
Who is the Real Jesus?
In this passage from the book of Matthew, John the Baptist is struggling with who Jesus is. Why would John, this great religious figure, be dealing with such difficulty? We learn two things from his struggle: 1) if you’re going to find out whether Jesus is the One, first of all, you have to make sure you do not try to understand yourself before you understand him, and 2) you also had better realize that if you reject him you’ll never be able to stop searching for him.
As a response, Jesus gives John a straight answer. We learn two more things from Jesus. He says, “You will not know I’m the One until 1) you feel my offensiveness and 2) you see how I welcome the weak. Let’s look a little deeper into this interchange and its burning contemporary relevance for our world today.
This sermon was preached by Rev. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 8, 1996. Series "The Real Jesus Part 1; His Teaching". Scripture: Matthew 11:2-6.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry during Giving Tuesday, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/tuesday and making a one-time or recurring donation. Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts on Giving Tuesday will be matched up to $40,000.
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Learn how to make your prayers more personal and powerful and how to strengthen your relationship with God through a regular practice of prayer in Dr. Keller’s book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. We’ll send you a copy of this book as our thanks for your gift to help Gospel in Life share the love of Christ with more people.
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Featured Offer
Learn how to make your prayers more personal and powerful and how to strengthen your relationship with God through a regular practice of prayer in Dr. Keller’s book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. We’ll send you a copy of this book as our thanks for your gift to help Gospel in Life share the love of Christ with more people.
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About Tim Keller
Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For 28 years he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He is also the Chairman & Co-Founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC), which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environment. In 2017 Dr. Keller transitioned to CTC full time to teach and mentor church planters and seminary students through a joint venture with Reformed Theological Seminary's (RTS), the City Ministry Program. He also works with CTC's global affiliates to launch church planting movements.
Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 2 million copies and been translated into 25 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
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