“What Does Jesus Say
About Himself?”
Steve W. Reeves
A. What do people say about Jesus?
1. Some say He is only a myth or a figment of imagination that has been handed
down through the centuries.
2. Some see Him as a historical figure who is known for His moral ionstruction.
3. Some people see Him as a religious leader with no more significance than the
leaders of other world religions.
4. One thing is certain. No other question you will ever face has the importance and
impact this one does.
5. No other question cuts across the grain of modern thinking like this one. After all,
we are told, “all religions are the same” or “we’re all going to the same place, just
taking different routes.” To believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life is to be
called arrogant, intolerant and bigoted by many people in our world.
B. What did Jesus say about Himself? Throughout this series of messages we are
asking “What did Jesus say?” If there is nothing unique about Jesus whata
difference does it make? What would separate the teaching of Jesus from any
other religious leader?
1. The people who lived in Palestine during the first century A.D. were faced with
these same questions.
2. On one occasion Jesus asked those following Him, “Who do men say the Son of
Man is?” Immediately there were three different answers. Some thought He was
John the Baptist risen from the dead. Others thought He was the prophet Elijah
and others through He was a prophet.
C. Jesus had a lot to say about Himself. In this message we will cionsider five answers
to the question, “What did Jesus say about Himself?”
A. Messiah. The Anointed One.
1. It may well be impossible for you and I to understand the rich meaning of this
term.
2. In the Jewish mind the Messiah embodies every blessing and privilege of
Judaism.
a. The Messiah would be a descendent of King David and would restore Israel
to a period of wealth and prosperity not seen since the days of David and
Solomon.
b. The Messiah would be the embodiment of military leadership, political
leadership and spiritual leadership.
2. The Old Testament prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah.
a. Jeremiah proclaimed, ““Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king
and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 “In His days
Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called,
‘The Lord our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
b. Isaiah said, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch
from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him” (Isaiah
11:1-2).
c. Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Zachariah and others all foretold the coming of the
Messiah who would be a descendent of David.
B. What did Jesus say?
1. In Matthew 16 when Jesus asked who men said He was, Peter responded by
saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God” (vs. 16). Jesus called Peter blessed
and said, “frlesh and blood had not revealed this to him but God.
2. Notice Jesus’ ‘conversation with the Samaritan woman. “The woman *said to
Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One
comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you
am He” (John 4:25-26).
1. The foretelling of His birth Matthew 1:17, “acob was the father of Joseph the
husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. .”
2. The testimony of others. Andrew, Peter’ss brother, said, “Behold we have found
the Messiah” (John 1:41).
3. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
a. According to Zachariah 9:8-10, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to
you;He is just and endowed with salvation,Humble, and mounted on a
donkey, ven on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
b. How did Jesus enter Jerusalem on his final visit? Notice Matthew 21, Mark 22
and John 12.
4. Pilate ordered a sign put at the top of the cross that said, “King of the Jews.”
When the Jews said it should read, “He said…” Pilare said, “I have written what I
have written” (John 19:27).
A. Jesus did not claim to merely be “a son of God.” Instead, He claimed to be “The
Son of God.”
1. Even when He was young He understood His unique relationship. In Matthew 3:
He claimed, “I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).
2. It is one thing to say such things in the midst of your family and friends. Jesus,
however, maintained this truth in the midst of His eenemies. John 5:18 says that
the Jews were seeking to ikill Him because He said that God was His Father,
thus making Himself equal with God. .
3. In verse 19 Jesus said, “Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is
something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things
the Son also does in like manner.”
B. Perhaps Jesus’ most vivid statement about being the Son of God came in the form
of a parable. In Matthew 21:33-41 He said that a land owner rented out his land to
tenants. When he sent his servants to collect rent the tenants beat one, killed the
second and stoned the third. When more servants were sent the same thing
haoppened to them. Finally, the land owner said, “I will send my son. They will
respect him.” Instead, the wicked tenants said, “He is the heir. Let’s kill him and the
land will be ours.”
C. Why did the religious leaders want to kill Jesus? Was it merely a question of
popularity? Was it His criticism of them? Was it jealousy? The main reason has to \
be that they understood what He was claiming and considered it blasphemouis.
1. According to John 5:18, “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the
more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was
calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”
2. At the end of John 8 Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I Am.” This was an “in
your face” reference to God. The religious leaders picked up stones to throw at
Him but he slipped away.
III. THE SON OF MAN
1. This phrase appears 80 times in the Gospels.
2. To you and me it sounds very humble as if Jesus were stressing His humanity.
This was not the case with a Jewish audience. To them the title “Son of Man”
was loaded with Messianic significance.
B. In Daniel 7:13-14 the prophet said, ““I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.14 “And to
Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom,That all the peoples, nations and
men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.”
C. At Jesus’ trial as recorded in Matthew 26:63-64, “And the high priest said to Him,
“I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the
Son of God.” 64 Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell
you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power,
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
1. Can you imagine how that struck at the very core of the religious leaders?
2. It is no wonder they all spoke in favor of putting Jesus to death.
A. After His resurrection Jesus told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me
in heaven and on earth.”
1. Jesus demonstrated authority over the winds and waves on the Sea of Galilee
(Matthew 8:26-27).
2. He had authority to forgive sins according to Mark 2:9).
3. He had authority to heal sick and cast out demons.
4. He had authority over death (John 11:36ff).
B. Today, Jesus is still our authority. He is the head of His church (Ephesians 1:22-
23) and upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:2).
1.
saved?” Isn’t this narrow-minded? Isn’t this arrogant? How dare we insinuate that
there is only one way to eternal life. Surely, Jesus would never have been so
exclusive.
B. Read the Gospel of John and notice the “I am” statements of Jesus.
1. I am the bread of life (John 6:35),.
2. I am the light of the world. (John i8:12)
3. I am the door (John 10:9).
4. I am the good shepherd (John 10:11).
5. I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).
6. I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).
7. I am the true vine (John 15:1).
C. A student in an ornithology classs was given a test. The test consididted only of
pictures of bird’s legs with the instructions that the student was to identigy the birds
by their legs. Outraged, the student went to the professor and told him it was the
most outrageous test he had ever seen. The professor said, “I will give you an “F..”
What is your name? The student lifed his pant’s leg and said, “You well me.”
1. When you look at the statements Jesus made about Himself, who is He?
2. This is the question we must decide.
A. Other than the Bible, I believe the one book every person should read is Evidence
made about Himself, McDowell concludes that there are only three options.
1. Jesus was a liar – who purposefully deceived people.
2. Jesus was a lunatic – who was mentally deranged.
3. Jesus is LORD.
B. In this message I have attempted to show you what Jesuys said about Himself. Now
it is time for you to answer the question. “What do you think about Jesus?”
