Several years ago, there was a Gallup poll taken where Americans were asked ‘who do you think Jesus is?" Here are the results: 

So, who was Jesus? Who do you think Jesus is? Let’s go back to the Early Church for just a moment—to one of the Church Fathers—to see what they believed in 381 A.D. Gregory of Nazianzus said this:

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life. Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water. Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest. Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King. Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons. Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears. Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world. Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd. Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death. (Gregory of Nazianzus, A.D. 381)

 

Jesus, folks, was no ordinary human being, was he? “Who do you say that I AM?” That’s a question for which Jesus demanded an answer! Let’s listen:

 

“When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?’
¹⁴ They replied, ‘Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’
¹⁵ He pressed them, ‘And how about you? Who do you say I am?’
¹⁶ Simon Peter said, ‘You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
¹⁷ Jesus came back, ‘God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.
¹⁸ And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
¹⁹ And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.’
²⁰ He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.” – Matthew 16:13-20 (MSG)

 

If you asked several different people on Main Street of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, USA, ‘Who is Jesus?’ you’d probably get as many different answers as the number of people you asked. So, where do we begin? Who is this Jesus—the Christ of Christmas?

 

Over the years, Jesus has been many things to many people … including me! I want to share with you, however, just a couple of things that I’ve learned or experienced over the years … in my discovery of the Christ of Christmas. First:

 

JESUS IS MUCH MORE … THAN THE SHEEP-HUGGING SHEPHERD OF MY YOUTH! I first got acquainted with Jesus when I was a child… I remember singing “Jesus Loves Me” in Sunday school… I remember addressing my bedtime prayers to “Lord Jesus”… I remember a painting of Jesus in the church … looking like no one I’d ever seen before—a man with long, flowing hair, a thin yet handsome face, his skin waxen and milky white; he wore a robe of scarlet … and in his arms … Jesus cradled a small sleeping lamb… I associated Jesus with Kool-Aid, sugar cookies, and gold stars for good attendance … and my childhood list could go on & on…

 

Here’s an important question, however, in light of all of this: Have we left Jesus             where he was and who he was … as the Jesus of our youth? I believe that it was Art Linkletter who once said, “Kids say the darndest things!” And, he was right. Here are a few things that kids have to say about God—or Jesus, who is God. You’ll get the general idea…

·         “Dear God, I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.” – Nan (…a God who is huge on love…)

·         “Dear God, In Bible times did they really talk that fancy?” – Jennifer (…a God who speaks ‘churchese’—a language the rest of the world struggles to understand…)

·          “Dear God, if you watch in Church on Sunday I will show you my new Shoes.” – Mickey D. (…a God who is THAT real…)

·         “Dear God, We read Thos. Edison made light but in Sun. School they said you did it. So I bet he stoled your idea.” – Sincerely, Donna (…a God who is really responsible for all of creation…)

·         “Dear God, Please send Dennis Clark to a different camp this year.” – Peter (…a God who is the granter of all of our wishes … and the God of the impossible…)

·         “Dear God, if you give me a genie lamp like Alladin I will give you anything you want … except my money or my chess set.” – Raphael (…a God who we can be selectively committed to … both giving & selfish all at the same time… How convenient!)

 

It’s interesting, isn’t it?  Our perception of God and Jesus, the Christ of Christmas, begins to form in our youngest years. But, do we leave him there? Is that all the understanding we allow?

 

My understanding of Jesus continued to grow throughout my youth, my years of schooling, and even on into college—in my late 20s… While attending college, however, I experienced a very different image of Jesus—a radical who seemed obsessed with things like justice and eternal peace in this world… Like others, this Jesus of my college years had come a long way from the lamb-toting shepherd of my childhood…

 

As a matter of fact, the Jesus of my college years was always pictured wearing long hair and a beard—both of which—at one time—were strictly banned from the Bible college I went to…

 

So, what does that say about Jesus? In physical appearance, Jesus looked a lot like those who would’ve been kicked out of a Bible college … and rejected by most churches… Among his contemporaries he somehow gained a reputation as “a wine-bibber and a glutton.” Those in authority, whether political or religious, regarded him as a troublemaker… He spoke and acted like a revolutionary, scorning fame, family, property, & other measures of success… Just read the Gospel of Matthew; see if you don’t agree!

 

So, have we grown in our understanding of who Jesus is, since those many discoveries of our youth? Folks, JESUS IS MUCH MORE THAN THE SHEEP-HUGGING SHEPHERD OF OUR YOUTH; AND…

 

JESUS IS ALSO MUCH MORE … THAN THE LITTLE BITTY BABY OF CHRISTMAS! Sometimes, as adults, we like to leave him there—in the manger. As the ‘baby Jesus’ he doesn’t seem quite as threatening to our way of life—to our day-to-day witness as disciples… Too often, as adults, we just want to leave him there … in the manger, but is that right?

 

Does anyone remember the name … ‘Ricky Bobby?’ In the movie “Talladega Nights” the subject of Jesus comes up … more than once. Ricky Bobby, the lead character in the movie (played by Will Farrell) prays at his family’s dinner table in this way:“Dear Lord Baby Jesus, or as our brothers to the south call you Jésus…we thank you so much for this bountiful harvest of Domino’s, KFC, and the always delicious Taco Bell….” – Ricky Bobby

 

He goes on to pray later, “Dear Tiny, Infant, Jesus….” His wife starts to get upset at him and lets him know that Jesus didn’t stay a baby forever; he actually did grow up! To which Ricky Bobby responds, “Look, I like the Christmas Jesus best, and I’m sayin’ grace. When you say grace, you can say it to Grownup Jesus or Teenage Jesus or Bearded Jesus or whoever you want.”

 

Do you know who that reminds me of? Us… Too often, even as adults, we just want the Jesus that we want him to be; but, what about the Jesus that he really is? What about the Jesus of the Gospels?

 

And as long as we’re ‘what-abouting’ today … I’ll ask this question, too: What about … surrender? It’s a huge part of the life that God calls us to … in Christ! Peter wasn’t able to step into the JOY of knowing Jesus … until he was willing to surrender his strongly held ideas of who the Messiah was supposed to be—I dare say who Peter wanted him to be! Are we willing to surrender our preconceived notions of Jesus—the Jesus of our childhood, or the baby Jesus who is non-threatening to our way of life, to really look into the Gospels and find out who he really was?

 

Peter also discovered who he was to be … in God’s plan for life, once he surrendered to his preconceived notions of Jesus and discovered who he really was. Did you notice that? “God bless you, Peter … and, by the way, here are some insights into yourself that God wants you to know….” “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” That’s what Jesus wanted to know from his disciples. It was important. It was eternally important. It still is. And, Jesus still wants to know who we think he is…