Who do the Crowds say that The Son of Man is?

Luke 9:18

A question that was asked by the Lord in Luke chapter 9 immediately after He had His disciples finish feeding the thousands.

There was an amazing discovery in my understanding of this passage of the scripture today. Finally I saw the importance  of the timing of this very serious question within the chronological order of events.

The spiritual intensity and the natural circumstances where  this question was posed by Him is very important, therefore let us ask God to reveal more of it’s significance to us through this sermon tonight The immediate questioning of His identity in  the estimation of the crowds is a very serious heart motivational unveiling of the truth that was addressed by the Lord I believe.

The timing of this line of questioning in Luke’s gospel could be signifying a very deep devotional matter to the disciples. Having just fed five thousand men plus more women and children the Lord was asking a heart probing question to His own elect. In this I trust he was showing more than one thing and that was the intent of men’s heart in following Him by crowds.

Jesus our Lord always searched the deeper thing of the heart and sought after those who would follow Him for the right reason. This being the result of the revelation of the Holy Spirit and not for man’s earthly needs alone.  Therefore in this passage He does not say what do people say, He says on purpose what do the crowds say?

It was the word crowds that got my attention today. In this  word describing multitudes of people there is a commonality, and that is usually speaking of a common interest. Jesus in many occasions had separated the crowds who followed Him from His own. He says in many places of the scripture that I speak to them in parables and they still would not understand them, yet to His own elect He would speak plainly.

What is the mystery of crowds? What is the purpose of big crowds? Are they all disciples? Are they all seeking to please God through their faith? Or are they just following Him because what He could or would give them?

Today many say the Church or the pastor needs to give us this and that, but what are you suppose to give to God through coming to Church? Is your religion summed up in what can you give God and His Church or what you are to receive from Him?

The crowds did not care truly who He was, that is why they never came to seek Him, but His benefits.

What is He going to give me today that was their care.   The Bible calls us God’s sheep and why sheep? Sheep are the dumbest animals and sheep tend to follow sheep. Today is the same people follow any one who gives, and the sheep follow other sheep and some end up in the sheep pen and some fall from the mountains following other dumb sheep, just to be in the crowed. But the Lord’s sheep John says hear His voice and follow Him where he goes.

His sheep were very different from those who came to eat or to be fed by the temporal smoothing benefits of this passing life, called the wilderness. His sheep were called to follow their master in all things even unto death. Through divine foreknowledge in election according to grace they received spiritual sight not only just to receive but to remain with Him and give Him their all in return.

Some threat Jesus and His Church as a department store that needs to give them all they think it must give them to live a comfortable life, yet that is not the Church of Jesus Christ, but a manufactured idea of God and His church by crowds with just a mental assent who have no revelation of Christ in His Kingdom purposes in us. I sometimes hear the murmur of those who say the Church must be like this and that and give us this and that. I am troubled by such ignorance of men who’s hearts the prince of this world have blinded, that they would not see the truth.  They measure God and His work by their own estimation or mere human expectation or comparison of other congregations. These neglect to see the Lord at work in us for His kingdom purposes  This is why after Peter’s divine revelation of His deity Jesus immediately spoke of His death and the cost of  discipleship.

The question of Who do you say that The Son of Man is? Is another fearful declaration of the intent of their own heart of following Him. Even His disciples needed to be aware of the fallacy of following Him with wrong motives.

This is why He kept on talking in regards to the cost of discipleship while their eyes were watching those who were being fed by His gracious heart of mercy on fallen men.

Just like the woman with the twelve years of sickness with bleeding who approaches Him in another passage that in passing through the crowds this one woman who was a true daughter of Abraham pressed in by faith to receive not only her healing, but having faith recognized His deity. Her faith caused power to leave our Lord, where the crowd’s just passed Him by.

When Jesus asked Peter  he replied  Lord the crowds are pushing you, but the Lord said no one touched Me and that by faith. This was not a push in the crowd but a touch of faith, which brought them lasting fruit unto life.

When Jesus said Who do you say that I am? The question comes how do you know of My being? Am I revealed to you as like to the crowds or have I been made manifest to you in all My deity as The Christ would be?

Have I become The Lord Who heals you? The Lord Who provides for you? The lord Who is your only Shepherd? Am I to you your victory in all circumstances of life? Am I your righteousness yet? Have I been revealed to you as your Peace?

See none of these names could be understood by mere crowds who fallow for a short while, but by those who would persevere with Him in true abiding grace. You see today some are brought to Him like in  the old days by the friends and some even from the roof top and some are following Him from a distance, but the one who truly would remain in Him he would bare fruit. The mere sheep follow the path of the sheep, but His own sheep will follow Him wherever He Goes..

The sheep that follow other sheep will follow the crowds and among them are the wolves in sheep clothing who would draw away crowds after themselves and in the end both will fall into a ditch.

In Acts of the Apostles Luke reminds us of Apostle Paul’s words of such men who would rise up among them and draw people after themselves. Dumb sheep who do not hear the true shepherd’s voice.

Today many congregate after such, and the truth has been  compromised by these false teachers and the sheep who follow men are their victims. They are people who get tired of suffering for His name sake and seek an easy pasture.

Men and women who seek after men and not God and His true servants and love to congregate with those who have placed an easier standard than the true undershephards of the Lord.

The Love of the truth is not in them at all.

These are like sheep that are prepared for slaughter. They follow the smooth path of the falsehood hating the truth, yet disguised as the true sheep of the Lord.

The Church of Laodicea or the Church of Sardis are the two examples of the compromised gospel by their fallacy called  the truth..

By these lies many are allured in allowing the world’s system of compromise in these Churches and the children born there see these compromised standards as being the truth. They are being born to be deceived and if God’s mercy does not come to spare some of them all would be called a  generation of perishing saints in the river of the delusion of the age.

This is why Apostle Paul warned Timothy to give heed to His own doctrine and his own life being lived in their sight by giving heed to his own soul and said by this you will save yourself and those hearing you.

The children born to these Churches were born into huge fallacy resembling the still born children on one woman’s miscarrying womb. These represent unfortunately the majority today, just like false prophets of Baal in the hands of that woman Jezebel.

However though we speak this way yet there are still a remnant according to the election of grace in the Church too, who would refuse to bow knees to these compromises and those are the Elisha generation that we hope to see rise up in these last days. Young men and women who ‘s corps does not have to  fall in the wilderness and would go on to victory of Canaan of their uncompromised dedication to holiness, no matter what the cost or the consequences.

These are the ones who would stay at their assigned Churches and give their best to attain a hope of much better resurrection, in totally counting the cost to the end. May this describe those in our midst.    God Bless