"Who is this Man?"

Let's pray together. Father God we thank you for today. One more opportunity you give us to study your word. One more opportunity for us to see you for who you are. And I pray Lord that what you teach us today will enable us to worship you truly for who you are and what you've done. I thank you for those who are here. They've come because they want to worship you in spirit and in truth. And I pray Lord that you'd open their eyes that they might see wonderful things out of your law. I pray that you lead us and guide us Lord as we study your word today that truly we would see Jesus Christ in all of his glory and thus bow before you in humble submission to be obedient to your word.

Pray in Jesus name. Amen. This week I will wake up on Thursday morning on the Mediterranean Sea. I will make my way to Nazareth with a busload of people and see the place where Jesus was raised. Enter a synagogue in which Jesus, one like Jesus, would speak in. Go to a precipice there in Nazareth. A hill that overlooks the Jezreel Valley. Presumably the place where they would take our Lord and want to kill him because of the words that he said. We will make our way from there to a place called Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle.

They're at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. And there we will have several couples at least three of them renew their vows as they understand their commitment to one another based on their commitment of course to Christ. We will leave Cana of Galilee and then we will make our way to the Sea of Galilee and enter Tiberias and that's where we will sleep and spend the next few days in the Galilee region. And then on Sunday we will ascend up to Jerusalem. We will have our Sunday service in the little town called Bethlehem and there we will understand the coming of the Messiah, the incarnation of God and spend the rest of our time there in Jerusalem.

Always wondering and asking how it is they missed the coming of the Messiah. We go to the land of Israel and we see the sites some traditional, some actual. Things that we know for certain where certain events took place. Others are traditional. We don't know for certain if that's the place but we know what took place in and around that vicinity. How is it that the nation of Israel so easily missed their Messiah? How is it they did not understand who this man really is or at that time who he was?

How could they miss him? Today we look at three verses in Luke's Gospel, the ninth chapter and those three verses begin to unfold for us how it is Israel did not come to grips with the identity of the Messiah.

A question is asked. It's asked by Herod. Who is this man? Let me read for you those three verses Luke 9 verses 7 to 9.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening and he was greatly perplexed because it was said by some that John had arisen from the dead and by some that Elijah had appeared and by others that one of the prophets of old had arisen again and Herod said I myself had John beheaded but who is this man about whom I hear such things and he kept trying to see him. In these three simple verses we have unfolded to us the greatest of all truths the identity of the man Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the greatest question one can ask.

Who is this man? Thus comes the greatest answer to the greatest question. How you answer that question determines where you will spend eternity either with God or apart from God. So it's imperative that we understand who the man is so that we can answer the question when asked. Herod would ask the question and it becomes the compelling question of Luke's gospel. A number of years ago I'm sure many of you saw parts of it that series that the late Peter Jennings did on ABC concerning the search for Jesus.

He never found Jesus because he never talked to anybody who knew him and he never looked at the right place to find him and he would conclude his search for Jesus just as it was a search but have no answer. Unfortunately Mr. Jennings has faced his answer now that he has gone on and passed into the real life the life after death. But like most people they might ask the question but they don't know the answer and so it's imperative for us to be able to give them that answer. To who is this man? It's a question that's been asked on many occasions already in the book of Luke and will continue to be asked all throughout the gospels.

Who is this man? Turn with me back to Luke chapter 5. Luke chapter 5. In Luke chapter 5 verse number 21 you have this question asked by the Pharisees who happened to be in a house where there was a man who was paralyzed who came down through the roof. He himself did not come through the roof he was paralyzed but his friends put him down through the roof and Christ immediately forgave him of his sins. In verse 21 the scribes and Pharisees began to reason saying who is this man who speaks blasphemies who can forgive sins but God alone.

So we see the question by the scribes and Pharisees who is this man? You just can't go around forgiving people's sins only God can do that and of course we know what Jesus did. He made the man take up his bed and walk and so we begin to see how how Christ reveals himself very clearly to people about his identity. If you turn over to Luke chapter 7. Luke chapter 7 in verse number 20. Not only the scribes and Pharisees asked this question but even the disciples of John asked this question. It says in verse number 20 and when the men had come to him that is the disciples of John they said John the Baptist has sent us to you saying are you the expected one or do we look for someone else?

