Monday, September 22, 2014

Who Do You Say that I Am?

“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks Peter, and us, in Matthew 16—arguably the most important question we'll ever be asked to answer. Have you ever figured out who Jesus is to you—what you expect of him? If you’ve decided to develop a personal relationship with him, he’s your friend [John 15:15]. If you’ve chosen him as your king [Matthew 2:2], you must bow to his majesty. If you understand that He will eventually be judging us [James 5:9], you try to meet his minimal requirements so that you’ll get into heaven. Or maybe, for that function, you rely on his being the Shepherd or the Gate [John 10:11 and 7]. We have built countless chapels, churches, and cathedrals, designed numerous liturgies and composed many a hymn, all to honor and glorify him. Yet if we search the New Testament, no where does He even suggest that we should worship him. His emphasis, his commands, are always to worship his Father. What kind of puzzle does this present? Who is He? More critical, who do YOU say that He is? How important is that to you?