How To Decide For Yourself About Jesus

A Christmas Sermon By Jim Hammond from Matthew 16

How many of you have made a Christmas list, either on paper, or at least in your mind? How have you been doing at checking off items on your list? Getting most of the way through it? Here’s a question for you. Does your Christmas list include Jesus? If so, how? I want you to think about that question. We won’t get back to that question till the very end of this message.

For now, I want us to begin with two very basic questions: 1) What is Christmas all about? and 2) Who is Jesus? The first question is not as important as the second question. And the second question is probably the most important question in the world. Your answer to the second question has the greatest consequences imaginable. You will have to decide for yourself about both of these questions.

Focus: What is Christmas all about? To answer this you need the answer to the most important question in the world—Who is Jesus?

I. What do people say Xmas is all about?

Some people say Christmas is about giving and family and love. Some people say Christmas is all about the Christmas spirit. Many remove Christ from Christmas. The schools call what used to be called Christmas vacation, the winter holidays. For your information, here’s a brief history of Christmas.

Why the Pilgrims Outlawed Christmas

...and other fascinating facts about trees, cookies and Santa
By Victor M. Parachin [i]

      For millions of people around the world, Christmas is a favorite holiday. To some it is merely an occasion to give and receive gifts. For Christians it honors the birth of Jesus Christ. But did you know that for many years Christmas was not observed? At times celebrations were discouraged and even outlawed.
      Here is a brief history of Christmas and some of the traditions connected to it.
      During the first two centuries after Christ's death, Christmas was not celebrated. In A.D. 245, when a group of scholars attempted to determine the exact date of Christ's birth, a church council denounced the endeavor, declaring it would be wrong to celebrate the birthday of Christ "as though he were a King Pharaoh."
      Still, attempts were made to pinpoint Jesus' birthday. The result was multiple dates: January 1, January 6, March 25, and May 20. Initially, the May date was favored because the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:8) reports that the shepherds who received the announcement of Christ's birth were watching their sheep by night. Shepherds guarded their flocks day and night only during lambing time, which was in the spring. In winter, the animals were generally enclosed in corrals, unwatched.
      In A.D. 349, Pope Julius formally selected December 25 as the DAY for Christmas. This date was already widely celebrated in the Roman world as citizens observed the Natalis Solis Invicti (the Birthday of the Inconquerable Sun) in honor of the sun god, Mithras. The festival took place just after the winter solstice, when the days become longer.
      Many modern Christmas customs such as decorating a house with greenery, exchanging gifts and enjoying festive meals originated with this pagan celebration. Scholars believe that Pope Julius selected December 25 as the date of the Nativity to win over followers of Mithras as well as to give Christians an opportunity to honor Christ's birth.