Who are you? Are you truly the Messiah? Who is this man Jesus of Nazareth? If you go over to Luke chapter 7 in verse number 49 you have these words once again asked by those in Simon's house. Simon was a Pharisee and Christ would once again forgive someone's sins and the question was asked in verse number 49 and those who were reclining at the table with him began to say to themselves who is this man who even forgives sins? So we see once again the question is profound. Who is this guy? Look over in chapter 8.

Chapter 8 verse number 25. With the disciples after the storm and the sea had been calmed in verse number 25 it says he said to them where is your faith? And they were fearful and amazed saying to one another who then is this that he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him? Who is this man who can speak a word and immediately calm the sea and stop the storm? The question was even asked by Jesus in Luke chapter 9 the chapter we're in. In verse number 18 who do the multitudes say that I am?

Who do people say that I am? We know that that question was asked in Caesarea Philippi and again when we go to Israel we go to that place because at that location in Israel the question asked there determines whether you are a Christian or whether you are a Catholic. No I didn't get that mixed up. You're either a Christian or a Catholic. You're not both. You're one or the other and what you believe that happens in Caesarea Philippi about who do men say that I am that question asked by Christ and ultimately answered by Peter determines what you believe about the identity of the Messiah.

So we ask what do the multitudes say? What's the popular opinion? Who do people say that I am? And then he says but who do you say that I am? As he looks at Peter, James, John, Andrew and the rest of the apostles because it really makes no difference what the popular opinion is of Jesus. It only makes the difference about the personal opinion your personal opinion that is who do you say Jesus is. So Jesus even asks the question to his disciples. Turn over with me if you would to Luke chapter 20. Luke chapter 20 verse number one and it came about on one of the days while he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel that the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted him and they spoke saying to him tell us by what authority you are doing these things or who is the one who gave you this authority.

In other words you just can't come in here and do the things you're doing. Who are you? What gives you the right to come in here and demolish our whole religious system? Who are you and what authority do you have to do the things that you do and to say the things that you say? If you go over to Luke chapter 22 verse 66 it says that when it was day the council of elders of the people assembled both chief priests and scribes and they led him away to their council chamber saying if you are the Christ tell us but he said to them if I tell you you will not believe and if I ask a question you will not answer but from now on the son of man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God and they all said are you the son of God then?

Who are you? Are you the son of God? You see the question was asked over and over and over and over again who is this man? Are you the son of God? And Jesus said to them yes I am and then in verse two of chapter 23 Pilate asked him saying are you the king of the Jews? Who are you? That's the that's the the prominent question in the gospels and the gospels are written primarily to answer that question that everybody asks because who you say that Jesus is determines where you will spend eternity and that's why in John chapter 20 it says in verse number 31 these things were written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ that he is the Messiah the son of God and believing in him you would have life through him life comes through Jesus Christ our Lord believing that he is the Messiah the Messiah of God the one sent to redeem man's soul and believing in him you will have the life that only he himself can give that's why the gospels themselves were written to ask and answer the question who is this man?

