Mark 8:27-29, John 3:1-21

Mark 8:27-29

John 3:1-21

Jesus Is The Way To Salvation

3/1/09

Part 1 of 2009 Lent series on “Who do you say Jesus is?”

Read scripture

Today is the first Sunday in Lent – the six week period before Easter when we think about the sacrifice of Christ on the cross – and what Christ means to us.

I want us to use Lent this year as a time to think about who Jesus is – and what Jesus means to us.

I want us to focus on one basic question:

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Who is Jesus – for you?

In Mark 8:27-29 Jesus questions the disciples about who “people” said that He was. They came up with a list of things people said about Jesus – that He was Elijah, that He was John the Baptist, or that He was another of the Old Testament prophets who had risen from the dead. Jesus then made the question more personal by asking who they said that He was. That’s when Peter made His confession that Jesus was the Christ.

You know – it didn’t really matter what others said about Jesus – did it?

What mattered who Jesus was to the disciples.

What mattered was who they said Jesus was.

What mattered that Jesus was the Christ. – the Savior – the only way to salvation – for them.

What mattered was that they said Jesus was their Lord and Savior.

The same is true for us.

You can listen to me talk about who Jesus is – or listen to others tell who they think Jesus is – but what really matters is who you say that Jesus is – who is Jesus for you.

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Who is Jesus – for you?

We’re going to look at several answers to that question for the next 6 weeks – and we’ll see that Jesus is:

1. Jesus is the one who gives me salvation

2. Jesus is the one who helps me resist temptation

3. Jesus is the one who gave of Himself for me

4. Jesus is the one who keeps me holy

5. Jesus is the one I want to tell others about

6. Jesus is the one I follow

Today we’re going to look at the first – and most important – answer you can give to the question – who do you say Jesus is – or who is Jesus for you. The most important answer you can give is that Jesus is the one who gives me salvation.

Jesus is the only way for you to find salvation.

Some of you know that I am a “budding golfer”. I bought some clubs last summer and hope to take up the game. I read not long ago about Paul Azinger – a professional golfer who at the age of 33 was diagnosed with cancer. He had just won a PGA championship and had ten tournament victories to his credit – then he got the word – he had cancer. He wrote:

“A genuine feeling of fear came over me. I could die from cancer. Then another reality hit me even harder. I’m going to die eventually anyway, whether from cancer or something else. It’s just a question of when. Everything I had accomplished in golf became meaningless to me. All I wanted to do was live.”

Then he remembered something that Larry Moody, who teaches a Bible study on the tour, had said to him:

“Zinger, we’re not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying.

We’re in the land of the dying going to the land of the living.”

Azinger said that realization changed his attitude about life – death – and what life was all about.

We’re not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying.

We’re in the land of the dying going to the land of the living
Azinger recovered from chemotherapy and returned to the PGA tour. He’s done pretty well — but that bout with cancer deepened his perspective. He wrote:

“I’ve made a lot of money since I’ve been on the tour, and I’ve won a lot of tournaments, but that happiness is always temporary. The only way you will ever have true contentment is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m not saying that nothing ever bothers me and I don’t have problems, but I feel like I’ve found the answer to the six-foot hole.”
There’s a basic question you must answer:

Who is Jesus – to me?

And – unless you can say:

“Jesus is the one who gives me salvation” – you won’t find salvation.

Unless you can say that Jesus has saved your life – changed your life – and given you salvation – anything else you can say about Jesus does not matter. In fact, unless you can say “Jesus is the one who gives me salvation” – nothing else in your life matters.

So – who is Jesus – to you?

Who do you say that Jesus is?
It doesn’t matter how you live your life.

It doesn’t matter where you go to Church – or even if you go to Church .

If you can’t say that Jesus is the one who has given you salvation – nothing else matters.

If you can’t say that Jesus is the one who has given you salvation – then you won’t find salvation.

Here’s the thing: there are people today who will attend church services all across the world today that can’t really say the Jesus is the one who gives them salvation.

They can’t really say that Jesus has changed their lives – and that they have discovered salvation through a relationship with Him.

Maybe they can say that they have heard others talk about how Jesus has changed their lives – or can talk about how people have talked to them about how they need to have their lives changed by Christ – but can’t say they have actually let Jesus change their lives.

Maybe they can tell you all about the Bible – but can’t say that Jesus has changed their lives.

Who is Jesus – to you?

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Talking about what others have told you about Jesus – or knowing a lot of facts about the Bible – won’t get you salvation.

Only being able to say: “Jesus is the one who gives me salvation” will give you salvation.

You can’t say that you know about Jesus – or say “yes’ to Jesus with your head – and find salvation.

You have to let Jesus change your life – and say “yes” to Jesus with your heart.

What’s the difference between a “head yes” to Jesus and a “heart yes” to Jesus?