      OUTLAWED FESTS
      In seventeenth century England, the Puritans objected to Christian celebrations that had no clear biblical basis (the Bible does not tell us to celebrate Jesus' birthday). As a result, the English Parliament in 1643 outlawed Christmas, Easter and other Christian holidays. However, December 25 as a festive day was so popular that by 1660 the citizens reclaimed it.
      When the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620 they also brought with them a distrust of Christmas. A 1659 Massachusetts law fined people for celebrating on December 25. But again, the day was so popular that the law was repealed in 1681, although strong religious opposition lasted into the next century.
      Lutherans, Dutch Reformed, Catholic and Anglican churches were most responsible for establishing Christmas traditions in the United States. Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers and Puritans voiced opposition to the day because of the pagan origins of most of the Christmas festivities.
      TREES AND POINSETTIAS
      The Christmas tree tradition was started in Germany in the late 1400s. At that time a popular theatrical performance, the Paradise Play, depicted the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise and was represented by a fir tree hung with apples. Soon the tree was placed in the homes of Christians, who interpreted it as a symbol of the coming Savior. The apples were replaced with small white wafers representing the Holy Eucharist or Communion. Later the wafers were replaced by pieces of pastry cut into shapes of stars, angels, hearts, flowers and bells.
      Pennsylvania Germans claim to have brought the Christmas tree custom to America. The first Christmas tree is recorded under the date December 20, 1821, in the diary of a Matthew Zahm of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The first known exhibition of a Christmas tree was held in York, Pennsylvania, in 1830. Early trees were decorated with fruits, nuts, popcorn, toys and candles. Today more than 80 percent of American families buy and decorate a tree at Christmas.
      The tradition of poinsettias in churches and homes at Christmas traces back to a village in Mexico. According to the legend, it was a custom for villagers to place gifts before the Nativity scene at the church on Christmas Eve. A small boy, too poor to give anything, knelt to pray in the snow outside. On the ground where he knelt, the legend says, a beautiful plant with scarlet leaves grew immediately.
      The boy took it into the church and presented it as his gift to the Christ Child. Mexicans call the colorful plant Flor de la Nocha Buena (Flower of the Holy Night), and it is thought to resemble the Star of Bethlehem. The poinsettia plant is named after Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States ambassador to Mexico and an accomplished amateur botanist. He discovered the beautiful plant there in 1828 and brought it to the United States, where it was named in his honor.
      XMAS AND SANTA
      The abbreviation Xmas for Christmas originated with early Greek Christians. X is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ: Xristos. By the sixteenth century, Xmas was widely used in Europe among Christians who understood that it meant "Christ's mass."
      Later Christians, unfamiliar with the Greek origin, mistook the X as a sign of disrespect and an attempt by unbelievers to rid Christmas of its central meaning.
      St. Nicholas, the godly bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (today's country of Turkey), is the source of the Santa Claus tradition. He was widely known as a generous Christian who was especially kind to children. After his death the legend grew that he visited children on Christmas Eve and left gifts. During the Reformation of the sixteenth century, St. Nicholas's popularity faded and some countries banished the custom completely. As a result, a more secular version emerged: Father Christmas in England and Papa Noel in France.
      When Dutch settlers came to America, they brought St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas in Dutch) with them. Sinter Klaas became secularized into Santa Claus. While no longer a bishop, he still came the night before Christmas, leaving gifts for children. His red-and-white-colored uniform derived from the colors of a bishop's vestments.
      Christmas is the only religious holiday in America that is also a national legal holiday. In 1836, Alabama became the first state to declare Christmas an official holiday. By 1890 all other states followed suit.
      As you celebrate this day of days, remember these thoughts expressed by Wilda English: "God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; and all of Christmas, which is Christ."[ii]

II. What do you say Christmas is all about?

Christmas celebration is what you make of it. It is as full of Christ as you make it. There are ways of keeping Christ on your Christmas list.

Illustration: The Christmas Nail

Let me show you an ornament someone gave me. It is a rustic spike type nail, painted gold hanging from a gold string. It is attached to a laminated card for storing that reads as follows: This is the Christmas Nail. It is to be hung by the head of the household, on a strong branch near the trunk, one that will hold such a spike without bending. . . The nail is not for notice by well wishers dropping by to admire the tree. The nail is only known to the house that hangs it. It is understood only by the hearts that know its significance. It is hung with the thought that this Christmas Tree is our reminder of Jesus born on Christmas Day.

It is not until you answer the question who is Jesus, that you answer the question, what is the meaning of Christmas.

III. Who do people say Jesus Is? (v. 13)

Matthew 16:13-20 (NIV) ¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴They 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?”

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

A Significant Question

You wouldn’t ask this question, “Who do people say I am?” unless people are talking about you. This is a profound question that was being talked about even before the question was asked. Jesus’ life demanded an answer to this question. Jesus’ deeds begged you to ask the question. The question was on the minds of the people. Jesus just brings all of this into clear laser focus when he asked the question. If I were to ask such a question about myself, it just wouldn’t make sense. If I said, “Who do people say that I am?” You’d respond, “What do you mean?” People don’t say anything. This isn’t a topic for discussion. But this is not the case when Jesus asks the question. The disciples didn’t have a blank stare. They knew this was the topic of discussion. They knew they were following a lightning rod of controversy. People everywhere were talking about him. Some of the comments were favorable, some were not. The one thing Jesus made it impossible for a person to do was to avoid the question altogether. Once you have been exposed to Jesus, you are exposed to the question, “Who is this guy!”

Jesus’ Self Designation, the “Son of Man” is significant

Matthew 16:13 . . . he asked his disciples , “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

Matthew 16:15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

It is obvious that when Jesus refers to the “Son of Man” he is referring to himself.

Why did Jesus use this as a self designation?

1) NOT A LOADED TERM: It wasn’t a loaded title like the Messiah, or “The Christ” with all of the Jewish misconceptions about what that meant.

2) COULD BE DEFINED BY JESUS HIMSELF: It was a little used phrase that he could define himself, by what he claimed and what he would do.

3) A POWERFUL OT PHRASE: Though it was an overlooked phrase, and not used with clarity as a title for anyone the Jews were anticipating, it was a powerful, old testament phrase with huge significance.

