Who is Jesus?

This week's verses are Matthew 16:13-19:

 When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”

Jesus asks if people recognize him, and it turns out they don't. So he asks the disciples what they think. Peter affirms that he sees him for who he is, that Jesus is the anointed Son of God. Jesus then puts him in a pivotal leadership role in his church body on earth.

For us to be trusted in authority, we have to believe that Jesus is God. That's not as intuitive as we might think. But to be trustworthy, we have to believe that it is Him, above all others, who is the most high. We ourselves will never climb to the top of the ladder. He is the top of the ladder. We are always accountable, at least to Him. It will always be Him at the helm, no matter what it might say on your business card.

 

And we have to believe that our world is made such that there is a God and that this God is in charge. If we see that, we are in the right frame of mind. If we don't, we will abuse our authority, in the mistaken worldview that tells us that we are in charge or that only other men are. In this orphaned "Lord of the Flies" mindset, we are on own own, and have to make our own rules to survive. We descend into savagery. We live in fear. But if we believe that God is in charge, and that we are adopted as his sons and daughters, we live very differently.

We need to recognize this on more than an intellectual level. An intellectual belief is just words. It is our heart that makes most of our decisions. If the heart thinks that Jesus is just a prophet or a great teacher, it's not enough. If Peter had just said that Jesus was a great rabbi, he would probably still be called Simon! He wouldn't have been given the authority that God gives to those who know who he is.

 

Who do you say God is? Who is Jesus to you? Is he just a character in a book you read once a week, a book you only study so you can say you know the story? Is he a distant source of wisdom like the ancient Greek philosophers? Or is he the Messiah, the anointed one, the Son of the Living God? Where does he stand in  your universe?

 

Some people say this, and some people say that, when asked who Jesus is. There is only one right answer. Take some time this week to meditate on the fact that Jesus is God, that he is the rightful head of the church, that he is the rightful head of you. Think about the authority he gave to Peter and consider that it could be given to us too, if only we recognize him for who he is.