Who Is This Jesus?

    Luke 22:66-71

You'd think they would have known. After all, they had spent their lives studying and teaching the Scriptures, and leading God's people. But the blind often lead the blind into darkness and no one even knows they've been going in circles, until Someone comes with a Light.

    They point blank asked Him to tell them who He was. 

"If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us."

"Are you the Son of God?" 

    Standing right there in front of them, He did just that, clearly and plainly for all to hear. 

"You are right in saying I am." 

Christ before the High Priest
about 1617, Gerrit van Honthorst
copyright National Gallery of London

    I Am. Jesus' words echoed God's first naming of Himself to Moses, "Tell them I Am sent you." The Mystery, Majesty and Magnitude was far too great to fit into an ordinary Name. Centuries later, here was the Messiah claiming that same Title...that same Mystery, that same Majesty and with that same Magnitude. How could this have been missed by the very ones who should have recognized Him? How did they not know Who He was? What caused their blindness?

Perhaps when 

 Hearts are hardened by jealousy we cannot hear the whisper of His Voice.

or the 

 Fear of losing power & position put blinders on our faith,

while

 Our finite minds limit an infinite God with intellectual pride 

and 

Our selfish expectations turn into demands of who we think God should be.

Head knowledge alone doesn't melt a heart of stone. And only Jesus can transform a heart with a stone rolled away. 

    Here we sit today, with endless knowledge at our fingertips and the empty tomb open before us and who do we say this Jesus is? 

    If we say that we believe Jesus is our Savior, are we living blind and deaf to Him in our midst?  How does this Jesus change our hearts, our lives, our ways? Do we love more, do we extend mercy and grace to others even when they don't deserve it? Does it change the kind of husband/wife, parent and friend that we are? Does it make us yearn to know Him more? 

    The Mystery, Magnitude and Majesty are standing right in front of us this Holy Week...may we all have eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts that respond with the eternal joy of faith that lives out this bold claim:

He is I Am!