Lesson 3

Key Text:“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and said, ‘The

Christ of God’ ”Luke 9:20,

Who is Jesus Christ? This question is not a philosophical or a sociological gimmick. It gets to the heart of who humans are and, even more important, what eternity will hold for them. People can admire the works of Jesus, honor His words, extol His pa-tience, advocate His non-violence, acclaim His de-cisiveness, praise His self-lessness, and stand spee-chless at the cruel end of His life. Many may even be ready to accept Jesus as a good man who tried to set things right—to infuse fairness where there was injustice, to offer healing where there was sickness, and to bring comfort where there was only misery.

Yes, Jesus could well earn the name of the best teacher, a revolutionary, a leader par excellence, and a psychologist who can probe into the depths of one’s soul. He was all these and so much more. None of these things, however, comes near to answering the all-impor-tant question that Jesus Himself raised: “ ‘Who do you say that I am?’ ” (Luke 9:20, NKJV). It is a question that demands an answer, and on that answer the destiny of humanity hinges.

“He said to them, ‘You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’’” (Luke 4:23)

Jesus was just the son of Joseph for the people in Nazareth (Lk. 4:22)

Jesus introduced Himself as the Messiah in prophecy (Lk. 4:18-21). He also called Himself “prophet” (Lk. 4:23) and He reprimanded them for not believing (Lk. 4:24-27).

They didn’t want to believe Him. They even tried to kill his Savior in that moment (Lk. 4:29).

Accepting that Jesus was more than the son of Joseph is a matter of life and death.

“Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” (Luke 7:18-19)

Jesus brought a boy back to life, and the people called Him prophet. Nevertheless, John was still in prison and He didn’t do anything to free him. John was struggling to believe.

“The Saviour’s words, ‘Blessed is he,

whosoever shall find none occasion

of stumbling in Me,’ were a gentle

reproof to John. It was not lost upon

him. Understanding more clearly

now the nature of Christ’s mission,

he yielded himself to God for life or

for death, as should best serve the

interests of the cause he loved.”

E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 22, pg. 218)

In a sense, the answer that Jesus gave might have caused John even a bit more consternation.

After all, if Jesus has the power to do all these incredible things, why am I languishing here in

jail? Who hasn’t, amid their own personal tragedies, wondered something similar: If God has all this

power, why is this happening to me?Why is the cross, and all it represents and

promises, our only answer?

REFLECTION

“And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:35)

Only Adam is called “son of God” apart from Jesus. Luke said he was son of God because he was born from no woman (Luke 3:38). When that expression is used for human beings, the Bible uses its plural form, “sons of God.”

That title is similar to others like Christ, Messiah, Redeemer, King of Israel… (John 1:49; 11:27).

Jesus is the Son of God; He is part of the Deity. He is “God over all.” (Romans 9:5 NIV).

The expression “Son of God” (in its singular form) can be found 46 times in the Bible. All but one refer to Jesus.

“Christ, the Word, the

only begotten of God,

was one with the eternal

Father—one in nature, in

character, in purpose—

the only being that could

enter into all the

counsels and purposes of

God.”

E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 1, pg. 34)

What does it mean to us that Jesus is, in the fullest sense, God?

Though this truth is filled with many implications, one of the most amazing is that, though God, Jesus

condescended to not only take upon Himself our humanity but to offer Himself as a sacrifice in that

humanity for us. We are talking about God here!

What wonderful hope does this truth have for us because of what it tells us about what God is really

like?

REFLECTION

“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Luke 7:34)

According to Luke, what’s the purpose of Jesus being the “Son of Man”?

He is a man who live humbly, having nowhere to lay His head (Luke 7:34; 9:58).

He is the only man with divine prerogatives. He is the Lord of Sabbath and He can forgive sins (Luke 6:5; 5:24).

He came to redeem us from sin. He came to seek and save which was lost (Luke 9:56;19:10).

He understood that Redemption would cost suffering and death at the cross. He would then be our Mediator before the Father (Luke 18:31-32; 22:22; 12:9).

He will come back to Earth to reward the saints and to end the Great Controversy (Luke 9:26; 12:4; 17:24-30; 21:36; 22:69).

It’s not enough simply knowing who Jesus is. Rather, we need to know Him for ourselves. If, then, you claim to know Jesus, what, in

fact, do you know about Him?That is, what has your own personal

knowledge of Jesus taught you about Him and about what He is like?

REFLECTION

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and said, ‘The Christ of God.’” (Luke 9:20)

It doesn’t matter what others think about Jesus. The most important thing is what I think of Him.

Who is Jesus to me?

If I accept Him as Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of God, the Son of Man, my Redeemer, then a total surrender will follow. I will fully commit to my Savior.

The King of Kings is coming soon. He is longing to give His Kingdom to those who have accepted Him as the Christ, the Lord of their lives.

“For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” (2 Peter 1:17-18)

According to Luke 9:28, Jesus went to the mount to pray. Peter, James and John came with Him. Then, Moses and Elijah came and talked to Jesus about His last trip to Jerusalem.

In that moment, the voice of the Father confirmed Jesus’ mission and identity. Darkness came after that, but the light that came from God’s message remained in their minds.

Peter wrote about that experience many years later. He knew whom he had believed. No tales or myths. He had seen it with his own eyes and he wanted us to believe it too (2 Peter 1:16-18).

Moses and Elijah, who had been. “chosen above every angel around the throne, had come to commune with Jesus

concerning the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him with the assurance of the sympathy of heaven. The hope of

the world, the salvation of every human being, was the burden of their interview”—

Thus, even Jesus Himself, who had comforted so many others, sought solace and comfort for Himself. What should that tell us about how even the strongest spiritually among

us, even our leaders, teachers, and guides, can at times need solace, encouragement, and help from others?

In fact, whom do you know right now who could use solace, comfort, and encouragement?

REFLECTION

“It is not enough for us to believe that Jesus is not an

impostor, and that the religion of the Bible is no cunningly

devised fable. We may believe that the name of Jesus is the

only name under heaven whereby man may be saved, and

yet we may not through faith make Him our personal

Saviour. It is not enough to believe the theory of truth. It is

not enough to make a profession of faith in Christ and have

our names registered on the church roll. “He that keepeth

His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And

hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which

He hath given us.” “Hereby we do know that we know Him

if we keep His commandments.” 1 John 3:24; 1 John 2:3.

This is the genuine evidence of conversion. Whatever our

profession, it amounts to nothing unless Christ is revealed

in works of righteousness.”

E.G.W. (Christ’s Object Lessons, cp. 24, pg. 312)

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

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