Sermon who is this

Oh, but there is more to learn about who Jesus is! Jesus calls Levi a tax collector So, I have to stop right here and remind you that tax collectors were usually thought to be scoundrels cheating people out of their money. Who is Jesus? And then a series of questions arise about fasting and the connection between the old and the new. Bringing in a new order, a new way to live in relationship with a loving God.

It is his beginning attempt to help them stop measuring everything from their past understanding of God and be open to a new way to live faithfully into the future. It is hard for Pharisees to change long held beliefs about God! But it tells us more about who is this Jesus? He is God in human flesh, coming to live among us so that by watching him and learning from him we will learn more about our Creator, the living God! These passages this morning are rich in helping us answer for ourselves Who is Jesus?

He is the living God who looks deep within our souls and see our truest needs. So that means you are included in this. Regardless of your past, regardless of your failures, mishaps, disappointments, regardless of all the ways you think you are not worthy…he is calling you! He is Emmanuel, God with us…calling us to let go of the past, the ways of thinking and being that limit our vision.

They began following Jesus when the crowds were thronging around him. Their heads were full of self-seeking dreams. They wondered aloud which of them would be allowed to sit at his right hand when he came into his kingdom. They were thinking of the prizes, not the costs. It must have been a heady time to be one of the chosen twelve. These men were the true believers. He would be greater than David. But Jesus kept up his negative talk about his death.

He kept hinting that persecution would be their lot, not glory. Jesus had no concept of the victorious Messiah; his was a picture of a Suffering Servant.

And he made clear that following him meant taking up a cross. The Disciples wanted a victorious Messiah, but Jesus disappointed them.

All of these different groups were in the crowd that first Palm Sunday, each with their own private view of Jesus. The crowds assumed that he would do even more miracles in Jerusalem than he had in Galilee, and the coming days would be filled with massive crowds and a frenzy of miracles. They floated on the edges of the crowd trying to catch him in a misstep so they could turn the crowds against him.

The Zealots were thrilled that Jesus was finally bringing the revolution to the seat of Roman power in Jerusalem. The Disciples expected this to be their greatest week of popularity and glory. But the expectations of all these groups were quickly dashed as the week progressed. When we look closely at the dynamics of that Palm Sunday, we are not really surprised at the Friday outcome.

On the surface, it seems like the Triumphal Entry was a grand celebration, but underneath we find the seeds of the crucifixion lying among the palms. Fred Craddock says the Triumphal Entry was a parade, a protest and a funeral procession. We have all seen the nature of the event as a parade with the throngs shouting their praises as Jesus slowly rides into Jerusalem. Perhaps we could understand this event as a protest.

But most importantly, it was also a funeral procession. Only Jesus knew that this was the beginning of the end. Who was Jesus? I associated Jesus with Kool-Aid and sugar cookies and gold stars for good attendance.

When Yancey began to watch films about Jesus, he found that the actors often portrayed Him in stereotypical, serene fashion. He strides through life as the one calm character among a cast of flustered extras.

Nothing rattles him. John I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

John When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! He revealed Himself as Son of man when He come, as a prophet. When He was here on earth, He was a man, to fulfill the Scripture. Moses said, "The Lord your God shall raise up a Prophet liken unto me.

He didn't never say, "I am the Son of God. Do you believe the Son of man? Now He's come in another son's name, Son of God; the unseen, the Spirit. Deuteronomy The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;. Matthew When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

Now, how did He make Himself known to the world as Son of man, the Prophet? One day I was telling a story of Peter and Andrew, his brother. They were fishermen, and their father Jonas was a great old believer. One day they said he sat down on the side of the boat. He said, "Sons, you know how we've prayed when we needed fish.

He said, "We've trusted God, Jehovah, for our living. I'm getting old now; I can't stay with you boys much longer. And I've always, as all true believers, have looked for the time when that Messiah will come. We've had all kinds of false ones, but there is coming a real one someday. This Messiah will not be just a theologian. He will be a prophet, for our prophet Moses, of who we follow, he said He is taught to know that. And if the prophet says anything it's so, then that's truth.

