I’ll never forget that day in the ultrasound room. My wife and I were eagerly waiting for the nurse to begin the procedure and reveal the gender of our unborn child.
We had two little girls and were not planning to have a third child. We didn’t even know if my wife could get pregnant again after a traumatic car accident the year prior. She was out on a jog when she got hit by a pick-up from behind. The driver had dozed off at the peak of the day, and his vehicle crossed the center lane onto the opposite lane and hit her in the back. It was a miracle she was alive and we considered this child a surprise God had planned. The nurse began applying the probe to my wife’s belly. We could hear the heartbeat first; then the baby appeared on the computer screen.
I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t hoping for a boy. I thought that having a boy would fulfill my greatest desires. I already had two beautiful girls. But I imagined all the things I could do with a son–and besides–I would have someone who could carry my family name another generation. With eyes fixed on the computer monitor, amazed by the miracle, we saw this little figure curled up. We heard the nurse say she “believed” it was a boy. I pressed in and said, “Please show me.” I wanted to be sure. I would not leave unless I saw for myself. As she kept moving the probe around, she picked up an angle that revealed the gender. It was confirmed! I jumped up and down in that ultrasound room, thanking God for hearing my prayers and giving us a son. We named him Benjamin.
When a child’s identity is revealed, it brings lots of joy.
Identity
Some of the most prominent questions in today’s society have to do with the subject of identity. How someone identifies or sees themself affects what they do and how they feel about themselves. It affects their relationship with others. Identity is a powerful thing. It is no wonder that the enemy has sought to bring confusion, especially among young people. When an individual knows who they are, whose they are, and discover their purpose–watch out! They can make an incredible impact with the potential to change the world.
Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, the one thing that was constantly questioned was His identity. His lineage, His scandalous birth, His teachings, His actions––everything was questioned. The religious leaders of His day were determined to prove Him an imposter before the people. Their stubbornness and self-will seemed to betray everything they professed to teach.
When you are determined to fight conviction in the face of God speaking, you will only settle deeper into what you have pre-determined regardless of what you see.
This is the “dilemma” with conviction. There is no escaping when the Lord speaks and shows you His will. We can no longer claim ignorance. But we still need to hit the switch that gives our heart permission to believe and accept. Jesus went to extraordinary lengths to show the people Who He was and why He came. His miracles were undeniable, His teachings undisputable. But even so, those with authority and influence in His day refused to see Him for who He was. When you are determined to fight conviction in the face of God speaking, you will only settle deeper into what you have pre-determined regardless of what you see.
The Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah all point to the identity of Jesus, but the religious leaders refused to recognize Him. As this week’s lesson points out, “They had the word of God in their hands; but the traditions. . . and the human interpretation of the Scriptures”1 kept the truth of Jesus hidden from them.
Christ, the Giver of life, wanted to impart life. He pointed to the testimony of four witnesses to confront the obstinance of His generation, hoping that they might see the true identity of this Teacher from Nazareth.
1. John the Baptist
In John 5, Jesus has an exchange with Jews who were trying to kill him (vv. 16, 18). They were blinded to His divine identity, and they could not tolerate one who claimed to be of God yet who violated their customs and traditions. Jesus said to them, “There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth” (John 5:32, 33). Jesus pointed to the testimony of John, who himself was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Isa. 40:3; John 1:23). He was sent to be the forerunner to the Messiah’s arrival and pointed to Him as the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
2. Christ’s works
Besides John’s testimony, Jesus pointed to something else that would be much harder to argue with. His miracles.
“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me” (John 5:36). Jesus never lost His focus on Who sent Him and what He was sent for. Do you want to know who Jesus really was? He invites us to study His works. They speak of His identity and His character.
3. The Father
In all His life and ministry, Jesus consistently diverted attention to His Father and fulfilling His Father’s will. Speaking of the third witness to His identity, He said, “And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 5:37). When did the Father give testimony of Jesus? In a remarkable expression of heavenly approval during His baptism, the water still flowing down His head, the Father tenderly looked upon His Son and exclaimed, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). This had to be a Father rejoicing at the anointing of His Son.
Faith is not built in simply accepting His identity. Faith is built in finding our identity in Him
4. The Scriptures
And if what the Father said about His Son was not profound enough to convince the Jews about His identity, Jesus turned to the treasure house of all knowledge they had in their possession for centuries––the Scriptures. He told them, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me” (John 5:39 NIV). These writings, which you study carefully and think give you eternal life in and of themselves, are actually pointing to Me. The Old Testament scriptures, with their prophecies, types, and symbols, all opened the curtain to understanding the plan of salvation as fulfilled in Christ.
Build my faith
The more I study the Bible, the more I am convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited Son of God, the Hope of all nations. From His birth to His baptism to His death on the cross, to His resurrection and ascension, and to His priestly ministry in heaven––everything He is, did, and does is spoken of in the Old Testament. He fulfilled every mark of identification in Himself.
But faith is not built in simply accepting His identity. Faith is built in finding our identity in Him. Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. Our origin and purpose in life are found in Him. Our purpose for existing and the strategy for our lives are found in Him. Our contentment and forgiveness are found in Him. Our pain and struggles find meaning in His suffering.
Jesus invites us to take the probe and search for Him. To draw closer to Him. And once we discover our identities in Him, “our job as workers for God is to open people’s eyes so that they may turn themselves from darkness to light.”2
1 Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1900), 105.
2 Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, January 10.