Thomas answered that question he said my Lord and my God so the centurion at the cross answered that question by this statement surely this was the son of God and Jesus said to Philip in John chapter 14 if you've seen the father Philip you have seen or if you've seen me Philip you have seen the father because Philip asked show us the father Christ simply answered if you've seen me you have seen the father that's the question that's the compelling question and that's the question that Herod asks in Luke chapter 9 who is this man and that question opens the door to the reality of the identity of our savior Jesus Christ our Lord I have four points I want to cover with you this morning the first is the context of our study the second will be the confusion over Christ's identity and then will come the curiosity of Christ's enemy and then we will have the conclusion about man's destiny those are our four points this morning we'll begin with the context of our study what prompted Herod to ask the question well the context is so important those first six verses of Luke chapter 9 help us understand exactly what's going on remember Christ had brought the 12 apostles together in order to send them out that they might perform miracles that they might cast out demons that they might perform all kinds of healings that they according to Matthew's account would even raise the dead Christ would enable them to have the power that he himself exemplified in his ministry because he wanted to give Galilee one more opportunity to believe and so he was going to send these 12 out to blitz the entire region one more time that they would come to grips with the reality of who Jesus Christ was that the king had arrived and the king was bringing his kingdom so they went out to perform these miracles and to preach the gospel of the kingdom age that people would understand that the king messiah had arrived and he was offering his kingdom to them in so doing they were preaching the gospel of forgiveness the gospel of salvation the gospel that would transform people's lives and so they went from village to village over 200 of those villages tells us that were filled with people and they would go from place to place and Christ had pretty much covered the entire area just by himself in the first 18 months but he knew that there were more people to reach and he wanted to banish disease and all illness from Israel and so he would call his men together he would send them out and they would preach the gospel and as they preached that gospel they would validate that message through the miracles that they performed and so as they went out to preach the gospel and to perform these miracles this is what would prompt the question by Herod himself it says in verse number 10 and when the apostles returned they gave an account to him of all that they had done in other words they would give an account as to what was taking place in all the villages when they would heal people's lives and they would preach the gospel and through Herod's question listen carefully we begin to see the response of Galilee Herod's question gives us how the people would respond to the message that was preached by the apostles because they were sent Herod's question opens the door to what Israel was thinking when these men would come to their town to their village and preach the truth of the gospel what idea was surfacing in Galilee upon these people and their message and the idea was simply that he was a prophet or maybe he was john the baptist or maybe he was Elijah that that was the the common response and that's why when Jesus asked the question later on Luke 9 who do people say that I am well some some think that you're Elijah because they know that Malachi 3 and Malachi 4 state that Elijah will come before the great and terrible day of the Lord so some think you're Elijah some think that you're one of the great prophets risen from the dead even Jeremiah some think you're john the baptist risen from the dead that was the popular opinion in those days that's why Christ would ask the question who do men say that I am and through Herod's question or at this point in Luke 9 we get to understand Galilee's response to the message that is preached they have come to the wrong conclusion as to the identity of the messiah it's not you're the son of God it's not you're our messiah it's not God is among us God is here it's none of that it's john the baptist it's Elijah it's one of the prophets the buzz about Jesus was all over the place but it was the wrong buzz it wasn't the right conversation they'd come to the wrong conclusion which leads us to the confusion over his identity the confusion over his identity you understand the context that these men would go out and they would preach the gospel they would report back to Jesus all that was happening and Herod was getting word from all these people as to what was happening Herod remember was in Tiberias Tiberias is right on the sea of Galilee but Jesus never went to Tiberias there's no record in the gospels that Jesus ever went to Tiberias in Tiberias you can walk to Tiberias from Capernaum but he never went there we'll tell you why in a minute it's interesting to note that Herod would ask question who is this man he doesn't ask who are these men he asks who is this man it would seem to me that he would ask who who are all these guys going around performing all these who are these guys if Christ sends them out two by two that means there are six groups of them and they're going from village to village and all these men are doing is healing people casting out demons raising the dead and preaching the gospel doesn't it in your mind conjure up the idea who are these men but that's not the question the question is who is this man it adds credibility to the apostles and the ministry that they had their ministry wasn't about them and their ministry wasn't about drawing attention to them their ministry was about Christ himself and making sure that people understood that the message they preached was the message of the kingdom and the king was here and the power they had was power endowed to them by the king himself you see the people knew these guys they were all from Galilee they would know Peter James John Andrew Simon they would know these people and they were new they knew that these men were ordinary men they were tradesmen they were craftsmen they were fishermen they the people of the town knew that these men had no extraordinary powers they knew these guys so in order for them to do what they were doing and had to be imparted to them by some other individual and that was Jesus Christ the Messiah of Israel which begs the question who is this man remember back in in Acts chapter three turn back there to Acts chapter three