Who Do You Say That I Am?“Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’ ‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.’ Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah.” Mark 8:27-29
In Chapter eight of Mark we’ve seen Jesus show compassion upon a hungry crowd, exasperation with the Pharisees who demanded a miraculous sign, and dismay with the disciples who had done miracles on their missionary journeys in Chapter seven, but were now worried over not having enough bread for themselves. They still didn’t see what he was trying to teach them.
As if to underscore that point, Jesus then healed a blind man, not immediately, but in stages. First he led him from the village. Then he gave him partial vision. Finally, he instructed the man to ‘look up’ and he opened the man’s eyes, giving him instant complete vision. What an example to the disciples, if only they would get it. They were still seeing through the eyes of the world. If only they would look up—to the heavenly perspective—their understanding would be opened and their vision would be sharp.
As the disciples walked with Jesus to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he posed a question—a question that would lead to the ultimate choice set before mankind—”who do you say that I am?”
Who do You say that Jesus is? Do you think of him as someone from the Bible accounts, a character from a book of myths? Someone whose status is debatable? Or…do you believe him when he says:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
He hasn’t left us any wiggle room. Either he is who he says he is…
the messiah who fulfills all the Old Testament prophecies, proven by his miraculous works…
the Lamb of God offering to lay down his sinless life for you and me…
the only way we may be accepted by God and set free from the chains of sin…
Or…
he is—at best—delusional and mentally ill…
or—at worst—a liar and deceiver.
Have you chosen to believe he is Messiah, the true representation of Holy God, worker of miracles? Then don’t settle for cloudy vision. Look up. Be lifted up to a heavenly perspective.
When you look down on your circumstances through the eyes of Jesus, you will see that he doesn’t abandon you in tough times, but comforts and sustains you—with miracles, if necessary.. He doesn’t leave you to walk through loss without his promise to somehow work out good in your life. He doesn’t allow you to be hungry without bringing satisfaction from the bread of life and living water.
Like Peter, when we confess our faith in who Jesus is, we are stones standing upon the Rock, God’s Messiah. It is this confession of faith which brings us into the church—the called out ones and family of God—and no power can overcome us.
…and upon this rock I will build my church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” Matthew 16:18
by Marilyn Allison