Abortion. Oil Drilling. Gun Rights. Poverty. Greedy Corporations. Trillions of Dollars of Debt. Animal Rights. Partisanship. Peace/War in the Middle East. Gay Agenda. Capital Punishment. Religion. Intelligent Design/Evolution. Nuclear Weapons. Environment. Economy. Health Care. Stem Cells. Casinos. Urban Sprawl. Social Security. And many many many more...Many of us have our blood boiling just by reading this list. ;o)
Traditionally, the three things you should never talk about in friendly conversation are: Religion, Politics, and Money. I would like to have some friendly conversation with the reader...that's you...so, I want to put before you the first and most important issue that you and I must have convictions about. This issue deals with religion, politics, and money, but only after you deal with the issue by itself. What is this friendly issue?
Who do you believe Jesus of Nazareth is/was? This is the question that Jesus asked His disciples (cf. Mark 8:27-29; Matthew 16:13-16; Luke 9:18-20) approximately 2000 years ago. So many opinions come down to what Jesus asked them, "Who do the people say that I am? They answered and said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
I want to encourage you to consider your own answer to this crucial question. Who do you say that Jesus is? He taught that He was God. He taught that He was the promised One (Messiah) who would come to restore the universe. He taught about His coming Kingdom. Yes, He was a Prophet, but what He prophesied leads the hearer to turn and believe in Him as the only hope for restoration and salvation. Yes, He was a good Teacher, but what He taught leads the reader to either reject Him and His teachings or worship and follow Him alone. Who do you say that Jesus is?
"Who do you say that I am?"
2 comments:
Very good, Matt! Thank you for sharing these thoughts!
Awesome...thanks for the post.
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