Peter Cheyne
I really want to congratulate those who were in Jesus Christ Superstar. I saw it twice and I am glad I did. You did a fantastic job. You’re probably all exhausted. You’ve put a lot of effort into it and there have been numerous reports of people finding it very moving. There has been a lot of prayer go into the show and we can trust that God has used it to speak into people’s lives.
If He has, we need to be ready for the conversations that the show might have prompted. We need to take it that next step for anybody whom the show has caused to think about Jesus.
One of the big questions in the show, it seems to me, is whether Jesus was just a man as Mary sings: “He’s a man. He’s just a man.” Or whether He was – and is – God.
The show opens with Judas having had a revelation: My mind is clear now... If you strip away the myth from the man you will see where we all soon will be. Jesus! You’ve started to believe the things they say of you. You really do believe this talk of God is true... You’ve set them all on fire. They think they’ve found the new Messiah, and they’ll hurt you when they find they’re wrong. I remember when this whole thing began. No talk of God then; we called you a man.
That is the question posed at the outset of the show: Is Jesus God as He claimed, or man?
When the crowds sings “Hosanna”, calls Jesus “Superstar”, says “I believe in you and God so tell me that I’m saved”, and clamours for Jesus to “touch me, touch me , Jesus” the high priests say to Jesus, “Tell the mob who sing your song that they are fools and they are wrong.” There is tension between those who do believe that Jesus is God and those who don’t.
Caiaphas, the high priest, says: Jesus, you must realise the serious charges facing you. You say you’re the Son of God in all your handouts – well is it true?
That is the central question. That is what this whole thing is about: You say you are the Son of God. Is it true? Jesus replies, “That’s what you say – you say that I am.” Immediately that is taken as a confession and Annas, another of the high priests, says, “There you have it gentlemen – what more evidence do we need? Judas thank you for the victim. Stay a while and you’ll see it bleed.”
Now we have him. Now we’ve got him, the crowd sings. Just the hint that Jesus thinks he is the Son of God was enough to charge him with blasphemy. He is taken to Pilate and then to Herod. Herod mocks and again it is all centred around this question of whether Jesus is God or just a man.
Jesus, I am overjoyed to meet you face to face. You’ve been getting quite a name all around the place. Healing cripples, raising from the dead. And now I understand you’re God, at least that’s what you’ve said.
So, you are the Christ. You’re the great Jesus Christ. Prove to me that you’re divine. Change my water into wine. That’s all you need do and I’ll know it’s all true. C’mon King of the Jews... I am waiting. Yes, I’m a captive fan. I am dying to be shown that you are not just any man.
His conclusion was: You’re a joke. You’re not the Lord. You are nothing but a fraud. Take him away. He’s got nothing to say! Get out you king of the Jews! Get out of my life!
Judas then sings his song of regret recognising that he had betrayed innocent blood, but his understanding of Jesus hasn’t changed: I don’t know how to love him. I don’t know why he moves me. He’s a man. He’s just a man. He’s not a king. He’s just the same as anyone I know.
Pilate concludes that Jesus is just misguided – thinks he’s important... a misguided martyr. And with that, Jesus is crucified.
Of course, the show reflects the fact that this same question was asked by people in the Bible. For example, if you have your Bibles, look at Mark’s gospel. Mark starts with these words: The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, (1:1) and the footnote says that many manuscripts have “the Messiah, the Son of God” So Mark lays his cards on the table straight away. He believes that Jesus is God. But his readers don’t yet know that, so Mark lays out evidence upon evidence. He quotes an Old Testament prophecy (1:2-3). John the Baptist talks of one coming who is greater than he and who will baptise with the Holy Spirit (1:7-8). Jesus is baptised and a voice from heaven says, “You are my Son whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (1:11). Is He, or is He not, God? What does the evidence say?
A demon says, “I know who you are – the holy one of God” (1:24). Jesus casts out the demon and the people are amazed. He has authority even over evil spirits (1:27). Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law (1:31) and then many who are ill or possessed by demons (1:33). We are told that Jesus would not let those demons speak because they knew who he was (1:34). Constantly, there is this question of who Jesus is.
READ Mark 2:1-12
Jesus declared a man’s sins forgiven. That was blasphemy. No one can forgive sins but God alone. So what conclusion do we draw? Either Jesus was God or was not but was claiming to be.
