Who Do You Say Jesus Is PDF

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Who Do you Day Jesus Is?...

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Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Jaelyn Park Colangelo College of Business, Grand Canyon University CWV-101 Mark Olmos 7 March 2021

2 Who Do You Say Jesus Is? In Mark 8:29, Jesus discussed with his disciples what people were saying about him. Jesus asked his disciples directly, "But who do you say that I am?" In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of who Christians claim Jesus is and to share your own belief about who Jesus is. Based on Mark 8:29, you will summarize and analyze the claims made about Jesus's identity and purpose. In 750-1150 words, address each question below with clear and specific explanation. Part 1: Teaching of Jesus Select one teaching of Jesus from the following choices: Matthew 5:21-24; Matthew 5:43-48; Matthew 6:19-24; Matthew 7:15-23; Luke 15:1-32; John 13:1-17 and 34-35; or John 15:1-11. Answer the following with citation and reference information from a commentary in the topic study materials.  What was Jesus's point in the teaching? The main focus and point of Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:19-24 is overall concluded to not giving value to Earthly possessions. In verses twenty through twenty-one, Jesus commands His people to bestow their riches and treasures upon the Heavenly Kingdom where their hearts will also be found. In opposition to this teaching, Jesus also says in verse nineteen, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (NKJV, Matt. 6:19). This passage presents how Earthly treasures are bound to flee because this world is temporary; however, God’s kingdom is infinite. Jesus goes on in verses twenty-two through twenty-three about how our eyes depict goodness through light or darkness. New Testament commentator, Keener, says “If we justify valuing material possessions because "everyone does it" or "other people do it more," our self-justification will blind us to the truth of our disobedience and affect our whole relationship with God. Jesus' illustration about the "single" (NIV good) eye and the evil eye would immediately make sense to his hearers: a "good" eye was literally a healthy eye, but figuratively also an eye that looked on others generously (Sirach 32:8)” (Keener, 2011). As Christians, God wants His us to look past the material

3 possesions and guide our hearts from yearning for what others have and set our treasures and desires upon an infinite Heaven. 

How might someone from an atheist or pantheistic worldview see the concepts of this passage differently?

Someone from an atheistic or pantheistic worldview may see the concepts of this passage differently by believing that Jesus meant that we are not to serve other and only Him. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus says “No one can serve two masters; for other he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (NKJV, Matt. 6:24). What Christians believe Jesus meant by this is that our devotion cannot be divided between worldly and materialistic things and Heavenly possessions. The word “mammon” can be translated in Aramaic to “money”. This word translation comes to make me think of the saying that “the love of money is the root to all evil” which is an incredibly accurate statement to support Matthew 6:24. Keener claims that “Jesus warns us that we must choose: if we work for possessions, we will end up hating God; if we work for God, we will end up hating possessions” (Keener, 2011). Our desire for temporary assets will prohibit us from not knowing God and eternity. 

What does this teaching reveal about Jesus?

The teaching of Matthew 6:19-24 reveals that Jesus desires for His people to give Him everything including their treasures and desires. Keener summarizes the passage saying “Yet he also exhorts us not to value possessions enough to worry about them (vv. 25-34), a fault shared by most believers who rightly reject the prosperity teaching. Jesus' words strike at the core of human selfishness, challenging both the well-to-do who have possessions to guard and the poor who wish they could acquire them” (Keener, 2011). Jesus challenges us to desire perfection in

4 His image, and giving Him our possessions is normally a challenge to Christians. However, the result of our sacrifices is blessings and promises. Part 2: Claim That Jesus Made About His Nature Select one of the following passages in which Jesus makes statements about his nature and purpose: Matthew 9:1-8; Matthew 9:9-13; Luke 7:18-23; John 5:16-18; John 10:25-38; or John 14:5. Answer the following with citation and reference information from a commentary in the topic study materials.  What is Jesus saying about his nature and the purpose of his ministry? What is the significance of this claim? All of these passages greatly present the nature and purpose of Jesus and His time on Earth which was to bring redemption to His people. Specifically, in the passage John 10:25-38, Jesus stands upon the pharisees who plan to stone Him for blasphemy and Jesus defends Himself as God’s son saying “I and my Father are one” (NJKV, John 10: 30). The significance of Jesus’s claim brings light to the power that He finds in His Father- God. In a New Testament commentary, Keener explains that “To make his point Jesus uses an argument from the lesser to the greater, a very common form of argument in the ancient world, not least among the rabbis. He compares the people who are called gods to himself, the Son of God. They merely received the word of God, whereas he is the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world (v. 36)” (Keener, 2011). The pharisees attempt to criticize Jesus comparing Him to gods, and he responds by simply explaining that He holds the true power of God, and that His purpose is to bring redemption for His people. Jesus fully and completely follows through on all of the prophesies from the time he was born until His death on the cross. In conclusion, the nature and purpose of Jesus’s ministry was to teach the word of God and bring light into the world through His miracles. Jesus came to Earth to fulfill prophecy and came as a perfect sacrifice so His followers would receive salvation.

5 Part 3: Personal Answer to Question From Jesus Based upon your group's research for sections 1 and 2, each individual must respond to the following:  How would you personally answer Jesus's question, "But who do you say that I am" (Mark 8:29)? Describe your own beliefs about Jesus. I would personally answer Jesus’s question, “But who you say that I am” (Mark:29) saying that He is the light of the world and Son of God sent as a perfect sacrifice for my sins. Jesus is my provider, protector and perfect friend who desires nothing but goodness for my life. Reading through the passages provided in this assignment really put in perspective the love and devotion Jesus has for me, and the power He holds as the Son of God. This reminds me that he deserves nothing short of all of my treasures. The bible verse that spoke out to me the most from this assignment was Matthew 9:13 which reads “But go and lean this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (NKJV). As sinners, we only deserve the wrath of hell’s fires… but God has given us the opportunity of redemption and salvation. 

How has this exercise changed or clarified your personal understanding about who Jesus is?

This exercise has definitely put clarity in my mind that Jesus is so powerful. It is incredible to know that I have a Lord that loves me despite my sins and vices. As I was completing this assignment, I was listening to worship on my phone and the song “Indescribable” by Christ Tomlin plays. This song genuinely describes exactly how I feel about trying to describe how awesome Jesus is, and I have concluded that he is absolutely “indescribable”.

6 References Keener, (2011). The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/toc The New King James Version, 2021...