Wednesday: Day 13

 

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Mark 8:27-29a

 

Are there questions you'd like to ask Jesus? Questions like: 

  

          Umm…Can you explain the Trinity to me better than my confirmation teacher?

 

          Will my dog go to heaven?

 

          Why do bad things happen to good people?

 

          Will my mother, who wasn’t a Christian, be in heaven?

 

          I prayed and prayed, and you didn’t answer. Do you really hear our prayers?

 

          If all people are your children, why do you allow so many children to die of hunger, abuse, and war?

 

          Why do you allow evil to exist?

 

            You may have many questions you want to ask Jesus. But have you ever thought that Jesus has some questions for you? He does. He wants to know who you say that He is.

 

            Jesus asks this question in the middle of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Jesus had been with his disciples long enough for them to begin to grasp a little of who he was. They knew just a little more than the crowds, who thought Jesus was a liar about being the Son of God, or that he was out of his mind with the claims that he was making.

 

            But now Jesus had some quiet time with his disciples and asked who the crowds thought that he was. They answered, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” But then Jesus asks them a much more personal question. “But who do you say that I am?”

 

            It’s a serious, probing, and transformative question. And it’s not just a question for the disciples. Who do you, you who are reading this; who do you say that he is?

 

           Rick Warren’s bestselling book, The Purpose Driven Life begins with the sentence, “It’s not about you.” And there’s much of that that’s true. On the other hand, it is about you. You matter. What you do matters. What you believe matters. How you treat people around you matters. What you do with God’s world matters. God’s love and Jesus’ resurrection were for you. Martin Luther said, “For the words for you simply requires a believing heart.” It’s your believing heart that’s Jesus is asking about in this probing and transformative question.

 

            Who do you say that he is?  

 

            Remember that Jesus uses questions as a methodology for deepening discipleship. He asks questions to reposition our core convictions in order to bring out faith in the one who whom the question is asked. And how you answer this one single question has both immediate and eternal implications.

 

            It is about you. It’s about your answer. Who do you say that he is?

 

Questions to Ponder:

 

  

• What are some of the major misconceptions about who Jesus is today? Why are those misconceptions not true about what you know about Jesus?
• Who is Jesus for you? If you had to describe the way that you feel about Jesus to an unchurched friend from the inner most parts of your heart, what would you say?

 

Prayer for Today: Jesus, name above all names; Beautiful Savior, Glorious Lord. Emmanuel, God is with us. Blessed Redeemer, Living Word. Keep us always close to you. In Jesus’ Holy name. Amen.

 

 This is a very amateur video, but you have to love the choral director for his creativity and imagination. What a cool witness!