Earlier today i was listening to the worship song Worthy of Your Name (lyrics below). As I listened to the words, I was reminded that our God is worthy first and foremost because of who He is, but also because of what He has done. He is worthy because He is our hope, our strength and our anchor. So it caused me to ask myself – in the midst of these ever-changing days – who do i say that He is?
In my mind, i went back to the day that Jesus asked His disciples that very question – “Who do you say I am?” (Luke 9:20). i believe the way we answer that question immediately gets to the heart of who we are. The answer gets to our beliefs, our convictions, our life trajectory, and even our eternal destiny.
Every major world religion acknowledges Jesus. Muslims believe He was a prophet. Jews believe He was a teacher and a miracle worker. Hindus believe He was a holy man, even one of many “gods”. Buddhists believe He was an enlightened man and a wise teacher. Baha’i believe that Jesus came from God and was a wise teacher with a divine nature. The New Age movement believes that Jesus was a wise moral teacher.
Even within those beliefs that are often included under the umbrella of “Christianity”, there are differing views. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus was God’s first creation, separate from God. Though Mormons believe that Jesus is the Son of God, they believe that the Father and Jesus are two distinct beings and that Jesus began as a spirit child of God. Christian Scientists view Jesus as a “way-shower” between humanity and God.
When Jesus walked on the earth, there also were a myriad of views. “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, others say… one of the ancient prophets risen from the dead” (Luke 9:19). The Pharisees called Him “Teacher”. Those from Nazareth called Him “Jesus the Carpenter, the son of Joseph.”
By the point in time when Jesus asked this question of His disciples, they had been following Him for well over two years. But they still didn’t fully understand Who He was. Jesus was about to tell them that He would be killed, and He would rise from the dead on the third day. But even though He was telling them what would take place, they still weren’t fully grasping the truth.
You will recall that Peter responded by saying, “You are the Messiah, sent by God” (Luke 9:20). He was responding both out of personal conviction and belief, but also as a spokesperson for the entire group. The disciples had spent much time discussing this very question amongst themselves ever since they had first begun to follow Jesus. Given all they had seen Jesus do, all they had heard Him teach, and what the Father Himself had revealed, Peter was able to make his bold proclamation.
But they still had a limited view of what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah. They believed that as the Messiah, He had come to free His people from Roman rule and re-establish the Kingdom of Israel as the mightiest nation on earth. That’s why they were still talking about who would have the greater position in His kingdom a year later on the night before He was arrested.
And that’s why Jesus “warned His disciples not to tell anyone who He was” (Luke 9:21). Having seen how the crowd reacted at the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:14-15), Jesus knew that if the apostles began to publicly preach their limited understanding of Who He was as the Messiah, it would lead to an attempted uprising by the people against Rome. And, of course, that was not His mission.
But once Jesus rose from the dead, the apostles were no longer under that restriction to not tell because their eyes had been fully opened. They now knew Who He was. He was not only their Master; He was their Savior. He was not only the Messiah; He was God come to earth as Man. He was their Hope, their Strength and their Anchor.
We stand on this side of His resurrection as well. We know the truth of who He is, and we have experienced the truth of what He has done.
He is our Author, our Maker
Our Ransom, our Savior
Our Refuge, our Hiding Place
He is our Helper, our Healer
Our Blessed Redeemer
Our Answer, our Saving Grace
He is our Hope, in the shadows
He is our Strength, in the battle
He is our Anchor, for all our days
And He stands, by our side
And He stood, in our place
He has enabled us to walk each day – regardless of what is happening around us – in the reality of who He is, as we hold onto the truth that He IS worthy of His name. And He would have us bear witness to that truth so those around us can walk in that same confidence and hope in these uncertain days.
Portion excerpted from Walking With The Master, Ch. 35
Worthy of Your Name
Rumors of the Son of Man
Stories of the Savior
Holiness with human hands
Treasure for the traitor
No ear had heard, no eye had seen
The image of the Father
Until heaven came to live with me
A rescue like no other
Yes, You are worthy
You are worthy of Your Name
Yes, You are worthy
You are worthy of Your Name
Jesus
You did not speak, You made no sound
You died for Your accusers
As Your blood fell to the ground
You redefined my future
On the day when You arose
The darkness ran for cover
For the King of kings has claimed His throne
Now until forever
Yes, You are worthy
You are worthy of Your Name
You are worthy
You are worthy of Your Name
Jesus
You're my Author, my Maker
My Ransom, my Savior
My Refuge, my Hiding Place
You're my Helper, my Healer
My Blessed Redeemer
My Answer, my Saving Grace
You're my Hope, in the shadows
My Strength, in the battle
My Anchor, for all my days
And You stand, by my side
And You stood, in my place
Jesus, no other name
No, only Jesus, no other name
You are worthy
You are worthy of Your Name
Yes, You are worthy
You are worthy of Your Name
Jesus
(Repeat)
Written by Brenton Brown, Sean Curran and Brett Younker