Friday, March 19, 2010

Who Do You Say That I Am?


Mark 8:27-9:1
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel,* will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words* in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with* power.’


Who do people say that I am?
A prophet, a priest, a king?
A good man, a teacher, a fraud?
A liar, a madman, a myth?

Who do people see that I am?
Blue-eyed and pink-cheeked and blond?
Golden with slanted, dark eyes?
Black skinned with crisp, curly hair?

Who do people think that I am?
A man on a cross in the church?
A cool dude with beard and long hair?
A nice bedtime story for children?

But who do you say that I am?
The question is still just the same.
Can you follow me through fire and water,
Through chaos and trouble and pain?

Can you lose your life so you may find it?
Can you die to your old dreams and plans?
Will you follow the Savior to Calvary
To lay down your life for the world?

Will you trust in God's mercy and kindness,
God's grace and God's way and God's plan?
Will you seek God so that you may find Him?

Who do you say that I am?

Dorcas George

2 comments:

Grady said...

This immediately brought to mind the Larry Norman song - "the Outlaw":

Some say he was an outlaw, that he roamed across the land,
With a band of unschooled ruffians and few old fishermen,
No one knew just where he came from, or exactly what he'd done,
But they said it must be something bad that kept him on the run.

Some say he was a poet, that he'd stand upon the hill
That his voice could calm an angry crowd and make the waves stand still,
That he spoke in many parables that few could understand,
But the people sat for hours just to listen to this man.

Some say a politician who spoke of being free,
He was followed by the masses on the shores of Galilee,
He spoke out against corruption and he bowed to no decree,
And they feared his strength and power so they nailed him to a tree.

Some say he was a sorcerer, a man of mystery,
He could walk upon the water, he could make a blind man see,
That he conjured wine at weddings and did tricks with fish and bread,
That he talked of being born again and raised people from the dead.

Some say he was the Son of God, a man above all men,
That he came to be a servant and to set us free from sin,
And that's who I believe he is cause that's what I believe,
And I think we should get ready cause it's time for us to leave.

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

Wow! I missed this particular Larry Norman song. Now I want to find it on You Tube!