Hear
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15).
Believe
The answer to this one question opens the door to a vibrant and dynamic faith.
Jesus first posed this question to his disciples at Caesarea Philippi. The curiosity of the people of Israel concerning the identity of Jesus had the nation abuzz. Who was this man? Jesus asked his disciples for feedback. Then he asked them, “Who do you say that I am?”
Most of us think of this question in terms of apologetics, defending the faith. Yes, Jesus’ identity is central to Christianity, and we as believers must be well versed in sharing the truth of his claims to be God.
The question, however, is much broader in scope. The answer has continuing effects in our day-to-day lives. It relates to our faith as individual believers.
“Who do you say that I am?” is not a question to be asked and answered merely once in a lifetime. We should circle back to it time and time again.
Our faith, to have value and substance, must be tied to an object. Without an object, faith is a meaningless word. For Christians, the object of our faith is Jesus Christ himself. As our knowledge of Christ grows, our faith in him expands within our souls.
This far exceeds the facts the question initially invokes. Peter answered the question correctly when Jesus asked it. He boldly delivered the answer that had been revealed to him, “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Yet when Jesus, in response to Peter’s answer, shared his ultimate mission, Peter recoiled. Jesus rebuked him saying, “You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” The fact of Jesus’ identity was clear in Peter’s mind, but fact had not yet blossomed into full faith.
Live
Faith is a dynamic word that is lived out in trials and tribulations. Sometimes, in trials, we carry on as if we had never come to terms with the truth of Jesus. We act as if he is irrelevant to our life issues; however, it is precisely in those times that we need to come back to this most significant question.
When you circle back to the truth that Jesus is God and is living in you, then you can release your burdens to Him and confidently trust that He is capable of working the situation together for your good.
So, let me ask you, who do you say that He is?
