Jordan Villanueva: Jesus: Part One

Baptists Preaching is a column from the Baptist Standard. It is not an effort to advance any one theology or style but to present what a collection of Baptists considers a word from God. Likewise, Baptists Preaching offers a repository of Baptist preaching for future study and research. To recommend a sermon to be featured in Baptists Preaching, please contact eric.black@baptiststandard.com.

Jordan Villanueva: Jesus: Part One (Matthew 16:13-20)

Jordan Villanueva, former lead pastor of Indian Hills Baptist Church in Grand Prairie and new instructor in the Howard Payne University School of Christian Studies, introduced a sermon series leading up to Easter during which “we’re just going to be talking about who Jesus is.” He cited people’s propensity to use words in common, while meaning different things by them.

Likewise, people have differing understandings of Jesus. Historically, early Christians debated the person and nature of Jesus. Villanueva referenced Arias, who’s view of Jesus was deemed heretical in 325 A.D.

To get to a common understanding about Jesus, Villanueva asked: “Who was Jesus? Who is Jesus? And who will Jesus be?” These questions come from Jesus’ question of his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Villanueva contended the question matters, “because the gospel’s at stake.”

This sermon was delivered on Mar. 7, 2021, for the morning worship service at Indian Hills Baptist Church in Grand Prairie. It is the first of a four-part Easter series titled “Jesus: A Christological Survey.”

A sermon outline is available here.