Who do we say HE is?
“Jesus went out,
(The Gospel According to Mark 8: 27-29a NASB)
along with His disciples,
to the villages of Caesarea Philippi;
and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They told Him, saying,
“John the Baptist; and others say Elijah;
but others, one of the prophets.”
And He continued by questioning them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Jesus looks into our heart (yours and mine) and asks us the question that changes everything!
- When we are hanging with our friends, Jesus asks us.
- When we are sharing time with our family, Jesus asks us.
- When we are working in our careers, Jesus asks us.
- When we are exercising our bodies or playing, Jesus asks us. &
- When we are sitting alone with our thoughts, Jesus asks us,
“But who do you say that I am?”
How we answer the question Jesus asks us—changes the projectory of our lives, for we will be forever changed within our answer.
Sometimes I am so much like the disciple Simon Peter, one who responds with the TRUEST answer.
“Peter answered and said to Him,
(The Gospel According to Mark 8: 29b NASB)
[Peter looked directly at Jesus and said,]
“You are the Christ.”
However, other times I respond so similar to Peter, a follower of Jesus, with the WRONG answer.
“And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things
(The Gospel According to Mark 8: 31-33 NASB)
and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes,
and be killed,
and after three days rise again.
And He was stating the matter plainly.
And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
But turning around and seeing His disciples,
He rebuked Peter and said,
“Get behind Me, Satan;
for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests,
but man’s.”
Who do we say HE is?
- Could it be that oftentimes we respond as Peter, denying we know Jesus?
- Yes, could it be that we respond with the most-horrible answer?
“They led Jesus away to the high priest;
(The Gospel According to Mark 14: 53-54 NASB)
and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.
Peter had followed Him at a distance,
right into the courtyard of the high priest;
and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.”
Jesus looks into our heart and asks us the question:
“But who do you say that I am?”
The question and our response changes everything!
- How we answer the question Jesus asks us—changes the projectory of our lives!
- How we answer HIS question—changes us forever!
We may answer TRUE and we may answer WRONG, and there are times we even answer MOST-HORRIBLY.
HOWEVER, PRAISE GOD—There are so many opportunities within the seasons of our lives when we respond (just as the disciple Peter) with the most-profound answer to Jesus’ question.
“As a result of this
(The Gospel According to John 6: 66-69 NASB)
[as a result of some not believing in the truth of the Gospel]
[as a result of the one whom Jesus knew from the beginning—would betray Him]
many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.
So Jesus said to the twelve,
“You do not want to go away also, do you?”
Simon Peter answered Him,
“Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have words of eternal life.
We have believed and
have come to know that
You are the Holy One of God.”
We are given such a brief life to traverse—
May we walk it well.
As we go through this one day the Lord has given us to live—
May we answer the question Jesus asks of everyone correctly.
Who do we say HE is?
Our answer can be heard loudly through our ACTIONS—our THOUGHTS—and through our WORDS!
May we answer the question with the most-profound & truest answer.
“We have believed and
(The Gospel According to John 6: 69 NASB)
have come to know that
You are the Holy One of God.”