Examine Your Answer Carefully
Jesus asks his disciples, who do people say that I am?
The disciples reel off some common answers. He could be John the Baptist, others say he’s Elijah, and some think of Jeremiah. Or he could be anyone of the other prophets.
Then the teacher brings the question into focus. “What about you? Who do you say I am?”
Not surprisingly, it’s Peter who answers. He says, “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus blesses Peter for his answer, confirming that it was revealed to him by his Father in heaven, and that it did not come from human origin (Matthew 16:13-17).
Let’s break down Peter’s two-part answer.
Jesus Is the Messiah
Jesus is the anticipated Savior, the long anticipated one to rescue the people from their distress. He is the Christ, coming to save the people and liberate them.
Though most of the Hebrew people expect their Messiah to save them from their Roman occupiers and liberate them, he isn’t here to save them in the physical sense.
He’s here to save them spiritually. He wants to liberate them from their bondage to sin.
The first part of the answer to the question “Who is Jesus?” is that he is the Messiah.
Jesus Is the Son of God
But Jesus is more than just the Messiah. He is also the Son of God, the Son of the living God.
As the Son of God, this makes Jesus part of the godhead, comprising of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He’s not simply a great person, he’s also God, the living God. He is not a God who was but the God who is.
The second part of the answer to the question “Who is Jesus?” is that he is the Son of God.
Who Is Jesus to You?
People today have varying answers to the question, “Who is Jesus?”
Though I’ve never heard anyone say that he was John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah, they instead call him a good man, a wise teacher, or a prophet. These might be politically correct answers, the conclusion of human intellect.
Yes, there’s an element of truth to each of these responses, but each one is also only partially true. Calling Jesus a good man, a wise teacher, or a prophet misses the essential truth of who he is.
Jesus is the Son of God who came to save us from our sins. He is the Messiah. Anything else is incomplete and falls short of embracing who the Christ is.
Though people may esteem Jesus with positive attributes, anything short of saying that he’s the Messiah, the Son of God, sidesteps reality. It fails to embrace him as our Savior.
Instead, we must acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, who came to earth to save us. Our eternal standing is at stake.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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