THE OUTLAW: Who Do You Say He Is?

Hello all of you far out and groovy people..right on.

Back in the late 60's and early 70's...there was a movement among young people. Woodstock was a half a million strong with three days of love, peace, and rock and roll...translated...sex, doing what I want without being hassled...and well...rock and roll. Woodstock took place on the east coast...and a few months later...out in San Fransico...the Rolling Stones tried to re-create the mood with a free concert at the Altamont Freeway. The only problem is...it failed. The mixture of alcohol...drugs...free love...the Hells Angels...and Sympathy for the Devil proved to be a potent elixer for death. The Beatles had proclaimed that all you need is love...and then they broke up (Readers Digest by Larry Norman 1072). This was the climate of a new movement afoot called THE JESUS MOVEMENT.

Disillusioned "hippies"...still had an emptiness that "freedom" did not fill. This movement was based on a single man...who died 2000 years earlier...and rose from the dead. His name...Jesus. It was not an isolated incident...it was spreading like wildfire around the world.

An issue of Time Magazine had an issue back on Monday, June 21, 1971...called THE NEW REBEL CRY: JESUS IS COMING. They quoted from a newpaper called the Hollywood Free Press...the counterculture newspaper for the Jesus Movement. They quoted from a drawing of a wanted poster. I have a copy of the poster in my possession. As you can see in the picture... Jesus is WANTED...like a common criminal. The small print reads this way:

WANTED...JESUS CHRIST: Alias: The Messiah, the Son of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, etc.

--Notorious leader of an underground liberation movement
--Wanted for the following charges:

PRACTICING MEDICINE, WINEMAKING, AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT A LICENSE

INTERFERING WITH BUSINESSMEN IN THE TEMPLE

ASSOCIATING WITH KNOWN CRIMINALS, RADICALS, SUBVERSIVES, PROSTITUTES AND STREET PEOPLE

CLAIMING TO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE PEOPLE INTO GOD'S CHILDREN

APPEARANCE: Typical hippie type--long hair, beard, robe, sandals

--Hangs around slum areas, few rich friends, often sneaks out into the desert

BEWARE: This man is extremely dangerous. His insidiously inflammatory message is particularly dangerous to young people who haven't been taught to ignore him yet. He changes men and claims to set them free.

WARNING: HE IS STILL AT LARGE

There were many symbols of the movement. The uplifted hand with the index finger extended pointing to the sky with the cry ONE WAY was popular. Jesus hung up...for your hangups was a good one. When you would meet someone...you would say, "He is risen." They would respond back, "He is risen...indeed."



One of the voices of the movement was Larry Norman. Larry was in a group called PEOPLE on the Capitol label...who had a hit with a remake of the song I LOVE YOU. At the pinnacle of their success...Larry dropped out...and went to the streets with his guitar in hand...and began to witness to masses about JESUS. He had one song called THE OUTLAW.. that described what various people were saying about this Jesus. The song is found on his album ONLY VISITING THIS PLANET one the Verve Label (One of the early distributers of The Beatles).

THE OUTLAW (Words and Music by Larry Norman 1972)

Some say he was an outlaw, that he roamed across the land
With a band of unschooled ruffians and a few old fishermen
No one knew just where he came from or exactly what he'd done
But they said it must be something bad that kept him on the run

Some say he was a poet, that he'd stand upon the hill
And his voice could calm and angry crowd or make the waves stand still
That He spoke in many parables, that few could understand
But the people sat for hours just to listen to this man

Some say he was a sorcerer, a man of mystery
He could walk upon the water, he could make a blind man see
That he conjured wine at weddings and did tricks with fish and bread
That he talked of being born again and raised people from the dead

Some say a politician who spoke of being free
He was followed by the masses on the shores of galilee
He spoke out against corruption and he bowed to no decree
And they feared his strength and power so they nailed him to a tree

Some say he was the son of God, a man above all men
But he came to be a servant and to set us free from sin
And that's who I believe he was, cause that's who I believe
And I think we should get ready cause it's time for us to leave

MATTHEW 16:13-19 (The Burning Question)

God came on the scene in the form of a little baby...in a little town...in a little country. He grew up...was anointed by the Holy Spirit...and began to go about in all Galilee, (1) teaching in their synagogues (2) proclaiming the good news of the kingdom (3) healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness amoung the people. The news begin to spread along with the speculation. WHO IS THIS GUY? Is this not the carpenter's son? It was not long before...this mystery man would be upsetting the "religious" people. He began to make outrageous claims of being on the same level of God...and worse than that the He was God. It was not the good that got Jesus crucified...it was His CLAIMS to be God in the flesh.

"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He gegans asking His disciples saying...WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT THE SON OF MAN IS?" (Matthew 15:13)

NOTE: The question is still being asked...who do YOU...say that Jesus is?

"And they said...some say John the Baptist...some say Elijah...and others, Jeremiah...or one of the prophets." (Matthew 16:14)

NOTE: The answers were based on the peoples hope of a Messiah...or a prophet...but Jesus next statement cuts to the crux of the matter...

"He said to them...But...WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?" (Matthew 16:15)

NOTE: The question was posed to "them"...but Peter answered.

"And Simon Peter answered and said...THOU ARE THE CHRIST...THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD." (Matthew 16:16)

NOTE: Good answer.

"And Jesus answered and said to him...blessed are you Simon Barjona...because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:17)

NOTE: Peter...had a revelation. It was not his intellect that got him the answer. The Pharisees and Sadducees had intellect and reason. It was not his religion that got him the correct answer. The land was filled with "religious people".. .in an organized system of religion. It was not a flesh and blood issue. It was a revelation issue.

QUESTION: What has your flesh and blood been saying about Jesus? What has your intellect come up with? What has your keen sense of reason and common sense told you about Jesus? Has Jesus offended your sensibilities to the point that you can't hear Him whisper to you.

The cause and effect of the revelation to Peter wa blessing. Jesus then points out...that you are petros (little stone)...upon this PETRA (massive rock)...I will build My church. The church was built on the revelation...that was not of Peter's own fabrication...that JESUS IS THE CHRIST...THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.

NOTE: When someone has this type of revelation...the gates of Hell cannot stand against or overpower the church. Everytime we get away from that revelation...that JESUS IS THE CHRIST...THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD...the gate begin to get stronger against the church...the assembly of people who have the same revelation.

Some say He was an OUTLAW...who do you say He is?

Love and One Way Kisses
Rodney "Only Visiting This Planet" Boyd