Friend of Sinners, Part 9: That’s Him!

Matthew 16:13-16

     ¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
     ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
     ¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked, “Who do you say I am?”
     ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

The Question: Who is Jesus to me?

My Response: That’s not him!

The voice of accusation: You can’t know him

The voice of shame: You’re right

The voice of truth: You can know me — the real Jesus!

4 Insights into Jesus, Friend of Sinners

1. Jesus: A friend who knows how I feel.

For we do not have a superhuman High Priest to whom our weaknesses are unintelligible — he himself has shared fully in all our experience of temptation, except that he never sinned. – Hebrews 4:15 J.B. Phillips Translation

‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning, or crying or pain…” – Revelation 21:4

2. Jesus: A friend who laughs with me, not at me.

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love. – Psalm 147:10-11

3. Jesus: A friend who knew when to call home.

Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, “God is there ready to help: I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get me?” – Hebrews 13:5 The Message

4. Jesus: The God who accepts me, warts and all.

In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One He loves. – Ephesians 1:4-6

Concluding Question

Who do you say I am?

Small Group Questions

1. Have you ever been mistaken for someone famous? Who was it and what did you do?
2. Describe your own personal picture of Jesus in his life on earth. How did he act, what did he look like, what was his personality like?
3. Have you seen an example of the love of Jesus in the recent past? What happened?
4. Which of the four insights into Jesus, Friend of Sinners is most meaningful to you?
5. Describe a time when someone touched your life with an act of kindness in true Jesus style.
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?