man, the end of the world, it cometh not by what? Observation.

It's not something that you observe that makes you believe. It's revelation from God that makes you believe. Do you want revelation from God? Do you want God to speak to you. Do you want revelation from God? Do you want God to speak to you? Do you want him to teach you, guide you, and lead you into all truth? I can only find one route, one way in these scriptures that take us to his feet, that take us to a position where we can be trained and taught of the Lord.

What is it? Keep his commandments if you keep his commandments he says i'll love you for that my father will love you we'll move into you we'll take up our abode in you and we're going to manifest ourself to you is that revelation to you darn right it is that's. How do we get this revelation? Keeping the commandments. When you keep the commandments and you receive the revelation, how do you know Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Because the Father has revealed that to me. Are you sure you didn't just deduce it? Are you sure you didn't just resign to it? The preacher's always saying it. Blah, blah, blah.

Yeah, okay, fine. Jesus is the Messiah. Yeah, I got it. I got it. Okay, I'll make a note. Do you believe it? Oh, yeah, I believe it. Sure. You know, what's not to believe? What's the problem here? Jesus is the Messiahiah yeah okay i believe it well you see the problem is it's not been revealed to you wow if he's the messiah and you're treating him like you treat him is he really the son of god and and you obey him like you obey him jesus says why do you call me Lord and not do what I say? Totally baffled by our reaction. You say I'm your Lord? And indeed I am your Lord.

But you know what I'd like to be? I'd like to be your friend. How can I do that? Well, you see, a servant, although I appreciate you being a servant, a servant never knows what his Lord is doing. But friends, they know. He reveals everything to his friends. That's the relationship that I want to have with you. Is this the second touch?

I think it is. It's the second touch. Our revelation of who Jesus is comes from the father alone you can't deduce this you can't think this through you can't just resign to it you know okay okay i belong to xyz church this is what they believe this is what. You know, we believe this and we believe that. One of the things that just irritates me no end is when somebody comes up to me and says, hey preacher, what do we believe about whatever?

What do we believe about this? What are you saying? What are you talking about? I know what they're talking about. Do our articles of faith cover this? What do we believe about the virgin birth what do we believe about it you know what friend

I know what I believe I don't know what you believe but I'm willing to listen to you if you want to tell me what you believe but what is this we business I'm telling you this is not a game this is not a club that we join. This is not a school that we attend. This is all about, all about revelation. Peter, I know, I hear what you said.

I appreciate what you said. But let me tell you something you may not be aware of there was no man on earth taught you that no didn't i hear that somewhere nope no you didn't if you actually believe what you're saying and i believe you do then it was revealed to you of my father that's the business he's in that's what he does he reveals me to others and that's the way this is supposed to work okay now that we believe this don't you think we ought to you know get all excited and go tell everybody that jesus christ is king or whatever the songs are telling us to do don't you think we ought to arbitrarily go through the scriptures and read, go ye therefore into all the nations, teaching to observe all things whatsoever I have told you? Right? Don't you think that's what we should do? Well, not according

to Jesus. You don't go out and teach people I'm the Messiah. You don't go out and teach people I'm the anointed one. You don't teach people I'm the son of one you don't teach people i'm the son of god or teach them that i'm the son of man these things are revealed of the father so what's left for us get them in touch with the father how do i do that keep the commandments it's like he told that rich ruler keep the commandments do you realize that question was asked four different times four different times in three different gospels answered the same way all four times every time the rich ruler said what must i do to inherit eternal life jesus

referred him to the commandments referred him life? Jesus referred him to the commandments. Referred him to the commandments. Referred him to the commandments. I guess I've got to do it a fourth time. Referred him to the commandments. All four times, referred to the commandments. The rich man, I need to make sure my brothers understand how to come here. Refers them to the commandments. They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.

So, do the commandments actually play a role in modern Christianity? Absolutely they do. They're not dispensed with. Oh, Jesus, what does Jesus have to say about it? Not one little jot, not one little tittle, not one little period, comma, tittle not one little period comma question mark cross t or dotted i is going to change about those commandments until all are fulfilled what in

the world are we going to do with this oh i got an idea let's just ignore it let's just tell people you're saved by faith alone faith alone faith alone and that's based on what scripture i'm afraid it's based on martin luther martin luther was the one that said sola scriptura of course that's scriptures alone but um he's the one that taught that that we're saved by faith alone faith alone that's where all this came from friend you're not saved by faith alone. Faith alone. That's where all this came from. Friend, you're not saved by faith alone. Matter of fact, I don't even know how you're going to

receive any understanding about anything in Christendom if it is not revealed to you by the Father. You might be the most well-educated Christian that ever was. You might have strings of of letters behind your name because of all the colleges you've attended and the degrees that you've received but unless the father is whispered in your ear now listen this this boy that i sent

down here jesus that's my son hear him him. Hear him? Really? Is that what we're supposed to do? Absolutely. Hear him. There was a time when we got our instruction from a book. There was a time when we got our instructions from prophets. There was a time when we got our instruction through pages and ink and scrolls and these kind of things.

But now in these last days, God has spoken unto us by... What? What? Come on now. You've heard this scripture a hundred times. He's spoken unto us by His Son. His Son. His Son. Not a Bible. His Son. Not a preacher. His Son. This is all about revelation.

It's all about a relationship between us and god so well you're just kind of a one-hit wonder aren't you you're just kind of a one-note charlie yeah i guess i am because this is where these things come from this is how you reach the place that you want to be in christ is through revelation it doesn't come any other way and we don't need to be working against the spirit of god who is trying to reveal these things to people by cramming their head full of knowledge by by memorizing scripture and by by quoting scripture scripture and by teaching articles of faith and teaching the doctrines and the tenets of our faith or the ideas of our denomination.

Come on, come on. We need to take these people to the feet of Christ and leave them there. Hey, I'd like to know who you are. Time is almost gone here, so at the end of the program, I try to remind you to walk over to your computer, send me an email. You can send me an email at my personal email, don at thinkredink.com. I'd love to hear your questions and your comments. All right, time for us to go. Until I see you again,

Think Red Ink. Bye-bye. ThinkRedInc.com. That's ThinkRedInc.com. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you