Yesterday we read and discussed the trial of Peter and John before the Sadducee's in Acts 4. During this trial Peter criticizes their treatment of Christ. The Sadducee's prided themselves in being the builders of a religious system, but had made a mess of it by rejecting the most important person. Peter tells them; "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone" (Acts 4:11).There are many religious sects that exist today that share similar teachings with the Scriptures, but differ from Christianity because they reject the Jesus of the Bible. If one wonders whether a religious group teaches truth, that person must inquire about the group’s treatment of Christ.
Everything hinges on the important question Jesus asks His followers. He asks in Matthew 16:15, "Who do you say that I am?" According to John MacArthur, "Your response to Him will determine not only your values and lifestyle but your eternal destiny as well" (Nothing but the Truth, 165). To know how to properly respond to this question, one must examine the Scriptures and consider what they say about Him.
First, Jesus claims to be God in Scripture. In John 10:30 He affirms, "I and the Father are one." When commenting on this verse, MacArthur asserts, "He claimed to be nothing less than God in human flesh" (Ibid.). Many people today overlook these verses and claim that Jesus was a moral teacher, but was not God. His enemies, however, knew that he made Himself equal to the Father in person. John 5:18 says, "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." C.S. Lewis reasons, "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us" (Mere Christianity, pp.40-41).
The Scriptures also affirm that Jesus is our only hope for salvation. There are two things non-believers must come to terms with if they are going to be saved. The first is that they are in need of salvation. The Bible affirms in Romans 3:10, 3:23, and 6:23 that all have sinned and have failed to measure up to God's standard. As a result, we all die spiritually if we remain in the condition we were conceived in. Therefore, we all need righteousness from without imputed to us.
The second is that there is only one way to be saved. MacArthur says, "Many people assume there are many paths to God and that each religion represents an aspect of truth" (Ibid., 168). Peter made it clear in Acts 4:12, "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."
The third truth revealed about Jesus in Scripture is that He is Lord. The New Testament affirms that He was with the Father from the beginning and it was He who created everything (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). According to MacArthur, "Therefore He also owns and rules everything (Ps. 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives, and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship" (Ibid.).
Finally the Scriptures teach that those who reject Jesus as Savior will face Him as Judge. Luke wrote in Acts 17:30-31, "God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
After reviewing what the Scriptures say about Jesus, we have to personally ask, "Who is He?" If we believe the Scriptures to be God's word then we must conclude that Jesus is God, Savior, Lord, and Judge. MacArthur affirms that if we believe these to be true of Jesus than we must also believe that only He can transform hearts and lives, restore fellowship with God, and give eternal purpose (Ibid., 169).