for a moment because this gives you an idea of what was taking place in verse number one of chapter three of the book of Acts now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour the hour of prayer and a certain man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along whom they used to sit down every day at the gate of the temple which is called beautiful in order to beg alms of those who are entering the temple and when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple he began asking to receive alms and Peter along with John fixed his gaze upon him and said look at us and he began to give them his attention expecting to receive something from them but Peter said I do not possess silver and gold but what I do have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene walk and seizing him by the right hand he raised him up and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened and with a leap he stood upright and began to walk and he entered the temple with them walking and leaping and praising God I mean this was quite a miracle I mean here was a guy who was lame from from birth and now Peter and James in the name of Jesus the Nazarene take up your bed and walk he gets up he leaps he walks every miracle of Christ was instantaneous and every miracle of Christ required no rehab none and also understand this correct me if I'm wrong but don't you have to learn how to walk this man's never walked before he doesn't know how to walk he's been unable to do that from birth but all of a sudden he knows how to walk he can he can not only walk he can leap this lame man was leaping for joy because that's the kind of miracle that Jesus Christ does when Jesus heals you there's no restoration period there is no rehab because he does it instantaneously and he does it perfectly and that's what takes place read on verse nine and all the people saw him walking and praising God and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the beautiful gate of the temple to beg alms and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him and while he was clinging to Peter and John all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico Solomon full of amazement and when Peter saw this he replied to the people men of Israel why do you marvel at this or why do you gaze at us as if by our own power or piety we made him walk we didn't do this we can't do this the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus the one whom you delivered up and disowned in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him but you disowned the holy and righteous one and asked for a murderer to be granted to you but put to death the prince of life the one whom God raised from the dead a fact to which we are witnesses and on the basis of faith in his name it is the name of Jesus which was or which has strengthened this man whom you see and know and the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all you see what took place took place because of Jesus the Nazarene it took place because of the power of almighty God it's not about Peter it's not about John it's about Jesus Christ himself that little story gives you a synopsis of what was taking place as Peter and James and John and the rest of the apostles were going from village to village healing people and preaching the gospel the whole focus was on Jesus the Nazarene it wasn't about them it wasn't about their publicity it wasn't about their prominence it wasn't about their affirmation it was not about them it was all about Jesus Christ they turned people to Jesus and that's what prompted the question who is this man not who are these men but who is this one man that is doing all these miracles that is the question so they would answer but their answer was wrong but they did get one thing right about Jesus I mean after all I mean having a ministry for three years and in in the land of Israel you should at least get at least one thing right about Jesus and they got one thing right that he wasn't human that's right he's God in flesh but they got that part right he was something other than that which was natural he was something other than that which is human that's why they they said he maybe he's Elijah well for Elijah to come back it had to be supernatural well maybe he's John the Baptist well for that to happen he would have had to been raised from the dead because Herod's already had John the Baptist beheaded that would be supernatural it would have to be one of the prophets of old for that to happen they in turn would have to be raised from the dead that too would be supernatural so they got one thing right it wasn't natural it was supernatural it wasn't normal it was abnormal it wasn't human it was something other than that they got that part right remember back in Luke chapter 7 verse number 16 in Luke 7 verse number 16 after raising the widow's son at name it says this and fear gripped them all and they began glorifying God saying a great prophet has arisen among us and God has visited his people so in other words there is something not natural about this man Jesus that's why the disciples on the boat made this statement what manner of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey him in other words it's a word that means what other worldly kind of man is this what other generational kind of man is this what alien form of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey him when he speaks so Israel got one thing right about Jesus he wasn't normal he wasn't natural and he wasn't human but they didn't know exactly who he was better yet they refused to recognize who he was because you see when you read the Gospels you can only come up to one conclusion he's not human he's not natural there's something other something about him that's otherworldly and if you come to that conclusion you must realize because of his supernaturalness you must repent of your sin and bow before him in in humble submission but you see Israel wasn't about to do that they didn't want to do that because he confronted their religious system he confronted their sinful lifestyle and their confusion over his identity was there because they refused to repent of their iniquity men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil right and that's exactly what was happening here with Jesus I mean who what human can raise the dead what human can calm the sea what human can feed thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people with a few fishes and a few loaves of bread what human can cast out demons and have authority over the satanic world answer no human can only God can only God can because God is the one with the power to do those things and Herod asked the question the question wasn't what what is this man's message because they