Daniel 7:13-14 ¹³“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

What Do People Say

¹⁴They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

1. The disciples were too polite and respectful to even bring up the horrible negative things they had heard people say. They had heard the Pharisees call him Beelzebub. He was hailed as an agent for the devil. His enemies came to the conclusion that he had to be doing these miracles by the power of the prince of demons. They also called him a blasphemer. This would have been an accurate answer to the question, “Who do people say that I am?” But these assessments weren’t even considered by the disciples. They loved him and knew better than that. These assessments were ignored.

2. They said, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

3. Today some say He is a rabbi, “a good moral teacher”

4. Today some say He is a guru teaching us how to channel the Christ consciousness.

All of these modern reductions of Jesus, reduce him to “a great example”. But that is not what he claimed to be. He claimed to be more than merely an example showing us the way. He claimed to be THE WAY. He wasn’t trying to tell us the truth, or teach us the truth. He claimed to BE THE TRUTH.

Napoleon said, “I know men and Jesus is no mere man.” I have come to the same conclusion. Try as it may, this world can’t shake Jesus. Even those who do not believe in Him, are compelled by Him. If you believe He was a great teacher, then hear His teachings concerning Himself. Take great care, for this is the most important decision you will ever make. The Christian faith stands or falls on the person of Jesus Christ. So I ask each of you, who do you think He is? I’m following good precedent when I ask you this. This is what Jesus’ asks you.

IV. Who do you say Jesus Is?

He began with a general question. He moved to a personal question.

Peter answered as a spokesperson for all of the disciples.[iii]

FOR NEARLY 3 YEARS the disciples had been wrestling with this question by this time.

Mark 4:41 [after he calmed the storm] ⁴¹They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Matthew 12:23 [after healing the demon-possessed blind/and mute man they asked] All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

Luke 5:21 [after forgiving the paralytic lowered through the roof the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked] “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Luke 7:49 [after Jesus forgave the sinful woman who anointed his feet] ⁴⁹The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

John 4:29 [after demonstrating omniscience to the Samaritan Woman she said ] ²⁹“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”

John 6:14-15 [The crowd was fed bread miraculously they said] “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

John 9:35-38 [after healing the blind man Jesus asked him ] “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
     ³⁶“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
     ³⁷Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
     ³⁸Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

Jesus didn’t just tell them up front, this is who I am. He demonstrated who he is. It isn’t until this point of readiness that he draws out from them who he is, then begins to correct the misunderstandings associated with the Messianic Expectations. However, when it comes to the question of who Jesus is, remember this. . .

There Is No Neutral Answer

C.S. Lewis observed, "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to” [iv]

How To Decide For Yourself

Learn about him

Let me suggest to you some things you need on your front burner with regard to this, the most important question, “Who Is Jesus?”. I will in summary fashion give you a list of questions, and My conclusions.

1. Can the Gospels about the life of Jesus be trusted as accurate biographical records?

· Many view the records as religious propaganda that must be hopelessly tainted with overactive imaginations.

· The experts make a convincing case that these biographies reflect an eyewitness testimony that unmistakably bear the marks of authenticity and accuracy. These biographies are so early that they cannot be explained away as legendary invention. The fact is, the fundamental beliefs about Jesus’ miracles, resurrection, and deity go way back to the very dawning of the Christian movement immediately after the events of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ.

· The Early church was established, took root, and grew from the very place Jesus was Crucified, in Jerusalem. This would have been impossible if the teachings and claims could have been exposed as false or exaggerated. Both the enemies and the friends of Jesus would have made corrections to the proclamations if these proclamations were not accurate or somehow refutable.

2. Were the New Testament documents reliably preserved for us?

· World-class scholar, Bruce Metzger, said that compared with other ancient documents, there is an unprecedented number of New Testament manuscripts and that they can be dated extremely early and close to the original writings. The texts we have are 99.5 percent free of textual discrepancies. The discrepancies between the manuscripts have no affect on major Christian doctrines.

3. Is there any credible evidence outside of the Biblical records?

· Yes. We have better historical documentation for Jesus than for the founder of any other ancient religion. There are many sources outside of the Bible that state how many people believed Jesus performed healings and was the Messiah, that he was crucified, and that despite this shameful death, his followers believed he was still alive, and worshiped him as God.

4. Does archaeology confirm or contradict the Biblical records?

· There’s no question that archaeological findings have enhanced the New Testament’s credibility. There has never been a discovery that has disproved a biblical reference.