But God said, "If there be one among you, spiritual, or a prophet, I the Lord will make myself known to him. And what he says comes to pass, then hear him and fear him; but if it don't, then don't fear him at all. So that was the vindication of the prophet.

Numbers And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. Deuteronomy When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Jeremiah The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

And all that won't hear him will be cut off from the people. Don't miss it. Now," he said, "it's been four hundred years, we haven't had a prophet since Malachi, but He'll be! And he heard a wild man out of the wilderness, saying, "That Messiah is standing among you now! We don't know Him yet, but He is standing among you. I'll know Him, because I'll see a sign coming from heaven. He said, "Simon, I want you to come over here; we've done found the Messiah. You know better than that!

But this man is different. Where'd He come from? Why, He couldn't come from a wicked, dirty place like that. So when he come in the front of this Messiah, Jesus standing there, speaking to the people. He got the keys to the kingdom.

He knowed that that man did not know him. And how did He know him, and that godly old father who had taught him how to believe the Messiah? Deuteronomy And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

John John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;. John The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

John And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. John And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Oh, he got real excited! He knowed another man, he'd been studying the Bible with. Away he went, around the hill, and he found him out there in his olive grove.

He was kneeling down, praying. They'd had lots of Bible lessons together, so he come out there. And he said, after he'd got through praying, he said, "Come, see who we've found; Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. He's the Messiah we're looking for. Now let me tell you. You know, we've been studying the Bible together, and what did the prophet say the Messiah would be? And you know what? This Jesus of Nazareth told him that his name was Simon, changed his name to Peter, which is 'little stone,' and told him who his daddy was.

Could anything good come out of Nazareth? And when he got walking up, Jesus probably standing speaking, probably praying for the sick in the prayer line. And when He come up to where Jesus was, Jesus looked around at him, and said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is not guile. John Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

John Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! All Easterners dressed the same. He could have been a Syrian, or been anything else; beard, garment. He said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile [in otherwise, a honest, sincere man. And he said, "Rabbi [which means "teacher"] , Rabbi, when did you ever know me? How did you know I was a Jew?

How did you know I was honest, no guile? Fifteen miles away, the other side of the country, the day before. What did he say, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God.

You are the King of Israel! John Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. That's what the Bible says. Call it telepathy if you want to, but he perceived their thoughts. And He said, "I forgive you for that.

But someday the Holy Ghost is going to come and do the same thing [after His going] ; speak a word against it, it will never be forgiven in this world or the world to come. Now, that was Jews. Then one day He had need to go to Samaria. But just before we do that, we found the woman, or,. Matthew But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, then saith he to the sick of the palsy, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Matthew But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. Matthew Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

Matthew And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Mark I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. Mark And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

Luke But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Luke And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,. Luke But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. Luke And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

John Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And Jesus knowed his condition, and told him, "Take up your bed and go on home. Then we find out, the Jews, some of them received Him. Some believed it; some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to life. They wasn't part of that attribute. Now remember, them were priests and great men. And Jesus Think of those theologians and priests, men that you couldn't find a flaw in their life.

Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil, and his works you do. If you can't believe me, believe the works that I do; they testify who I am. Jesus said, "The works that I do, shall he that believeth on me, do also. Notice, that was the real Melchisedec now. John Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.

He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

You've heard me say I was a segregationalist. All Christians are segregationalists; not segregation of color, but segregation of spirit. A man's color of his skin has nothing to do with him. He is a child of God by birth. But a Christian, God said, "Separate me! He is a segregationist, of filth, between right and wrong. But notice, they had a segregation then, a racial segregation, which was the Samaritans. And there is only three races of people on the earth; if we believe the Bible; that is, Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people.

That's the three sons of Noah. We all sprung from there. That makes us all back from Adam, which makes us all brothers. The Bible said, "Of one blood God created all nations. A colored man can give a white man a blood transfusion, or vice versa.

