Rev. Chism's Weekly Message

"But what about you? [Jesus] asked. "Who do you say I am?" - Matthew 16:15

Fourteen years I sat in a chapel in a prison with men that made terrible mistakes. Many were never going to leave prison. Some had a chance to be paroled. Others would serve their time and then get to leave.

A guy named Jed shared with us a wonderful testimony. Thirty-three years earlier in a drunken rage he murdered another man. As he testified that God could change your life we celebrated that he would get to go to his family in Oklahoma. Closing his testimony out with a prayer, he prayed that they family of the person he murdered could forgive him. He wanted them to know him in a different way.

As I sat and discussed God and life with these men, I found out that one of them was from my hometown. He had been involved in an armed robbery and was sentenced to five years. He only had six months until he would resume his life outside of the bars and the electric fence.

He went by Claude...his second name. Claude shared that he would never use his first name again. People affiliated his first name with a crook that committed a felony. He wanted a fresh start and hoped he could get a job. Unfortunately the felony would stay with him until his life ends on earth. I never did find out if he was able to get a job.

I often pray that the people that knew them before their crimes would come to know them in a different way. People can change and live on the straight and narrow path. It was obvious to me that both men were repenting of their past transgressions.

The Prophet Isaiah said, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." You can find this in Isaiah 53: 5. Many believe Isaiah was giving his readers a future glimpse of Jesus. This is what I believe.

One day a revelation came to Peter in how he knew Jesus. It was right before Jesus predicted His death on the cross. Peter uttered these words, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Peter changed his mind. He came to know Jesus in a different way. The barriers of his existing religion and cultural applications would begin to die and be resurrected in the ministry of Jesus.

Rev. David C. Hockett, a writer for MinistryMatters.com, asked readers this question in an article he wrote:

If we believe Jesus to be a wise teacher, then we may believe that discipleship or Christianity is merely a matter of our assent to a list of principles or propositions. If we believe Jesus to be a great moral example, then we will understand Christianity to be primarily about our adherence to a set of ethics or ideals. But what if we really live and believe that Jesus, our companion and friend, is the Messiah, the Son of the living God?

Over the years I have met many God-loving people. They make a great difference in the name of Jesus. But some of them can't get past the do's and don'ts of life. They have found that Facebook is a great way to share their do's and don'ts. There is a steep level of moralism they apply to their life and the lenses in which that look at others. The problem with this is that no one will ever satisfy their expectations. Morality is important to our daily walk with God. But if we are not careful, we come to know Jesus as this moral monster an end up as judge and jury. Ethics and ideals are wonderful as well. But morals, ethics, and ideals should not come before Jesus.

Rev. Hockett would go on to write and remind me that Christians, and the Church, should be defined by Christ's life, witness, and ministry. Jesus would pass on His "Life" work to Peter, the other disciples, to our spiritual ancestors, and on to us. We represent Christ in the world. It's all based on what Jesus did...not on how moral and ethical we are. It is not based on our ideals either. Our discipleship is based on the life of Jesus.

(Open your Bible. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It has a lot of good stuff about the ministry of Jesus. And write some notes.)

Jed and Claude, if you ever read this just know I hope people continue to know you two in a different way. That they see your goodness and celebrate that people can change for the better. God helps us do this. We know from Jesus that with faith there is always hope. I know both of you to be good men and followers of Christ. If I had not experienced your testimonies then I might have known the old you's.

Peter made his confession that Jesus was the Messiah. One day in his near future he would go forward and proclaim just who Jesus was to others. He knew Jesus through participating in His ministry, the good news He shared, and even in his failures as he did his best to follow.

I guess we are doing the same. Can you hear Jesus asking us this question, "But what about you? Who do you say I am?"

Stay Safe,

Rev. Baxter