WHO DO YOU SAY THAT HE IS?

 

There comes a time in any relationship when we have to get down to business and deal with what it really means. There comes a time when we need to state what our relationship is with someone we love. So, when they reached Caesarea Philippi (in the north of Israel), Jesus asked his disciples to tell him what people were saying about him. Well, (they may have replied) people say a lot of things. Some say that you are a teacher, some say that you are a physician, some say that you are a philosopher, some say that you are Mary’s boy, some say that you are a carpenter. People say a lot of things.

 

But then Jesus got to the crux of the matter and asked his disciples- "Who do you say I am?" Who do you say I am? Be careful when you answer because your answer will speak to your relationship with Jesus and in some sense, it will define who you are as we travel together. Of all of the Bible's profound questions, this is surely at the top of the list!  Who do you say I am? It's a life-changing question and Jesus asks me and you the same question today- who do you say I am? Well, Simon bar Jonah (the son of John) shouted it out, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Wow! What a marvelous answer. You, my friend and teacher... 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 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…!"
     

Christ said that he would build his church on such faith, but from that time on Jesus began to talk about his suffering, death, and resurrection plainly. He began to tell his followers what it really meant to be a leader, 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 suffering and dying. Peter was bold enough to re-define what it meant to be God's Messiah. In plain English, Peter told Jesus to "knock off" 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 he turned to Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan, because you are a stumbling block to me!” Get behind me, Rocky! Go back with the other followers... and fix your mind on the things of God!
     

Then Jesus said to all of them, "If anyone wishes to follow me, (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 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 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.
     

Some people insist on a small god- a god whose greatest desire is to make them happy and comfortable. Some people want a God who is little more than a good friend. Some people want a God who asks nothing from them, but this is NOT the God of the Bible… or the God of the Cross! The journey to life begins see it clearly and shout out- you are the Christ and the Son of God! Amen!