5. Was Jesus really convinced that he was the Son of God?

· The very earliest traditions which are unquestionably safe from legendary development show that Jesus did see himself as the Son of God, and the Son of Man, the final Messiah, the hope of the world.

6. Was Jesus crazy when he claimed to be the Son of God?

· Well known and expert psychologists have demonstrated that Jesus exhibited no inappropriate emotions, was in contact with reality, was brilliant and had amazing insights into human nature. He also enjoyed close relationships. There just isn’t any signs that He was delusional. This says nothing of the fact that he backed up his claims through the use of miracles and demonstrations of power, unrivaled teaching, divine understanding of people, and the fact that he rose from the dead, the final authenticating stamp of his identity.

7. Did Jesus really have the attributes of God?

· While the concept of the infinite God becoming man through the incarnation stretches the limits of our imaginations, there is a lot of evidence that Jesus exhibited characteristics of deity.

8. Did Jesus—and Jesus alone—uniquely match the identity of the prophesied Messiah?

· Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah who would redeem God’s people. Dozens of these prophecies together formed a precise fingerprint that only one individual matches. Mathmatically the odds of one man matching all these prophecies are on chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion. Jesus and only Jesus throughout history matched this prophetic fingerprint. It is also important to note that most of these prophecies are about matters one cannot choose to fulfill for themselves. Matters like place of birth and how one dies at the hands of other people.

9. Was Jesus’ death a sham and his resurrection a hoax?

· Medical and historical experts have analyzed the data and concluded that Jesus could not have survived the gruesome rigors of crucifixion, much less that gaping wound that pierced his lung and heart. Roman executioners were grimly efficient, knowing their jobs, and knowing they faced execution themselves if any of their victims were to come down from the cross alive. The world wide movement exploded into growth precisely because of the evidence of his resurrection, not that he merely survived the cross and burial.

10. Was Jesus’ Body Really Absent From His Tomb?

· The vacant tomb of Easter is undisputed historical reality. The records and the creed written in 1 Corinthians 15 were so early they could not possibly have been products of legend. The proclamation of victory over the tomb was immediate. All the enemies, (or the friends of Jesus) had to do to “correct” the proclamation was to show that the tomb was not empty. That could not be done. Jesus was gone. The best that could be done was to propagate an absurd cover-up story that the disciples, despite having no motive or opportunity, stole the body—a theory that not even the most skeptical critic believes today.

11. Was Jesus seen alive after his death on the cross?

· The evidence for post resurrection appearances didn’t gradually develop over years of time. This was the central proclamation immediately after the events. Specific individuals are named. Even a crowd of about 500 at a time saw him. Michael Green, a theologian concludes, “The appearances of Jesus are as well authenticated as anything in antiquity…There can be no rational doubt that they occurred.”

12. Are there any supporting facts besides the Bible for the resurrection?

· The disciples went to their deaths for their faith and proclamation that indeed Jesus was the resurrected Lord. Skeptics like Paul and James were converted after they met the resurrected Lord. Within a matter of weeks, thousands of Jews began abandoning key social practices because of their belief in the resurrection of Jesus. They risked their lives when they identified themselves as followers of the resurrected Jesus. Also, the miraculous explosion of growth in the Christian movement in the face of such persecution, including the Roman persecutions throughout the whole known empire has to be explained by something. Moule puts it this way, the explosive growth of Christianity “rips a great hole in history, a hole the size and shape of Resurrection.” How else do you explain history?

Actually the intellectual barriers to belief in Jesus are not usually the problem. Usually people don’t believe because they are afraid of the implications. They are afraid of changes that would take place in their lives. Plato said, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark: the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” [v]

Learn from him

What are the right answers according to Jesus? He is the Christ. He is the Son of God. If you are going to decide for yourself the best thing is to learn from Jesus himself. Don’t take other people’s word for it. Read his words. Do they ring true.

Meet Him yourself

You will meet nobody like him. It isn’t enough to learn about him or even read about him in the Bible. To decide you must decide to meet him. Talk to him. Seek him. He says if you do you will find him. You are going to experientally discover that he does listen. He does answer prayer. He is alive. He is real. Because HE IS.

He doesn’t promise life will be easy, he calls you to follow him and he takes you against the current of the world, against the current of self interest. It won’t be easy, but He promises never to leave you or forsake you. Who do you say that he is?

