Sermon Archives
The Person to Follow
Luke 9:18-36The Gospel of Luke Part V - Following Jesus
Rickey Primrose
July 3, 2016
Description:
“Who do you say that I am?” From the moment Jesus uttered this question forward, it has been perhaps the most significant question facing humanity. Every single person who encounters the Gospel of Jesus must answer this question. Who is Jesus? Truth be told, our culture today is not a lot different than the culture of Jesus’ day—there are a lot of opinions regarding the identity of Jesus. Frankly, many of these opinions, even those found within the church, are wrong. Jesus was not the king the people expected back then and He is not the king people want today; He is God’s suffering Messiah, a man of sorrows whose life was marked by trials. However, it was because of His willingness to submit Himself to God’s plan, even to the point of death, that God highly exalted Him. He is not just a suffering Messiah but also God’s glorified Redeemer. Suffering and glory are not mutually exclusive; the latter is actually dependent upon the former. The real Jesus is God’s King, who received glorification through humiliation. Because of His suffering, He is seen as a failure in the eyes of the world, but He is God’s Chosen One.
The question this passage demands we ask ourselves is this: Do I love the real Jesus? Or, have I done what so many others have done and created my own version of Jesus that is a bit more palatable for my sensibilities? You cannot follow Jesus unless you know who He is. If you misunderstand His identity, you may find yourself following the wrong Jesus. If you follow the wrong Jesus, you will arrive at the wrong destination. There are many ‘fake Jesus’s’ that modern society has created: the devout Jesus, the tolerant Jesus, the prosperity Jesus, and even the Bible-belt Jesus. None of these are the real Jesus, and therefore, none of them can redeem you. Examine your faith this week. Are you following the real Jesus? Who do you say that He is?
Keywords:
Discipleship, Faithfulness, Humility, Mission