Identity and the True Nature of Christ

I want to start this message with a powerful word: identity. Personal identity is when someone has a knowledge of who they truly are on the inside. When a person has a strong sense of identity, those persons are often marked by clarity, confidence, and an ability to make good decisions. But where true identity is not known, confusion abounds. Where true identity is rejected, relational tension abounds. Where true identity is distorted or not accepted, false narratives about a person can abound.

The enemy, Satan, knows the power of identity. He will stop at nothing to blind believers to their true identity, to strip people of it, and to attack those who possess it. Of all the people in history whose identity has been attacked, no one has suffered more attacks on their identity than Jesus Christ. For over 2,000 years, philosophers, sages, and religious people have either attacked the identity of Christ or tried to diminish it.

The Real Question About Christ

The confusion at the center of Christ's identity is not about his existence. There is documented historical evidence for Jesus's life. The attacks against him are not about whether he was real, but about what he claimed to be: deity. Was he a prophet or more than a prophet? Was he a healer or more than a healer? Was he an influential man or more than an influencer?

Christians, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses do not agree about the true identity of Christ. All across society and around the world, there is a conversation raging about the true identity of Christ. Whenever his name is brought up, his identity is either attacked, rejected, or diminished—made inadequate.

The Setting: A Public Confrontation

Jesus had come into the city of Jerusalem for the final week of his earthly life and ministry. He had upset the status quo of the religious order, confronted by the religious elite inside the temple. He had pronounced judgment on them and backed them down with his wisdom and theology from the word of God. After silencing the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and disciples of the Sadducees, Matthew now records the ending of this heated two-chapter exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders.

In Matthew 22:41, the text reads: "Now, while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question."

Notice the word "now"—this is happening during the Jewish feast of Passover. Thousands of people are in Jerusalem. Jesus is standing in the temple, and thousands of people are around it. This is not private; this is public. Unbelievers, Jews, and curious onlookers are all listening to this exchange, locked in to see who will win this battle between this man who claimed to be the Messiah and the Jewish leaders.

Also notice that "the Pharisees were gathered together." There are circles that emerge around the context of spirituality that do not come from God. There are religious circles in culture, even in churches, that do not come from God. This group of people is seen as the religious elite, but their hearts are not with God. We must have enough discernment to know that not every group that emerges in culture has come from God, and not every group that forms inside a church has come from God.

The Compound Question

Jesus now asks them a question in Matthew 22:42: "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?"

This is one of the most important questions that the world will ever wrestle with in the history of humanity. There are people who have died and gotten this question wrong, and it has cost them their souls in eternity. There are people right now who are believing something about this question that is wrong, and it can cost them their soul in eternity. You don't want to come to the end of your life and have this question wrong. What do you think about the Christ? Is he worthy of your life? Is he worthy of your praise? Is he worthy of your surrender?

Remember, Christ is not Jesus's last name. The word Christ is a New Testament term for the anointed one, which is a reference to the Old Testament term Messiah. In the Old Testament era they would call this person the Messiah; in the New Testament era we call this person the Christ, the anointed one.

Jesus is asking them a legitimate question. He had put together an elaborate entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey according to the scriptures, indirectly telling everyone, "I am the Christ." He had come into the city hearing people shouting that he was the Christ. He had told the parable of the vineyard, making himself the son of a father, indirectly communicating "I am the Christ." Through these actions and words, Jesus was communicating his true identity. He had healed. He had raised people from the dead. He had spoken to storms and they had calmed down. He had controlled nature, shown divine wisdom, divine prophecy, and fulfilled prophecy.

With his second question, "Whose son is he?"—he is probing to see their knowledge of the scriptures, their knowledge of prophecy, and their understanding of who this Messiah is. You've been waiting for this person for thousands of years, and you can't even see that he's standing right in front of you.

The Inadequate Answer

In Matthew 22:42-43, the text continues: "They said to him, 'The son of David.'"

This is not a trick question. They know the Old Testament scriptures. The Pharisees know the Old Testament scriptures. David was the greatest king of ancient Israel. God promised King David that from his lineage, a son will come that will sit on his throne forever. Solomon did not fulfill that. None of David's biological sons fulfilled that. But the only person who could fulfill that is asking them now whose son is he, and they answered: "The son of David."

They know that the Messiah must be a biological heir or from the lineage of David. The Jewish people know that. That's why when Christ comes into the city, they're shouting, "Hosanna, thou son of David." When Jesus was healing, blind people on the side of the road say, "Have mercy on me, thou son of David." Even Matthew knows that the Messiah had to be a son of David. Matthew wrote this book for a Jewish audience. How does Matthew begin his book? With a genealogy: "This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David."

All the Jews knew that the Messiah, the Christ, had to be from the lineage of David.

