What Think Ye of Christ?

August 16, 2015

Matthew 22:41-46

The Bible records nearly 300 questions that Jesus asked. He was a Master interrogator. Jesus was an expert at asking the right questions. Some of the questions Jesus asked were:

“Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)
“Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25).
“What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the world, and lose his own soul?” (Mk. 8:36)
“How can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Mt. 23:33)
“What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” (Mk. 10:51; Luke 18:41).
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46).
“Lovest thou me?” (John 21:15-17)
“Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:11-19).

Over the next few months we will consider these and several other questions Jesus asked.

Any professional journalist will tell you that it is critical to ask the right question to elicit the right information. This was very apparent at last week’s Republican Presidential debate. I think the Fox News panel did a great job asking probing questions that forced the candidates to deal with issues and not just “talking points.”

Jesus never asked a question for His own benefit. Christ’s questions were designed to engage a conversation, bring conviction, provoke people to think, or force someone to confront an important truth.

For example, sometimes Jesus would answer a question by asking a question (see Mt. 21:23-27). By this exchange Jesus linked His ministry with that of John the Baptist’s. It was a “package deal.”

In Matthew 22 our Lord was confronted by the religious leaders of His day. They asked him several questions about religion and politics, marriage, and the Law of Moses—the same kind of questions people still ask today. Remember, the motive behind them asking these question (v. 15).

After silencing all their questions, Jesus poses a question to them. It is as though He were saying, “You have asked me questions, but now, I have a question for you. What is really important is not about paying taxes, marriages in heaven, or which commandment is the greatest. The most important issue is “WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?” It is probably the most important question Jesus ever asked. It is the question to end all questions (v. 46).

This is the question that I want YOU to consider today.

I. It is a PERSONAL question—“What think YE of Christ?”

A. It is a question that YOU must answer. No one else can answer it for you.

B. It is an unavoidable question. You cannot be neutral about Christ.

C. Notice, the question is NOT:

What do you think of the church?
What do you think of some other Christian?
What do you think of some a preacher?
But, “What think ye OF CHRIST?” Jesus Christ is the issue—He will always be the issue. That is why the world wants to talk about anything, BUT Christ!

Your answer will have a lot to do with how you spend eternity.

II. It is a PROVOCATIVE question—“What THINK ye of Christ?”

A. The REQUIREMENT for you to think.

Sadly, many people don’t like to thin know-a-days. Television is proof of that. They want someone else to do the thinking for them. Adolf Hitler once said, “How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don’t think.”
Many don’t think of Christ at all! Psalm 10:4 says of the wicked, “God is not in all his thoughts.” Why? Because thinking about God, the Bible, or eternity makes people feel uneasy.

B. The RELATIONSHIP in your thinking. Your relationship to Jesus Christ will be based on what you think of Him. If you think He is God, you will obey Him. If you think He is the Savior, you will trust Him. If you think He is just another man, you’ll reject Him.

C. The RESPONSE of your thinking. A person’s lifestyle will usually reflect what he thinks of Christ (Prov. 23:7).