“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Matthew 16:15,16
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Matt 16:15,16
Some questions determine our destiny. “Will you marry me?” for example – how you answer will shape much of our future.
But the mother of all questions is the one Jesus asks his mate Peter. “Who do you say I am?” Peter had spent some quality time with Jesus, and had seen him do extraordinary things. Like healing sick people by simply speaking. He had witnessed Jesus heal a paralytic, and been in the boat when a raging storm threatened to sink them on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus simply spoke his word, and the angry sea calmed down as if on Valium. Best of all, he had seen him raise a dead child. Clearly Jesus was like no other man.
So Peter calls Jesus “Christ”. This referred to God’s anointed, or His Messiah. The Messiah had been prophesied in the Old Testament, before the birth of Jesus, to deliver His people Israel from bondage. Many people thought that meant he would free Israel from Roman oppression. But God had something far greater in mind: God’s Messiah was to save people from the rule of sin in their lives. Sin refers to our ignoring God, our not loving Him as number one our lives. It’s a little word with big consequences. For one day God will punish sin.
Jesus came to save us from that punishment. He was to usher in a new kingdom – but not one with boarders. Jesus was to rule as God’s anointed king over all who would believe and follow Him.
Jesus’ miracles were God’s way of saying: “He’s arrived”. Of course, the greatest was the resurrection of Jesus himself. So some weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter says to a crowd: “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know…God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2 :22,36.
We haven’t got space to talk of Jesus as the co-creator of the universe, with His Father. Or of His role as Prophet, Priest and King.
Jesus is asking you today: “But what about you? … Who do you say I am?” We may correctly answer, the one sent to deliver me from the rule of sin. To say this however, we need to apply this truth to our lives. We need to respond to Jesus’ offer of forgiveness.. He died upon a cross in order that our sins may be erased, that we may escape the judgement from God which our sins deserve.
Pray to him, asking Him to forgive you, to receive you as one of God’s people, and submit to Jesus’ rule in your life. Your eternal future is about to be determined.
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