But here's the problem: their answer is not incorrect, but it is inadequate. They are confused about who the Messiah is supposed to be. They have an inadequate view of the Messiah. They've been reading the Old Testament for thousands of years and they think the Messiah is going to be a pure human who's going to be a military leader and a political leader. When the Messiah comes, he's going to join their team, help them overthrow Rome, and then the Messiah and all of them will sit together in charge of Jerusalem.

They are looking for a man. They are not looking for the Son of God.

This is like believers today. You're only looking for men, but you're not looking for the Son of God. You do the same thing when you listen to sermons—you're only looking for yourself, but you're not looking for the Son of God. God forbid anybody preach a message that is about Christ and not about you. You're bored. You want to go to sleep. You just want to get to the restaurant because you're only looking for man, but you're not looking for the Son of God.

You only want to be told about man, but you don't want to be told about the Son of God. You only have reverence for man, but you don't have reverence for the Son of God. God forbid anybody preach to you for 40 minutes about Christ. That's not good enough for you. You want to be told about yourself. You don't want to be taught about the Son of God, Jesus.

In America, we only want to pile into places where people make us feel good about ourselves. But God forbid anybody takes the time to teach us about the Son of God. Why? Because in America, Jesus is not enough. He's not enough. He's not enough.

Jesus Responds with Scripture

Now watch how Jesus responds to their answer. In Matthew 22:43-45, Jesus says:

He said to them, "How is it then that David in the spirit calls him Lord? saying, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.' If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"

This text is so pregnant with meaning. Jesus says: If you think the Messiah is only a human, how come David in the spirit calls him Lord? How could he call a son a master?

Then David writes: "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool."

Jesus quotes to them Psalm 110:1. This is the most robust messianic psalm recorded in the scriptures. Psalm 110 has more prophecies about the Messiah than any other passage in the Psalms.

Understanding the Psalm

David, an earthly king, is writing in his journal: "The Lord said to my Lord." That means David is writing about two people who have deity. He talks about one he calls "the Lord" and the other one he calls "my Lord."

In Hebrew, the first "Lord" is Yahweh. The second "Lord" is Adoni. Two people who are deity, two distinct personalities. So he says: Yahweh says to Adoni, "Sit at my right hand." And David calls Adoni his lord, just as "The Lord is my shepherd."

So David writes that Yahweh says to Adoni, "Sit at my right hand," and whoever Adoni was is given the highest exalted position in all of creation.

Yahweh, who is pictured as God the Father, says to Adoni, who is indicated as God the Son: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." The Father tells the Son, "You will be the highest exalted person in all of creation. And a day is coming where I'm going to deal harshly with every person that rejected you, every person that was an enemy of you, every person that did not believe in you. I'm going to make all your enemies your footstool."

That means every atheist, every false religion, every person that rejected Christ, every mocker, every scoffer—a day is coming if they don't repent while they're breathing, they're going to be under Jesus's foot in permanent damnation.

God is saying: "Don't worry. Let them trash you now. I'm going to deal with all of them in the afterlife. Let them mock your identity now. I'm going to deal with all of them in the afterlife. Let them reject your identity now. I'm going to deal with all of them in the afterlife."

David's Divine Access

Here is David calling the Messiah his Lord. How could David call the Messiah his Lord and the Messiah be his son at the same time? How could David have known about this cosmic conversation? Jesus said, "David wrote this in the spirit." The Holy Spirit has the power to reveal things to human beings that you otherwise would not know on your own. Your education won't give that to you. Your church attendance won't give that to you. Your reading books won't give that to you. Your conference attendance won't give that to you. The Holy Spirit has the power to reveal things to humans that they otherwise would not know.

This is the beginning of the New Testament doctrine that all scripture was inspired by God.

For all the people that argue, "I don't believe in the Bible because it was written by men," consider this: The Bible is a collection of 66 ancient documents written by over 40 human authors—39 Jews and one non-Jew. They lived on three different continents. They lived over a period of 1500 years. They spoke three different languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Yet if you study these scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, there is a unity of thought from Genesis to Revelation. From Genesis to Revelation, the whole thing reveals one person with accurate prophecies.

This is a mathematical impossibility apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.

I point all that out for this one reason: to remind you that you can trust everything in here. If God said it, he will do it. He said he's a provider and he is. He said he's a healer and he is. He said he's a way maker and he is. He said he's a deliverer and he is. He said he will fight for you and he does. If he said it, he'll do it. Why? Because he's not a man that he should lie.

I don't care what you read on Google. I don't care what you got off the internet. In the stillness of the night, when your soul is being persecuted and weary, I put my tears in this book. When my marriage is in trouble, I put my face in this book. When my kids are out of order, I put my face in this book. When you need an answer, you can put your faith in this book. When you need clarity, you can put your faith in this book. From Genesis to Revelation, it can be trusted.

Can't say the same for the Quran. Can't say the same for the Pearl of Great Price. Can't say the same for any religious text in the history of the world with accurate prophecies. But this ever-living, ever-breathing, infallible, inherent, alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword—the word of Almighty God—can be trusted.

