When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16: 13-16
I believe this exchange between Jesus and his disciples sums up a most crucial moment in the life of every person. Not just Christians but all must one day respond to this divine inquiry. It is not for Him to know for He already does, but for the individual to declare it. It is for the man or woman to express what's in his or her heart and what the Spirit has revealed...or not...
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. (v. 17)
Just like Peter, we must let the Spirit sort out all the teachings of the world and search deep in our soul until the answer comes out from within when He directs the question straight at us..."but what about you?" This question demonstrates the individual nature of the Redeemer's relationship with His beloved. He wants to ask each separately, and in turn we must all reply on our own.
The world we've been called to live in demands certain ways as it defines Jesus as it pleases. Are we going to conform to them? The time is here for us to truly think about it and allow what we have in us to reveal the answer. The question was as much for the disciples 2000 years ago as it is for us today. Who do you say that I AM?
One simple question.
One answer.
Eternal repercussions.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10: 9
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