Jesus once asked his followers this question:

"Who do you say I am?"

• A prophet with a new teaching?
• A healer to the sick?
• A saviour to a lost world?

Jesus claimed each of these, but most importantly, he claimed to be God in the flesh.

At the dawn of time he ignited human history when he spoke. He breathed life into the lungs of the first man and woman - and every inch of creation itself.

But we rebelled. We turned against our King and followed our own ways, even though it would cost us our life. Our sin poisoned his perfect creation, giving way to sickness, injustice, and death.

Sin separated us from one another, and from God.

But rather than cast off humanity, God sent his Son Jesus to enter into the world he Created - the one broken by our sin. He breathed our air, and became human like us.

He, Jesus, lived a perfect life - the one God intended we live - and called us to repent of our sin and follow him in faith.

Some believed his word and recognised him as King. Others denied him. They crowned him with thorns and murdered him. They rejected him, and so have we.

But God had a plan. Jesus willingly gave himself up to die on a cross to save us from God's judgment and the death we deserve.

On that cross, he exchanged our rebellion for his obedience. Our brokenness for his perfection.

The Son of God died so we could live.

And on the third day, he rose to life again, defeating death forever.

And now, he sits on the throne of heaven, offering life through the Holy Spirit to all those who repent and trust in him.

Jesus is the King of Kings.

You can either crown him or crucify him. There is no middle ground.

No one will ever ask you a more important question than the one Jesus asked:

Who do you say I am?

 

God's plan is very simple. God's Word  (the Bible) teaches that He loved us before we were born (Psalm 139), and that He wants to have a personal relationship with each, and everyone of us. To return to a relationship with God we have to follow the teachings of Jesus. To a group of fishermen Jesus called simply "Follow Me", that was his call then, and it's the same for us now, Jesus is calling out "Follow Me", will you follow Jesus?

 

Without Jesus in our lives we are "spiritually" dead, separated from God, always looking for a purpose, a meaning for life, and wondering why are we here.

 

To return to a relationship with Jesus, the Bible teaches that "If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  (Romans 10:9)