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Jesus: “But who do you say that I am?”

January, 2022 – Faithful Living ~

Matthew and Mark write of a conversation Jesus had with His Disciples in the region of Caesarea Philippi on who people said that He was. One said, John the Baptist, another uttered, Elijah and someone else exclaimed, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.

Jesus was well aware of the thoughts and mutterings of those among the crowds and the people that followed Him but I think He was most interested in the hearts, at a gut level, of His twelve closest companions. He wanted to hear specifically what these guys thought of the One whom they left everything for. So, He gets personal.

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15 ESV. Simon is the first to speak. He confesses in verse sixteen that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. With that statement alone, Simon launches himself into a category of supreme importance. Jesus declares to Simon, son of Jonah that none other than God revealed that to him. Because of that proclamation, Jesus changes his name to Peter [which means stone] and says that on this foundational rock, He would establish His Church. Further, to emphasize this eventual reality, Jesus uses the punchline that the gates of Hell would never prevail against it. And, if that is not enough, Jesus adds that He will give Peter the keys to Heaven and He grants Peter authority to bind and loose on earth and the same in the Kingdom realm to come.

This was the warm up act as the group traveled yet closer to Mt. Hermon when Jesus would take Peter, James and John to the mountain top so they could witness His transfiguration into a brilliance that would be out-of-this-world. Here, with their own eyes, they will behold Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah about His soon departure. As the three mortal men observe this miraculous event, they learn a bit more of truly who the Father says this God-Man is.

OK, that was a long time ago. For centuries, people have wrestled with this very question. And, they will continue to until the end of time. To be truthfully honest, all of us at some point in our lives will have to decide what we will do with the most important person who has ever lived or will ever live. How do we deal with this One who came to reconcile humanity [past-present-future] to Himself? The One who came to rescue you from yourself and me from myself.

Will you chalk him up strictly to mythical status? How about just rendering him to a useless metaphor…or will you claim Him to be your Messiah? Does He take the highest place of honor in your life? Or, have you assigned him as only a relic of the past? Have His teachings impacted your life in such a way as to make others notice the changes they see in you? Or, do you believe that his moral fabric is woefully out of touch with today’s trends and his conduct for living so antiquated to the point of being nonsensical and ridiculous.

One of my life verses states, “Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.” Acts 4:12 CEV. This particular scripture is on my business card.

Another one that I recently placed in the same regard is 1 John 5:12 ESV, which states, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son, does not have life.”

I am certain that these verses have been and will continue to be interpreted and extrapolated in many different ways over time. But to me, they sum up the very essence of who this Guy is and why He came in the first place.

So, what will this Man be to you, personally? Who do you say that He is and do you believe He plays a role now in your life and/or in your future, including beyond this life? I pray you will discover and attest [if you haven’t already] that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. That He is the only One who has the authority to seal your eternal salvation.

I pray you choose Life!

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