Mascots, Life Coaches And Jesus The Christ... The Son Of The Living God?

Is Jesus a mascot that cheers us on from the sidelines in this life of sanctification?  Is Jesus a life coach that shows us the strategy on how to live, a mere example that we must follow?  Is he an overconfident Jewish Rabbi that found the path to right living?  The way that we answer this is probably the most important answer one can give.  The reason why?  The way in which we answer this will dictate and define how one understands the church, how one reads the Bible and how one lives their life in the shadow of truth.

In Matthew 16:13-20, we see that Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  In other words, that Jesus is divine, that He has power to forgive, and that He is the Messiah, that He is the one sent to crush the head of Satan, that He is the King and High Priest that the Old Testament spoke of, that He stands before the Father and advocates on our behalf.  Jesus, has complete power and authority. 

Think about it for a moment though.  If Jesus was not the Son of the Living God, if he was a mere life coach, an example, a moral guru, then the church would be toast!  The gates of Hades could easily overcome/restrict the life coach Jesus.  Furthermore, I don't think the Evil One and his cohorts would have a difficult time with a fluffed up mascot Jesus!  The great news is that the church is not built upon Jesus the life coach or Jesus the example, but it is built upon Jesus the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!  The church stands in Jesus the Christ!  No false doctrine, evil or death itself can overcome/restrict the church that is founded in the confession of Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God!  

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God!