What is Jesus trying to prove to the Pharisees from the scriptures? That the Messiah was more than just a human being. The Messiah was also God in the flesh.

The Dual Nature of the Messiah

In Matthew 22:45, Jesus asks: "If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"

If you follow his genealogy, it's right there in the beginning of Matthew—Jesus is from the lineage of King David. So as a human, he is the son of David. But as God, he is David's Lord. The Messiah is both human and divine. He's both a son of David and the Lord of David.

Jesus is telling these Pharisees: "For the last time, this is your last opportunity. I ain't arguing with you no more. I know my identity. And when you know your identity, you ain't got to prove nothing to nobody. They can mock you, talk bad about you, make false narratives about you, make videos about you, abandon you, leave you, walk away from you. But when you know your identity, you have clarity, strength, confidence—10 toes down—in the work God has called you to do."

Jesus doesn't flinch an ounce. The crowds hear this conversation. The Pharisees hear this conversation. They hear his response.

Their Silence

In Matthew 22:46, the text says: "And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare ask him any more questions."

That's how you shut them down. Any more questions? But the truth of God's word ain't fighting about nothing. God's word silences every argument.

The Problem: An Inadequate View of Christ

You know what was the problem with these Pharisees? They had an inadequate view of the Christ. They had a false Christ in their hearts.

You know what's the problem with a lot of Americans? You got an inadequate view of Christ. You're just like these Pharisees.

I know you got an inadequate view because we got to beg you to worship. People got to beg you to lift up your hands. We got to beg you to serve. Got to beg you to give. Got to beg you to be generous.

I know you got an inadequate view of Christ because you don't want to surrender. "He is not Lord. He's only a song. He's only a sermon."

I know you got an inadequate view of Christ because here's what America does not have for him: reverence, respect, homage, fear, and awe. We don't got no fear of God. The American church has no fear of the Lord. Why? Because we got an inadequate view of Christ.

You're so familiar with him. There's no reverence. There's no fear. You come into gatherings like this, you stand like zombies. You don't worship. You don't sing. You don't lift up a hand. You don't kneel down. You don't give him homage. You're not generous. You don't serve. You're not involved in the gospel. Why? You got an inadequate view of Christ. You think you're not going to have to deal with him in the afterlife. You're bored with him because you have an inadequate view, not even knowing that he's everything that you need.

What We Actually Need

You think you need Jesus plus a house, Jesus plus whatever. No. You will never be fully satisfied with anything outside of Christ. I know personally—you'll get the new house and be bored with it. You'll get the new car and you'll be bored with it. You'll get the new boyfriend and be bored with him. There is nothing that's going to satisfy you like a deep intimate relationship with Christ.

There's too many of us under the sound of my voice with an inadequate view of Christ. He's too low in your mind. That's why you come into gatherings and you stand like this. You want the worship team to be a cheerleading team. Why don't you worship him? You know why you don't worship him? You got an inadequate view.

You think he's that baby in a manger. No.

He's the one that was raised from the dead. He's the one that John saw when he fell on his feet like a dead man. He's the one seated at the right hand of God the Father.

No, let me talk heavy for just a second for everybody that thinks he's the baby in a manger. No. He's the one that got eyes like fire and who's wearing a robe that's been dipped in blood, who got a tattoo on his thigh that says "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords." He's the one who the scripture says is coming back not for peace, but to make war. He's the one that died on a cross for your sins—the ones you couldn't pay for with your own righteousness. That's not enough to stand before God in judgment.

The False Christ

Those Pharisees had a false Christ. They were believing in a false Messiah. Just like some of you under the sound of my voice. I don't care if you're mad. You're believing in a false Christ.

Your Christ can't confront you. Your Christ can't tell you about your sin. Your Christ is only love and grace. Your Christ don't tell you to forgive. Your Christ don't tell you to be generous. Your Christ don't tell you to worship. Your Christ don't tell you to sacrifice. Your Christ don't tell you, "Pick up your cross and follow me." Your Christ keeps you comfortable in sin. Your Christ doesn't bother you. Your Christ lets you keep your preferences. Your Christ doesn't challenge you.

Your Christ does not exist.

Your Christ is going to send you to hell. He's that fake Christ you've been holding on to since VBS that does not exist.

But the Christ I preach is the one who's on the pages of every text. The one who died for you. The one who loves you. The one who paid the price for you. The one who's covering you. The one who put his blood on you. The one who gave you his righteousness when he died on the cross. The one who's coming back. The one that wrote your name in the Lamb's book of life. The one that got you engraved on the palm of his hand.

The one that you should be completely surrendered to. The one you should be living for with reckless abandon. The one you say, "Lord, your will and not mine." The one you say for the rest of your life, "Lord, your will be done. Not mine." The one you come back in here next week and go crazy in worship and stop acting like a zombie in his presence.

That Christ—the one who went to prepare a place for you, so that where he is, you will be also. The one that's going to deliver you from that body of sin. That's the real Christ.