knew the message it was the message of the gospel it was a message preached to them over and over and over again about their condition that they needed to repent and and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ the Messiah Herod knew the message he knew the message because he heard it from John John the Baptist remember that John the Baptist would preach the message to him back in Luke chapter 3 if you go back to Luke chapter 3 verse number 18 speaking of John the Baptist it says so with many other exhortations also he preached the gospel to the people but when Herod the tetrarch was reproved by him on account of Herodias his brother's wife and on account of all the wicked things which Herod had done he added this also to them all that he locked John up in prison see John would speak against Herod's iniquity he would confront Herod on his sinful lifestyle and I mentioned this last night at our at the closing of our of our missions conference you know there's a difference between a preacher and a speaker there's a difference between a preacher and a communicator a big difference between a a preacher and one who shares churches today are filled with communicators they're they're they're filled with discussion artists they are filled with speakers but very few churches have preachers John the Baptist was a preacher to be a preacher you must confront sin or you're not a preacher preachers confront sin John the Baptist confronted sin Jesus confronted sin Paul confronted sin Peter and John confronted sin the apostles confronted sin every preacher every prophet of the Old Testament confronted sin when sin was evident they exposed it because they wanted people to get right with God preachers confront sin because they want people to get right with God communicators don't do that speakers don't do that people who want to share about Jesus don't do that and so we have churches today filled with those kinds of people but we don't have churches filled today with preachers of the true gospel that will confront people on their sinful lifestyle and call them to a point of repentance because preachers are concerned about the eternal destiny of the people they address they want to make sure those people know the truth that's why they're called preachers of the gospel preachers of the truth and that's what John the Baptist did everybody knew that Herod was a wicked man I mean he flaunted his wickedness and the Jews hated Herod why because Tiberias the city Tiberias was built on a Jewish cemetery and that was blasphemous to the Jews not only that but Herod would erect idols in that city and in the region of Galilee plus he was a Roman pagan and so the Jews hated Herod and there in that city Tiberias a city that he built to Tiberias Caesar is where this man reigned and Herod was confronted by John the Baptist and Herod didn't like that so Herod threw him into prison threw him into prison you see preachers preachers are willing to sacrifice their life their ministry everything for the sake of the truth all they care about is the truth to make sure it's properly presented because they are held accountable for the things that they say before the God of the universe we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ second Corinthians 5 10 says that every man will receive that which is done in his body whether it be good or bad we're all going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ John the Baptist the preacher of the gospel knew that and he wasn't he wasn't afraid of Herod he didn't back down from Herod he didn't back down from his confrontation of the sin that Herod so widely widely spoke of and lived in front of everybody he would speak against that and so he was thrown into prison and you know the story about John the Baptist don't you where his wife Herodias which really was his niece so he committed incest when he married her when he stole her from his other brother Philip and one day his daughter came in and would dance lustfully before him and lust would fill his eyes over his own daughter and he asked her whatever you want I will give you so she goes to her mother Salome the daughter goes to her mother Herodias and says what should we get daddy is offering us everything anything what do you want Herodias said I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter right now so she went back and told her father and because he would not be humiliated in front of the people that he made the commitment to his daughter about he went and had John the Baptist beheaded and brought that head in on a silver platter just like his wife requested so you have point number three the curiosity of his enemy who is this man it says in verse number seven now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening and he was greatly perplexed because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead he had John beheaded I mean wouldn't that be a frightful thought I mean you kill somebody and they're back I mean I mean if that wouldn't cause you to have a sleepless night I don't know what would and so so here was here was Herod listening to the to the voice of the opinion of people it's John the Baptist he's risen from the dead so Herod and some said it was Elijah others said a prophet said arisen again Herod said I had John beheaded he's dead it can't be John the Baptist that man is dead I made sure of it and yet there had to be a little bit of fear in the heart and mind of of Herod the tetrarch the ruler over a fourth of Galilee upon the popular opinion that John the Baptist had risen from the dead you know the question is about what is the message of the man or what about the miracles of the man because there was no question about the miracles you don't deny a resurrection when it happens before your eyes you can't deny someone who was lame and now walks again can't deny someone who was once blind but now can see again there was no question about the miracles of Jesus and there was no question about the message of Jesus because everybody knew what he said it was all about the man himself who is this man Jesus will they come to grips with the reality of his identity it says in verse number nine of Luke nine that Herod kept trying to see him listen you don't want to see Jesus unless you have to but Herod kept trying to see Jesus why why what was Herod looking for did Herod want more information did Herod want a first-hand glimpse of this man called Jesus Jesus never went to Tiberius Herod never had an encounter with him until the end until the end in Luke 13 verse number 31 it says this just at that time some Pharisees came up saying to him go away and depart from here for Herod wants to kill you that's why Herod wanted to see Jesus he wanted to kill him why because he was presented