Sunday, June 21, 2009

Pain in the head

I was preaching this morning (among other things) on Matthew 16:16 when Simon Peter answers Jesus: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." I mentioned that I was at a supper party this week when a Christian leader lamented how often Christians seem to describe Jesus beginning with their feelings:"I feel close to Jesus" or "I don't feel close to Jesus" etc. with touchy-feely language. When Peter gives his inspired answer (and it really is inspired) he begins with who Jesus is and dares to make a doctrinal statement. Believing that there is one God, he claims Jesus is His Son. One God, yet both Father and Son, (and Holy Spirit). Now Peter is at beginnings of bewildering possibilities we call The Trinity!
I recalled what Studdert Kennedy is supposed to have said: Christianity brings peace to the heart and pain in the mind." What we declare about Jesus Christ is always going to take us deeper. As someone else commented: If God were small enough to be understood, he would not be big enough to be worshiped." Of course touchy-feely is OK, but how important it is to say deeper truths, doctrinal truths about who Jesus is. That really sets him uniquely apart.

1 comment:

Adam Pastor said...

Greetings Michael Quicke

With all due respect,
Peter most certainly was not at beginnings of bewildering possibilities called The Trinity!

Because, neither he nor Jesus the Messiah, believed in a Trinity.
Rather, they believed in solely ONE GOD, that is, one being/person who is GOD, namely the Father.

Jesus identified his Father
as the only true GOD & the only GOD
[John 17.3, 5.44]
And Peter identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the ONE GOD.
Peter received that revelation from the ONE GOD Himself, namely, the Father.
And the early church subscribed to the same belief i.e.
(1 Cor 8:4) ... that there is none other God but one.
(1 Cor 8:6) But to us there is but one God, the Father, ...

Therefore, On the subject of the Trinity,
I recommend this video:
The Human Jesus


Take a couple of hours to watch it; and prayerfully it will aid you to reconsider "The Trinity"

Yours In Messiah
Adam Pastor