Who Do You Say That I Am?

So James Cameron has found Jesus' bones in a box. File this one in the same category as Da Vinci Code and the Gospel of Judas. To say that it has become popular for showbiz types to focus on conspiracies and secret discoveries involving Jesus Christ is to only tell half the story. It's also becoming very profitable. With the wildly successful Da Vinci Code franchise in his bag, Author Dan Brown has essentially paid for his great grand kids' college. Other theories like the secret gospel of Judas have also made noise among the masses. We like a good story and, accurate scholarship be damned, the likes of James Cameron will always bring us one. I predict a feature film based on this "discovery" within the next 3-4 years---probably starring Tom Hanks, Rosie O'Donnell, and Arnold as the Terminator.

This phenomenon is nothing new and should do nothing to disturb those who possess true saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers know there will always be those who slander and blaspheme the Lord Jesus. Was it any different when he walked the earth as a man?

In the book of Matthew there is a passage that describes Jesus gathering his closest disciples just outside of Caeserea-Philippi. After ministering to many villages both Jewish and Gentile, Jesus asks his disciples what the buzz on the street is. They tell Jesus that some people think he is a resurrected John the Baptist, others believe he is Jeremiah, still others think he is one of the other prophets. Most of the people who had been exposed to the Christ believed he was something other-worldly, a being of a supernatural nature. However not many understood who He truly was.

After hearing the disciple's answer, the Master then asked a very pointed question to his disciples. "Who do you say that I am?" It's the most important question we will ever be faced with in life. Peter's famous answer, "you are the Christ, the the son of the living God", revealed the heart of one who's eye's had been opened to the truth.

Jesus called him blessed, because "flesh and blood" had not revealed the answer to Peter, but the Father in Heaven.

If the Father in Heaven has revealed the truth to us about His son Jesus Christ, we will answer as Peter did. We won't ever be swayed by the pop-science discoveries that show up on the news every couple of months.

For the Dan Browns and James Camerons of the world who are willing to propagate nonsense about the Christ, it really doesn't matter if they say he was John the Baptist, a good teacher, Mary Magdalene's husband, or the Easter Bunny incarnate. They will be just as wrong no matter which they choose to believe. They are blind to the truth about Jesus Christ.

So how should believers react? We should react by answering the question Jesus asked Peter. "But who do you say that I am?" And when we answer, we should rejoice in being called "blessed", because the Father has revealed it to us.

Behold the Dark Lord of the Grocery Market

Matt Sloan and Aaron Yonda have struck You Tube gold with their web-short series "Chad Vader"which documents the lame life of Darth's younger, less charismatic brother Chad. Chad Vader is a day shift manager at Empire Grocery who's misguided exploits naturally lead to unabashed hilarity. There are 6 episodes on You Tube currently with two more in the works for season 1. Each episode lasts 5-6 minutes. Keep a towel handy to wipe the coffee off the keyboard. Matt Sloan who plays Clint and also does the voice of Chad Vader sounds strikingly close to James Earl Jones, the original Darth Vader.

These videos have been viewed over 10 million times on You Tube and have gained Yonda and Sloan serious publicity on the BBC, Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets.

It will be interesting to watch the effect this "new media" program has on the entertainment industry.

Ok, go watch and come back and let me know what you think about Chad.