as a king and Herod was the king and so there was jealousy Herod's father remember Herod's father he was the one who killed all the babies two years and younger upon finding out from the magi that a king had been born in Israel and so Herod would kill all the children all the male children two years and under for fear that his throne would be taken from him Herod's father was a wicked man he killed the entire Sanhedrin that's 70 men Herod even killed some of his own sons one of them five days before he died now this son this son of Herod he too wanted to kill Jesus so Jesus would never make his way to Tiberius he would never walk into the mouth of a lion he would never subject himself to anything until it was the time for him to die so Herod wasn't concerned about the message or the miracles he was concerned about this man who was presented as a king and so we look to the end of Luke Luke chapter 22 or 23 in Luke chapter 23 Herod finally gets his audience with Jesus after that mock trial with Annas and Caiaphas he is brought before Herod it says in verse 8 of Luke of Luke 23 now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus why did he want to repent did he want to turn from his wickedness he was very glad to have seen Jesus for he had wanted to see him for a long time I mean by the time you get to chapter 23 of Luke and we're in chapter 9 of Luke Herod wanted to see Jesus for a long time and now he finally gets to see him because he had been hearing about him was hoping to see some sign performed by him why why would that change things if Jesus actually did some sign before Herod would it change the way Herod perceived Jesus no not at all verse 9 and he questioned him at some length I wonder what questions Herod asked Jesus he questioned him at some length and look what it says at the end of verse 9 but he Jesus answered him what nothing Herod had anticipated this meeting with Jesus had waited a long time to see him now he finally sees him he asks him all kinds of questions but Jesus has no response why because Jesus wasn't about to cast his pearl before swine he wasn't about to take that which is holy and put it before dogs Matthew 7 verse number 6 there was nothing to say his identity had been clearly revealed for the three years of his ministry there was no question as to who he was Herod wasn't looking to repent turn from his sin and Jesus knew that verse 10 and the chief priests and the scribes were standing there accusing him vehemently and Herod was with the soldiers after treating him with contempt and mocking him dressed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him back to Pilate now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day for before they had been an enmity with each other Pilate and Herod were enemies but because they had one common enemy they became friends they became friends you see Herod wanted to see Jesus but all he wanted to do was kill him get rid of any competition that would be a threat to his so-called petty kingship in Tiberias which leads us to our last point and that is the conclusion about man's destiny it all hinges on the question who is this man Jesus you've had people come to your door whether they be Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses and the only question to ask is who is this man who is he because how you answer that question determines your eternal destiny he is either God and Lord of the universe or he's not he's nothing in between and if you don't see him as Lord as God as Master as King as Savior as Redeemer then you will die in your sins if you see him as such you will submit to him you will follow him you will bow before him and worship him in humble submission because you recognized him as king of the world king of your life Paul said in Colossians chapter 2 verse number 9 that in Christ dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form John would say that the word that was from the beginning the word that was eternal would become flesh and dwell among us and that word explained God to us that word Jesus Christ who became flesh not only explained God to us but was able to show us the true nature of God himself because Jesus is God in flesh the man Jesus is the king of the universe the man Jesus is the Messiah of Israel the man Jesus is the Lord and Master of the world the man Jesus is the only Savior for your soul he is the only Redeemer of mankind there is no other Redeemer there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved there's only one name it's the name of Jesus Christ our Lord the Bible says there is only one way to heaven only one way there's not a myriad of ways there's only one way and the gate is narrow it's a very narrow gate Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no man comes unto the father but my me the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ our Lord there is no other way and that salvation is only by the grace that God himself offers and the faith that he grants you to believe in his name it's totally a work of God not a work of man there is nothing that man can do to come to a place where God accepts him as he is because God does not accept you as you are because you're a sinner so God the father sent his son Jesus Christ to die for your sins to be your substitute on the cross at Calvary so that he could take your place he could bear in his body the penalty for your sin so you wouldn't have to bear that penalty that's who Jesus Christ is that's the answer to the question who is this man that's that's a great question and I and I hope and and pray that you can answer it biblically from a biblical standpoint that you know exactly who he is because if you know who he is you know what he's done and if you know what he's done for you you humbly submit to his authority and follow him in obedience that's what salvation is Herod wasn't willing to do that the majority of the people in Israel were not willing to do that the majority of the people in Israel today are not even willing to do that because they refuse to admit and submit to the one answer to the question who is this man he is the lord god of the universe the savior of their soul let's pray father we thank you for today in the great truth of your word you truly are you truly are the greatest of all we thank you lord for your sacrifice on our behalf we thank you lord for your willingness to die in our place we thank you lord that you dwelt among us you dwelt among us and you explained god to us you interpreted god to us because you were god in flesh and father we thank you for that and i pray for every soul here today that they would know for certain that jesus christ is exactly who he said he was and they would believe in you as their savior and messiah we pray in jesus name amen