The white man can give the Japanese, yellow man, or the Indian, the red man, or whatmore, or a Japhenite, or whatever, he could give him a blood transfusion, because we're all the same blood.

The color of our skin, where we lived, had nothing to do with it. But when we're segregated, is when we come out of the world, like He brought Israel up out of Egypt. That's when we're segregated from the things of the world. Acts And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;. And if we had time to run the genealogies back, you could see the Anglo-Saxon, where he come from.

Now, that was the Jew. They were Samaritans. And there was Jews and Gentiles. Now, we Anglo-Saxon had nothing to do with any of it. We didn't believe any Messiah, nor nothing else. We wasn't looking for one. We were brought in afterwards. Jesus came to His own, and His own received Him not. And He said, to His disciples, "Don't go in the way of the Gentiles, but go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

And watch, He manifested Hisself as Son of man, before the Jews. They turned it down. Now, the Samaritan, being half Jew and Gentile, they believed also, and was looking for a Messiah. We wasn't. We were heathens, with clubs on our back, worshipping idols; the Gentile.

Matthew These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:. Matthew But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. John He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 4, He had need to go by Samaria, on His road down to Jericho. But went up around Samaria. And while He was going up there, He sat down on the well outside of a city called Sychar.

And the well, if you've ever been there, it's a little panoramic about like this here. And there's a public spring there, of water, where they all come. And the women come of a morning, get their pots of water, and put it on their head, and one on each hip, and walk with it just as straight as can be, never spill a drop; talk to one another. So, the people would come out there. So this was about eleven o'clock in the day.

So He sent His disciples into the city to buy some victuals, food. And while they were gone John And he must needs go through Samaria. John Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. John For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat. We would call her, today, a red-light woman, or prostitute.

She had too many husbands. So while Jesus was sitting there, this woman come out about eleven o'clock. See, she couldn't come with the virgins when they come in the morning to get their wash water; she had to wait till they all They didn't mix like they do now. She was marked. So then, she come out to get some water, so she just took the old windle, and put the hooks over the jar, and started to let it down. She heard somebody say, "Woman, bring me a drink. This is Jesus, yesterday, the Son of man.

And she looked around, and she saw a Jew. So she said, "Sir, it's not proper for a Jew to ask a Samaritan for anything. I'm a woman of Samaria, so you have spoken out of your place. You shouldn't have asked me such a thing as that. We have no dealings with one another.

The well is deep, and you have nothing to draw with. And then, watch what He said to her now, "Go get your husband and come here. So, in this, you've said the truth. She knowed more about God than that whole bunch of priests did put together. John There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. John Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?

John Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. John The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? John But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. John The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:. John For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

Now, we know that the Messiah is coming. And when the Messiah comes, that's what He is going to do. Said, "That's what He is going to do when He comes. You must be His prophet. She dropped that waterpot and run into the city, and said, "Come, see a man who told me what I done. Isn't this the very Messiah? The Jews had had four thousand years to look for that Messiah, four thousand years of teaching He was coming, and what He would do when He got there, and they failed to see Himfailed to recognize it.

And when He made Hisself known in the very Bible terms that He said He would, when He had been a theophany and then become flesh and dwelt among them, they failed to see it, and called His works the works of the devil. John The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

John The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. John Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. John The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,. John Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then we come down through the Roman Catholic, the Greek, and so forth, on down to Luther's age, and Wesley, whatmore, nine hundred different organizations coming down.

They had all these ages' teaching. Now He promised, just before the end-time would come, that the picture of Sodom and Gomorrah would again I'll be with you. You see? You see, the Samaritan was actually, from my last night's sermon, was Hagar, see, a perverted type. The Jew was Sarah, or was Sarah-ite. But the Gentile is of Mary, the royal seed, Abraham's royal seed. Matthew Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

Luke Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;. Luke Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. John Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And if He'd let those Jews go by, and give them that Messiahic sign, and then come to the end of the Gentile's teaching and let them just go in on theology, He would be unjust.