In conclusion today I want you to hear a song that does a good job summarizing 66 books of the Bible. The song’s title is—“He IS”. It gives a summarized yet comprehensive correct answer to this question, who is Jesus.

While you are listening I want you to notice several things. I want you to notice how the song starts quietly and simply, then builds with harmonies, then continues to crescendo with volume and energy. The climax is not at the birth, the climax is not even at the resurrection. Just listen. It is a long song.

He Is
by Aaron Jeoffrey

In Genesis, He's the breath of life
In Exodus, the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus He's our high priest
Numbers, the fire by night
Deuteronomy, He's Moses' voice
In Joshua, He is Salvation's choice

Judges, law giver
In Ruth, the kinsmen-redeemer
First and Second Samuel,
Our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles, He's sovereign
Ezra, true and faithful scribe
Nehemiah, He's the rebuilder of
Broken walls and lives

In Esther, He's Mordecai's courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms, He is our morning song
In Proverbs, wisdom's cry
Ecclesiastes, the time and season
In the Song of Solomon,
He is the lover's dream

He is, He is, He is.

In Isaiah, He's prince of peace Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
In Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, He's the call from sin
In Daniel, the stranger in the fire
In Hosea, He is forever faithful

In Joel, He's the spirit's power
In Amos, the Arms that carry us
In Obadiah, He's the Lord our Savior
In Jonah, He's the great missionary
In Micah, the promise of peace
In Nahum, He is our strength and our shield

In Habakkuk and Zephaniah
He's pleading for revival
In Haggai, He restores a lost heritage
In Zechariah, our fountain
In Malachi, He is the sun of righteousness
Rising with healing in His wings.

He is, He is, He is.

In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
He is God, Man, Messiah
In the book of Acts, He is fire from Heaven
In Romans, He's the grace of God
In Corinthians, the power of love
In Galatians, He is freedom from
The curse of sin
Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Philippians, the servant's heart
In Colossians, He's the Godhead Trinity
Thessalonians, our coming King
In Timothy, Titus, Philemon
He's our mediator and our faithful pastor

In Hebrews, the everlasting covenant
In James, the one who heals the sick
In First and Second Peter,
He is our shepherd
In John and in Jude, He's the lover
Coming for His bride
In the Revelation, He is King of Kings, and Lord of lords

He is, He is, He is.

The Prince of peace
The Son of Man
The Lamb of God
The Great I Am

He's the Alpha and Omega
Our God and our Savior
He is Jesus Christ the Lord
And when time is no more

He is
He is.

The song builds to a climax when Jesus is revealed as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end, the LORD. In our personal lives the revelation of who he is also progresses along like the song, or like the layers of understanding that have been revealed over time. Belief in Jesus must move from generic belief to personal affirmation. Belief in Jesus will then move you from forgetting him on your Christmas list, to putting him on the list. Then it will move you from merely having him as one item on the list, to seeing that he is a part of every item on your list. Then belief in Jesus will move you one step further. You begin to forget about YOUR list altogether and start thinking in terms of working on HIS list! He becomes your Alpha and Omega. Today I’m not asking you to include Jesus on your Christmas list. I’m telling you to get to know him so well he takes over your list.

Dear Lord,

You have asked me personally this question, “who do YOU say I am”. I agree with Peter who was the spokesperson for all of your disciples. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are worthy to be worshiped. You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. You are the one through whom the whole world was spoken into existence. You are the one who laid down your life for me that my sins would be forgiven. You are the one who took up your life again and conquered death for me. You conquered the power of sin. You are worthy to be King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. You are worthy of my life’s whole allegiance. I hand you my Christmas list. Help me to know how to think of you and serve you in every item on my list. Better yet, help me to trust you to take it over and want you to take over my whole list everyday. I want you to be to commander and control center of my life.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

[i] Christian Reader. Nov/Dec 1995. Vol. 33, No. 6, p. 27

[iii] There is something I want you to know about this question that is not readily seen in the English.

Matthew 16:13 . . . he asked his disciples [plural], “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

Matthew 16:15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you [also plural] say I am?”

In English you cannot say “you” in plural in a way that can be seen or heard unless you are from the South. “Who do y’all say I am?”, but in the Greek, or in Aramaic, as it is in most languages you can distinguish between singular and plural use of the word “you.” Jesus was asking all the disciples, even as he asks all of you this morning.

[iv] Mere Christianity [Macmillan, 1952], pp. 40-41)

[v] Plato, Leadership, Vol. 1, no. 2.