WHO DO YOU SAY HE IS?

       There comes a point in any relationship when you have to get down to business and deal with what it really means.  So, when they reached Caesarea Philippi in the north of Israel, Jesus asked his disciples to tell him what people were saying about him. Considering all of his teachings and the miracles he had worked, Jesus asked, "Who do people say I am?" What have you heard? Well, you know that people say a lot of things- some say that you are a teacher, others say you are a physician, still others consider you a philosopher, and many people say that you are a prophet. Then Jesus asked the question that he really needed to ask, "Who do you say I am?" Who do you say I am? Of all of the Bible's profound questions, this may be the most important. Who do you say I am? It's a life-changing question and Jesus asks us the same question today- who do you say I am?
      Well, Simon bar Jonah (the son of John), a man who was often impulsive, shouted it out, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" What a marvelous answer. You, my friend and teacher from Nazareth... are the anointed one of God. You are the man who has come to set us free. You are the Son of the Living God! It was an awesome answer, and although he credited the Holy Spirit for giving Simon the insight, Jesus affirmed it, saying. "Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah" for my Father in Heaven has revealed this to you. "And I tell you that you are Petros (Peter) and on this rock (petra) I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!"
      Christ used a play on words to say that he would build his church on such divine revelation and the profession of faith, but from that time on (Matt. 16:21ff) Jesus began to talk about his suffering, death, and resurrection plainly. He began to tell his followers what it really meant to be a follower, but Peter the Rock, would have none of it. In a bold and inappropriate move, Peter took Jesus to the side and told him to quit talking about things that we never going to happen to him. Peter assumed the position of teacher and was bold enough to re-define that it meant to be God's Messiah. In plain English, while he was thoughtful enough to avoid embarrassing Jesus, Peter told Jesus to "knock off" all of his talk about suffering and dying. He wanted Jesus to embrace an easier and softer way, a way without sacrifice, and Jesus had already heard this temptation in the wilderness. So, Jesus turned and said, "Get behind me, Satan, because you are a stumbling block to me! Get behind me, Rocky! Go back with my other followers... and fix your mind on the things of God while you're at it!
      Then, Jesus said to all of them, "If anyone wishes to follow me (and we do have a choice). (s)he must deny himself and pick up his cross." We don't have to follow Jesus. We don't have to get involved, but if we choose to, we must let go of our agenda and embrace His. If we decide to follow him, we will need to be a follower! We will find our purpose and joy in life by going where Jesus leads us. We may encounter a leper on the edge of town, we may meet a widow who is burying her son, we may be asked to take a stand against injustice, we may find ourselves dining with the least among us. No one knows exactly where Christ will lead them, but we do know that if we sign-on for the journey, we must follow... with a cross on our back! Our cross is a cross of surrender, service, and love, that we pick up daily, because we cannot follow Christ on our own terms! No one can, of course, and the cross that we carry is a daily reminder that we have chosen the road less traveled... AND a purpose-driven life that will store our treasure up in heaven.
      If we give ourselves to Jesus, we will find lasting peace and joy. We will experience the joy of being authentic and of being free from our own baggage and temptations. Some people insist on a small god- a god who actually serves them and whose greatest desire is to make them happy and comfortable. But this is NOT the God of the Bible or the Cross! Christ didn't die to applaud everything that we think of and do, but to transform us and lead us to a full and everlasting life. The journey to life begins when we die to ourselves and discover the wonder and the joy of living for God. Amen!