Nicodemus – the man who came to Jesus in John 3 – can help us understand the difference here. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling counsel. He was wise with the knowledge of Jewish law. He understood that God would send a Messiah and he came to Jesus by night ask Jesus some questions.
Nicodemus had “head knowledge” about God — but he didn’t have “heart knowledge”.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he – and all people — must be born again to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

That’s where Nicodemus’ “head knowledge” quits helping him.

Jesus realizes that Nicodemus only has “head knowledge” – a “head yes” to God — and is amazed that Nicodemus is not willing to grow into having “heart knowledge” — a “heart yes”.

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Do you have a “heart knowledge” of Jesus – or just a “head knowledge”?

Have you made a “heart yes” to Jesus – or just a “head yes”?

Can you really say that Jesus is your savior – the one who gives you salvation?

Unless you can, you will never find salvation.
There are a lot of folks like Nicodemus today who try to “get by” with a “head yes” to Jesus but not a “heart yes”.

They may have just enough religion to vaccinate them from the real thing.

A vaccination from salvation, so to speak.

They might say: I’ve always tried to be good.
Some people believe that their good deeds will outweigh their evil actions and God will accept them in the end. They compare themselves to the most evil people and feel that they are doing pretty well.
They don’t understand.

They need to understand that they cannot be good enough for God.
If you feel that you try to be good – and that trying to be good will give you salvation – there is something you need to understand – it won’t give you salvation.

Only faith in Christ will give you salvation .

Only being able to say:

Jesus is the one who gives me salvation

Will give you salvation.

Who is Jesus – for you?

Other people who try to “get by” with a “head yes” to Jesus but not a “heart yes” might say: “I go to Church! ”
Many people have become involved with churches but never met Christ.

They don’t understand that they need a relationship with Jesus Christ, which changes them on the inside, not religion that only makes them “look good” on the outside.
Going to Church won’t save you.

Only having a life – changing relationship with Christ – only being able to say: “Jesus is the one who gives me salvation” – will give you salvation.

You can’t have a “head knowledge” – or a “head yes” to Christ – you have to have a “heart knowledge” – a “heart yes”.

So – who is Jesus – for you?

You have to have a “heart yes” to Christ.

What does it mean to have a “heart” knowledge of Jesus?
Well — to have a “heart” knowledge is to have a relationship rather than a religion.
A relationship rather than a religion.
Some people feel that they could never be saved – or have a relationship with God – because they have done so many things wrong or done something so evil that God can never forgive them – or want to have a relationship with them.

What does Jesus say in John 3:16?

Does He say that God so loved the good folks that He gave His one and only Son – so that if a good person believes in Him they shall not perish – but have everlasting life?

No – He says that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son – so that whoever believes in Him they shall not perish – but have everlasting life.

“Whoever” comes to the Lord will be saved

Salvation is available to all.

It doesn’t matter how bad you’ve been.

It doesn’t matter how good you’ve been.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard about Jesus.

It doesn’t matter how active you’ve been in the Church.

All that matters for your salvation is having a “heart yes” to Jesus.

All that matters for your salvation is saying: “Jesus is my Lord and Savior”.

All that matters is saying: “Jesus is the one who gives me salvation.”

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Once you can say that Jesus is the one who gives you salvation you can be good – you can be active in the Church and make a difference – you can be forgiven from whatever you have done in the past – but you can’t do these things until you can say that Jesus is the one who gives you salvation.

That’s your starting point.

Once you can say that Jesus is the one who gives you salvation you can say other things about Jesus things we’re going to look at in the coming weeks – like He’s the one who helps me resist temptation – or helps me give of myself for others – or keeps me holy – or helps me bring others to salvation – or is the one I follow. But – you saying all these things won’t matte unless you can say that Jesus is the one who gives you salvation.
That’s your starting point.

So – who is Jesus – for you?

Is He the one who gives you salvation?

Before we go any further here, I want you to examine your life>

Do you have a “head knowledge” of Christ – with a “head yes” to Christ – or a “heart knowledge” – with a “heart yes” to Christ?
If you stood before God and He asked you, “Why should I let you into My heaven,” what would you say?
Saying “I’ve tried to be good” or “I’ve gone to Church” won’t be the answer God is looking for.

Saying “I took Jesus as my Lord and Savior” will.
If you can’t say that, this is your opportunity to make things right with God.
Don’t say: “I’ll let Jesus become my savior some day.”

Say: “I want Jesus to become my savior now!”

Jesus is asking you: “Who do you say that I am?”

Can you say:

“Jesus is my Lord and savior”?

Can you say:

“Jesus has changed my life”?

Who is Jesus – to you?

Who do you say that Jesus is?
It doesn’t matter how you live your life.

It doesn’t matter where you go to Church – or even if you go to Church .

If you can’t say that Jesus is the one who has given you salvation – nothing else matters.

If you can’t say that Jesus is the one who has given you salvation – then you won’t find salvation.

If you can’t say “Jesus is my Lord and Savior” – pray that you can honestly say that.

Indeed – who is Jesus – to you?

Who do you say Jesus is?

Amen