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Does It Matter Whether We Believe Jesus Is The Christ?
by Wayne Davies Mark 1:1 -- The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The book of Mark begins with a simple phrase containing the essential truth of the Christian faith. The temptation here is to bypass these words because of their brevity or their familiarity. To do either would be a big mistake. With regard to their brevity, please note that this is Mark's writing style. He was able to communicate much truth with few words. Such is the case here. And as far as their familiarity, we would all do well to spend considerable time digging into the truth found in these twelve words. If you are exploring the Christian faith for the first time, Mark 1:1 is an excellent place to start, for you will be presented with its most important teaching. If you a young believer and are looking for more substantive instruction to strengthen your understanding and conviction about your newfound faith you, too, came to the right place. And if you are a mature Christian who is quite familiar with Christian doctrine, the opening phrase of Mark's account should fill you with much joy. This verse contains both the foundational truth of the Biblical Christianity and the answer to the question: Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Christ, the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, the King of Israel. And He is the Son of God. Does it matter whether we believe this? Let's see what the apostle John has to say. "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also." (1 John 2:22-23) John is so direct, isn't he? Nothing wishy-washy here. If you deny that Jesus is the Christ, you are a liar. Next, notice how John says that a person who denies that Jesus is the Christ also denies the Father and the Son. It's a package deal. If you don't believe in Jesus as Messiah, you also don't believe in Him as the Son. And if you deny Jesus as the Son, you don't "have" the Father. There is an inseparable link between Jesus as the Christ and Jesus as the Son. And there's an inseparable link between believing in Jesus (as Christ and Son) and "having" the Father. You can't have one without the other. In this pluralistic age of religious tolerance, the message of Christianity couldn't be more politically incorrect. But it is the teaching of Scripture and the central message of the Bible. "What about you?" Jesus asked his disciples. "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15) Jesus is asking you this same question today. What is your response? I pray that you'll embrace the answer of Peter with all your heart, soul and strength: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) For more Bible reading tips, visit http://www.GodWroteTheBook.com for 2 free gifts: the Resource Guide "Top 5 Free Online Bible Study Tools" and my book "Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold: Meditations on Psalm 119," by Wayne Davies, dedicated to helping you read and understand the Bible. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |