These are odd days for us as Americans. We have won a war yet our soldiers are dying on a daily basis, killed by snipers and terrorists. We live in the shadow of 9/11 and are constantly reminded that these are dangerous days. In spite of the seriousness of the times, our moral fabric is tearing and disintegrating. The Supreme Court has ruled that society has no rights in defining moral behavior in our nation. Justice Scalia said that the court had taken sides in the culture war and fears that this will end morality as we know in the United States. He said: "This reasoning leaves on pretty shaky grounds state laws limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, The ruling also threatens laws banning bestiality, bigamy and incest."

The Supreme Court upheld the sodomy law 17 years ago. This year, they ruled against it. This suggests that morality and Law are not absolute. But, when those who oppose abortion sought to have the case reviewed, they were shot down in federal court this week. It appears that immorality can get a second chance in court, godliness and morality cannot and will not.

As the country becomes more gay friendly, more gay dominated, Christianity becomes more persecuted because we represent morality. Christians are being silenced over various issues. One teacher was fired for wearing a Cross around her neck. Our voice is being pushed out of the public square and our witness is becoming ever more ineffective because the world does not want to be judged for its immorality. Rather, it wants to glory in it.

As we celebrate the birthday of our country, it appears to me that it is a grave moment in our history. In times of war, Americans have always experienced a revival of religion as people turned to God for comfort and guidance. We thought we saw that with 9/11 but in six months Church attendance was back to normal and the anti God motif once again ruled the nation. We are in trouble and I am not sure we will ever overcome this moment in history. How can God not judge us?

As a great nation, we need to ask ourselves who is Jesus and what does he have to do with us? And if the Church does not carry this message to our nation, the nation’s blood will be on our hands. I am afraid that when we have asked the question "who is Jesus?" our answer has been an uninterested yawn as we headed off to our weekend activities and forgot our obligation to worship and serve God. Where we go as a church and as a nation depends on how we answer the question, "who is this man Jesus?"

The world faced a similar situation in the day when Jesus and his disciples bore witness to the coming of the Kingdom of God. Herrod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great. In 29 A.D., Antipas traveled to Rome and along the way, he visited his brother, Philip. It was then that Antipas fell in love with Herodias, his brother’s wife and his own niece. The short version of the story is Antipas dumped his wife for Herodias. Herodias was about 40 years old and figured that life that was passing her by. So, she dumped Philip and married his brother because his brother was richer and more powerful.

John the Baptist came on the scene preaching a gospel of repentance. John was a powerful preacher, a strange man dressed in a rough camel hair coat and lived on locust and honey. He preached openly against sin and the people were repenting and being baptized. One day, Antipas passed by and John called him to repentance. John called him an adulterer. Herodias did not like that. Mark says that she held a grudge against John because he reminded her of their sin.

Antipas’ conscience was pricked by John. He knew that he was a sinner. Yet, he could not let this rebel preacher turn the people against him. Besides, his wife hated him. So, he imprisoned John. Antipas threw a big party where all of his officials and all of the important men were present. For entertainment, Herodias sent her teenage daughter to do a sensual dance before the king and his men. Josephus identified her as Salome. Antipas was so taken with her that he offered her whatever her heart’s desire and he offered it with an oath.

Salome asked her mother, "what shall I ask for?" Her mother said, "the head of John the Baptist on a platter." Herod was deeply grieved by this. He considered John a holy man and apparently spent much time listening to him. But, Herod gave his oath in front of all his great men. He could not go back on his word and show compassion for John. He gave the order and John was beheaded that very night. His head was brought to the banquet room for the girl.

While John had been imprisoned, Jesus had been preaching throughout Galilee and he was more popular than John. Jesus too had been critical of the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the Herodians. But, this was more than politics. This one had healed the sick. He claimed authority to forgive sins. He had cast out demons. He had control over the weather. He had even raised the dead. John had never done those things! All of the world had been talking about him.

John called Jesus the Lamb of God! What a cryptic term! What could it all mean? People began to speculate about Jesus. Some were saying that he is Elijah returned to proclaim the end of the age. Others thought that the golden age of prophets was back. At the barbershop it was all they talked about! At the market all the women were talking about him. Who is this Man?

Herod heard about him and was the most disturbed of all. He thought that John the Baptist had risen from the dead to haunt him. Jesus tore the very fabric of society. He turned back the hands of death. He rolled back the ravages of disease. At the very sound of his voice nature obeyed him. His very presence causes the demons to tremble. He created in people a new heart and gave them new hope. He boldly called the religious and political leaders to repentance. Yes, this was a very disturbing man; but, who is he?

A few days later, as Jesus and the 12 were walking to villages of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked the disciples who do people say that I am? They told him all the things the people had been saying. He asked them, "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ!" You are the Messiah of God! It is Matthew who helps us understand things. He records that Jesus said "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." They discovered that you cannot know God unless he reveals himself. They understood who Jesus is because God revealed him to them. He can’t be figured out, he is the hidden God. Our fallen minds are incapable of comprehending God. We can search to the ends of the earth and never find God. God comes to us and reveals himself to us.

Jesus disturbs us in many ways. Jesus is out of our control. He makes us uncomfortable. His very name reminds us that we are sinners. We really don’t like being around him. So we ask the question, who is he? And all of our answers are self serving and they are wrong. We answer he is a good man. He was a good teacher, a sage, a philosopher. Certain men have said that he did not exist in hopes that he would just go away. Others have said that he was a lunatic or a liar who has pulled one over on the whole world. Many have reduced him to a very good counselor, a man who understood the human mind. Some said that he was a sorcerer who did tricks with wine and bread while others said that he was Satan himself.

But, one day, he reveals himself to us and we are startled because this one is God! He is our creator, our Lord and master. We cannot discover him, he reveals himself to us and it is an overpowering revelation. We now know who he is and he will be either our Savior or our Judge.

Who is Jesus? This is the essential question and we need to answer it for ourselves. But we need to answer it as a nation. I am afraid that our fate as a nation depends on how we answer this question. Our economic, scientific, and military might cannot save us. Only Jesus can change the course of our history.

This morning we stand in the presence our Judge. Who do you say that he is?