“But who do you say that I am?”, Jesus asked the disciples and I would submit the question has to come to anyone who claims to be a disciple of Christ.
Here is the story: Jesus asked the disciples a few questions that have echoed throughout history. And the way a person responds will determine whether or not he or she is a true disciple. First Jesus asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples respond with various answers like, “John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” This is a pretty interesting response. John the Baptist, what an ignorant answer, talk about mailing it in. John and Jesus lived at the same time and were seen together. How could Jesus be John? “Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets” Here the people are saying that Jesus is just another “Johnny-come-lately” prophet who wants to disturb the peace around here. Just like John, he calls us a “brood of vipers”. Just like John, he is saying that we have to repent. Just like John, he is saying we can’t rely on our relation to Abraham. Like all the other prophets, he is saying we have to change. Saying we can’t follow God and be the master of our own lives. Just like all of the rest of them, he’ll be killed if he keeps it up. Next Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon speaks up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is foundational. Jesus responds by blessing Simon, and he says this was a spiritual statement revealed by the Father and not a statement that originated in the flesh. Then Jesus does something fantastic, he changes Simon’s name to Peter. It is important to note that when God changed someone’s name, it almost always launched a new identity. Abram became Abraham because he was going to be a, “a father of many nations” and Sarai became Sarah, no longer argumentative but now a princess. Jacob would no longer be a “supplanter” but now named Israel, a testimony to the prevailing God. Peter or means a little rock or stone. This statement that he made, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” was the rock or foundation on which He would build His church. Those who could make this statement in all honesty were saying it by the Holy Spirit and were part of the Christian Church. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.” Now once again these questions come to us, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Some prosperity “name-it-claim-it” types present a Christ, which is not really Christ at all. More of a Cosmic Santa Clause who grants close-to-the-door parking spots to the overcomers, makes sure you are always rich and in perfect health. They present a version of Christianity, again no Christianity at all, that promises no pain, no suffering, no sickness, no need to trust God for your daily bread because of your enormity of wealth. Dear friends, this is NOT THE GOSPEL! This is BAD CHRISTOLOGY! If Jesus meant for us to live like they promise, then why after the appearance of the New Heaven, New Earth and Holy City in Revelation 21; why does the voice from the throne say, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Why did Jesus say, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 Why did the Lord tell Ananias, speaking of Paul, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name”? (Acts 9:15-17) Then in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul said he suffered, “far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” Wait a second there are false brothers? ….Yes indeed, just like there are false prophets and false teachers. Why did everyone that served Christ in the New Testament face real troubles time after time? Does that sound like what the televangelists are teaching and preaching? Dear Friends, If Jesus is not Prophet, Priest, King, Brother, Friend, Lord, Son of God, Word of God made flesh then He is not anything. If He is not everything the scripture claims Him to be than He is nothing.” It is best stated in C.S. Lewis’ trilemma from his book Mere Christianity, in which he says: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” So the question comes to us, “Who do you say that I am?”
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