“Which is easier?” Jesus asks, “to say ‘Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Take up your mat and walk”? If Jesus says “your sins are forgiven” no one can tell whether they really are or not. If He says, “Take up your mat and walk” everybody will be able to see if anything happens. So which is easier? “Your sins are forgiven.” So Jesus does the harder thing – heals the crippled man. Why? To show that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins – in other words, to show that he has the authority of God.
The people said, “We have never seen anything like this.” Did the teachers of the law conclude that Jesus was God? By the beginning of chapter 3 the Pharisees are already planning to kill Jesus.
How can we know if Jesus is God? In Superstar, Herod sings: Prove to me that you’re divine. Change my water into wine. That’s all you need do and I’ll know it’s all true. C’mon King of the Jews.
A miracle would be sufficient to prove that it was true. Of course, Jesus had turned water into wine. He had walked on water, and healed, and raised the dead. Miracles are a big part of the answer. In John’s gospel he refers to them as “signs” – signs that point to Jesus and point to who Jesus is.
John 14:11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
First preference: believe my words. But if not, at least believe on the evidence of the miracles. When people heard Jesus speak they were amazed because He spoke with authority. His words rang true. Down through the centuries people have found Jesus’ words compelling. But if His words aren’t enough, then there are the miracles. Supreme amongst the miracles is the resurrection.
Romans 1:4 [Jesus] was declared... to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead...
The resurrection says, “This man is the Son of God.”
Of course, there is also the testimony of others to Jesus. The disciples were utterly convinced that He was God. Peter later wrote:
2 Peter 1:16-18 16We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 18We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
John also emphasised that they were eyewitnesses of these things.
1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ...
Note that fellowship with God comes through believing these things. And yet others didn’t believe. There was ample evidence but so many didn’t believe. If they had, what difference would it have made?
If they had realised that He was God, would they not have bowed before Him in worship? Is that not what you would do in the presence of God - worship? Even when he was a baby, the wise men came and they worshipped Him.
If they had realised that He was God, would they not have listened to His every word? This was God speaking. How often do you have the chance to hear God? On the Mount of Transfiguration, when God said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen” His very next words were “Listen to him.” And would they not have trusted His words. God does not lie. And obeyed His words? Because God is God.
If they had believed that He was God, they would not have argued with Him. You don’t argue with God. They would certainly not have put Him to death. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter accused the people of having killed the Lord and Messiah and they were cut to the heart. You don’t resist God and get away with it.
If they had believed that He was God and they had seen His compassion and believed His words that He had come to save the lost and to give His life as a ransom for many, they would have known that God is compassionate; God is willing to save; God is forgiving. They would have gone to Him for salvation.
In Jesus Christ Superstar, Herod concluded: You’re a joke. You’re not the Lord. You are nothing but a fraud. Take him away. He’s got nothing to say! Get out you king of the Jews! Get out of my life!
I have a feeling that he could not get Jesus out of his life quite that easily. None of us can. We all have to answer that question: Is Jesus God? What does the evidence say?
We can try to ignore the question, but ignoring it is answering it. Ignoring it says, “I don’t believe He is God” because you don’t ignore God. You can’t believe Jesus is God and ignore Him.
If we conclude that He is God, what will that mean? That we will worship Him. That is more than singing songs. It means putting Jesus first in our lives and dedicating our whole lives to Him. Are you?
If He is God we will listen to His every word, trust what He says and obey it. The Bible is the principle means God uses to speak to us. I asked before how often we get the chance to hear God speak. Daily. Any time we care to pick up the Bible or listen to the Holy Spirit. If we believe He is God, we will be listening and then trusting and obeying. Are you?
If we believe He is God we won’t argue with Him. We will simply obey. And we wouldn’t continue with sins that continue to crucify Jesus. Hebrews 6:6 talks about people who have fallen away crucifying the son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace. Are you obeying?
If we believe that He is God, then we know that God is compassionate and gracious and willing to forgive. If we believe that He is God then we will run to Him for His forgiveness and love. God revealed by Jesus is a God of great love who forgives all who turn to Him. Have you?
Is Jesus God? We all have to decide that for ourselves. And we all have to decide how we will respond to God.
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