When George H. W. Bush was President of the United States, he made a visit to a Virginia elementary school. And although he was introduced as the President and was surrounded by his Secret Service detail, one skeptical third grader refused to believe that Bush really was who he said he was. How do you prove your identity to a skeptic? He pulled out his American Express card with his name on it! (In case you are wondering why the President, who never has to pay for anything, had an AmEx card, it’s because he used it to buy Christmas presents!)
Our Savior also faced many questions about His identity, and much of His teaching was given to address those questions, as were the miracles that affirmed His messianic work. We have seen that through the gospel of Luke — Gabriel, the angels, the shepherds, and Mary and Joseph all spoke of Christ’s identity at His birth. And Jesus’ first teaching episode (when He was 12) addressed His identity (2:41ff), as did His interaction with Satan (4:1-13), His first sermon (4:18), and virtually every miracle he performed and sermon he spoke.
Having preached and taught and performed miracles for almost two years, Jesus tested the disciples about how well they had been observing and listening by asking two questions about His identity (9:18-22). The questions for the disciples are good questions for us as well. On Christmas Eve it is fitting to ask and answer the most important question about Jesus — it is a single question that is asked and answered in three ways in these verses: who is Jesus? Who is the baby in the manger?
Read the rest of the Christmas Eve sermon.
The audio will be posted next week.
Words of Grace 