He has got to do the same thing, because the Bible said, in Hebrews , He is the same. And He has promised in Malachi 4, and all the different Scriptures, that the last days, the church would be sitting just exactly like it is today, and the world would be.

Look at the world today. Look at the Sodom condition. Look at the earthquakes in divers places, and the things that's taking place. Look at the church and the mess it's in, of Babylon. Look at the messenger to it, an Oral Roberts and a Billy Graham. G-r-a-h-a-m, first time we ever had a messenger, to all the churches, that his name ever ended in h-a-m, like Abraham.

A-b-r-a-h-a-m is seven letters. G-r-a-h-a-m is six letters. Where is he at? To the world. Six is man's number. Man was created on the sixth day. But seven is God's number. And there is their messengers down there speaking to them. But then where is that royal seed of Abraham? Where is their sign, that He said? And the church has got its last sign before the whole world is going to be destroyed, this Gentile kingdom be destroyed by the fire and wrath of God.

Do you believe that? That Melchisedec was flesh, represented Himself in a human body; and then later He was made flesh. And now, tonight, He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

Do you believe it? Who is this Melchisedec, then, that's the same yesterday Then when He was made flesh, He said it would repeat again just before the end time. I believe it. Let's pray. And as sincerely in my heart, Lord, I know that something is fixing to take place. I cannot strictly identify it.

I'm afraid to say anything, Lord. Thou knowest the heart of Your servants. And how many times, down through the age when You sent things, people failed to get it. Man is constantly praising God for what He did, and saying what great things He is going to do, but ignoring what He's doing.

Together they are determined to get to Jesus. Luke tells us that the man was a paralytic. He had some form of chronic paralysis, a disease that would be nearly as hopeless today as it was back then. He must have been desperately ill because his friends took desperate steps to get him to Jesus.

The house itself was typical for those days. It had one room, with a flat roof and an outside stairway. The roof was made of thatch and tiles laid over thick wooden beams.

Now the action begins. Jesus is teaching inside the house. The room is crowded with eager listeners who lean forward to catch every word.

Around the walls sit the Pharisees, silent, impassive, inscrutable, their faces showing no emotion. They are waiting for Jesus to make a mistake.

Suddenly there is a noise above them, muffled words and the sound of tiles moving. More noise, then dirt begins to fall from the ceiling. Suddenly a shaft of light breaks through. Somebody has knocked a hole in the roof! Jesus stops, looks up and smiles. Everyone else looks up only to see four faces in the hole peering down at them. All eyes are on them. Slowly the four men lower a stretcher through the hole in the roof.

No one knows what to say. In a few moments the stretcher comes to rest in the middle of the room. On the stretcher a man lies silently. Even a casual glance tells you that he is very ill. He looks at Jesus expectantly. The Bible says that Jesus saw their faith.

Whose faith? Doubtless, it is the faith of the four men. Doubtless, also, he means to include the man on the stretcher. Surely they did not bring him against his will. His faith and the deep faith of his friends shone brightly that day. It was perhaps the only faith Jesus saw in that whole room. But there is something else even more unusual here. Because this man had a deeper need than physical healing.

You see, there is more than one kind of paralysis. There is the paralysis of the body caused by disease; there is also the paralysis of the soul caused by sin. This man was sicker than he knew. Not that this man was especially sinful.

But he stands as a kind of object lesson to teach us the truth that death and disease are consequences of sin. If there were no sin in the universe, there would be no sickness. If there were no disobedience, there would be no death. Romans is still true. All of us have the same problem and all of us need the same thing. Jesus is teaching a lesson by the order in which he does things: Our greatest problems are spiritual, not physical. As important as healing is, it is not as important as forgiveness!!!

We need what Jesus gave this poor man. We need to have our sins forgiven. Who can forgive sins but God alone? Their reasoning is clear. Only God can forgive sins. This man is claiming to do that which only God can do. Obviously, this man is a blasphemer. It was pretty simple, really.