“If you are the Christ, tell us.”

“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.” (Luke 22:67-71 ESV)

We have arrived at this section of the Gospel, which shows that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy the angel Gabriel gave when he told Mary, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The time has come for Jesus to do what he was born to do. His time to die on the cross for the complete payment for all the sins ever committed by mankind, so His people could be saved from separation from God the Father for eternity.

We pick up this historical event on Friday morning, after Jesus had been mistreated all night by the Temple and Roman guards. Remember, Jesus was arrested in the garden on the Mount of Olives, where he and his eleven disciples went after the Last Supper, where Jesus announced to them that He would never again be able to eat the Passover meal with them here on this earth, and that He must suffer and die. Jesus spent the night praying for His Father’s will to be done, preparing His heart for what was to come.

Then in the morning the leadership of the Jews brought Jesus forcibly before them and put Him on trial for one last chance to gather enough evidence to put Him to death. Can you feel the weight of this event? Can you feel Satan having entered Judas, thinking that he was “controlling” these events? Can you feel the hatred these leaders had in their hearts for this Passover lamb as He was being prepared to be sacrificed for all sin? I can, I can smell the smells that surround death; I can hear the bleating of the sheep that are waiting to be sacrificed; I can feel the hatred in the words being thrown at Jesus.

“Tell us!” They demanded, “Are you the Christ?” But it was no real question; it was an accusation against this innocent Lamb of God whom they wanted to crucify, this Messiah that had never sinned, this man Jesus that came to this earth to do His Father’s will. “Tell us!” they screamed in His face.

But look closely at Jesus' reply: “If I tell you, you will not believe.” How many times has this exact question been asked of Jesus by those who stand condemned by their own sins asked this exact question of Jesus? How many times has someone confronted with the truth of God’s Word smugly asked, “Tell me, are you really the Christ?” Not wanting to hear the answer, because if Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Christ, then they know their fate for eternity is sealed. 

You see, many, if not most, people confronted with the truth of the Gospel of Grace aren’t interested in knowing the truth. Because the truth condemns them just like it condemned the Jewish leaders asking their question. If Jesus is the Christ, and they are unwilling to accept Him as their personal savior, then they will one day stand before the Great White Throne of Judgment and be condemned to the lake of fire for all of eternity, and nobody wants to hear that. But it is true; it is the other side of the Gospel message that many never share. Man left to his own devices will one day die and will one day be judged as guilty for having sinned against a holy and righteous God.

That truth is the first part of the Good News, the Gospel. It shows us that everyone stands condemned before God as guilty for the sins we have committed, but it doesn’t stop there. The Good News continues to show everyone how they can find everlasting life with the Father. You see, Jesus knows the hearts of men; He knows whether the question “Are you really the Christ?” is sincere or accusatory: “Tell me, are you the Christ?”

Jesus came into this world to seek and save the lost; He is looking for you, even when you are not looking for Him. Jesus found each of us when we were deep in our trespasses and sins; He found us! Let that sink in for a moment. Jesus is seeking you as well. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, my friend, the answer is yes: Jesus is the Christ. He has given you more than enough evidence to persuade you to trust Him.

So, ask yourself, do you really want to know if Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah that came into this world to save you, or are you just making yourself out to be His judge like these Jewish leaders? For your sake, I hope Jesus wasn’t talking to you when He said, “If I tell you, you will not believe.”

By the way, Jesus’ answer to their question is “Ego’ Eimi,” or “I Am.” This is the exact phrase God gave when Moses asked, “Who should I say sent me?” and God said, “Say, 'Ego Eimi' (I AM) has sent me.” Jesus is indeed the true living God.

  "Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"