Who Do You Say He Is?
In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asks a burning question of His disciples.
He had captured the attention of thousands. He could tell what people were thinking, and knew things that were unknowable by any natural means. He fed thousands of people with the contents of one boy’s lunch. He even walked on water.
He had also healed many sick folk — He had opened blinded eyes, He had caused the lame to walk and He had even raised the dead, returning them to their rejoicing families!
He spoke as though He actually knew God the Father personally. And Oh! What a powerful speaker! People everywhere said “NEVER spake man like this man!” He even calmed a raging storm with His voice by simply saying “Peace, be still.”
Knowing that He was indeed a hot topic of conversation, Jesus asked His disciples who the people were saying He was.
There were many opinions floating around, but nobody thought He was just a regular guy. He was such a wonder that many thought He was actually one of the champions of Israel come back to life. Some thought He was John the Baptist. Others thought he was Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets of old. He was so extraordinary that He HAD to have come from beyond!
Then Jesus turned His attention to them and asked, “But whom say ye that I am?” We do not know exactly what the reaction of each of the disciples was at this point, but we do know that Peter spoke up and said . . . “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter’s answer pleased Jesus well, so that He declared that Peter was truly blessed, “for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Today the same burning question must be answered by each and every one of us. And our answer has everything to do with our final end.
I know who He is to me, and I hereby declare and affirm that Jesus Christ is my Lord, my King, my God, my friend, my example, my Saviour, my love, my all. He is my reason to live, and He is my blessed hope. He is the One I most sincerely wish to please, and He is the One I am most ashamed to see what I truly am without His gracious help. He is the only One who truly matters in the end, and my fallen ears long for those sweet words so undeserved, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Those words will indeed be music to my ears, but in my heart I will know that it is ONLY BECAUSE OF HIM that I by faith will hear those words on that glorious and happy day. And when in scenes of glory the redeemed cast their crowns at the feet of the ONLY one who is worthy of them, I will at once both quickly and joyfully do likewise, and will shout with the thunderous chorus of the redeemed, saying, “THOU art worthy, my LORD!! THOU art worthy!!” O blessed and happy day!
Dear reader, I ask you today . . . who do you say He is?
