Who do you say that Jesus is?
Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. … He asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.” Mark 8:27,29
As you look back through your life, I suspect that you will be able to spot turning points quite easily. At the time, the day was just like any other but, with hindsight, you realise nothing was quite the same afterwards. Jesus’ visit to Caesarea Philippi with his disciples was undoubtedly a major turning point in his ministry. Up until this moment, Jesus had been preaching and healing with the rumble of threats from the teachers of the law in the background. But from this moment on, he is heading to the cross. These verses, in which Jesus asked his disciples about his identity, are followed by his first prediction of his death.
From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, people had tried to work out who he was. They were amazed by his authoritative teaching and his powerful miracles. They also knew that he was from Nazareth, a town which had no reputation for producing influential people. There is a continual curiosity about who exactly he was. As Jesus spent time alone with his disciples in the beautiful, mountainous setting of Caesarea Philippi, this was an ideal moment for him to talk with them about his identity. At first, he asked a general question. He wanted to know what other people thought of him. There were lots of theories. It isn’t surprising that some people imagined Jesus was a revived John the Baptist. In Mark 6, King Herod had suggested that John, who he had beheaded, had come back to life in the form of Jesus. Clearly, he was a man with a lively conscience. Others reflected on the possibility that Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets.
Then Jesus turned the spotlight on the disciples themselves. They had spent about three years with Jesus and had enjoyed a close relationship with him. He wanted to know who they thought he was. Peter was first to reply. “You are the Messiah”, he declared. People today still have many different theories about Jesus but the time comes when we all need to answer for ourselves. We can’t put it off any longer.
QUESTION
Who do you say that Jesus is, and how does your answer shape your life?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are the Messiah and that you are my Lord and my Saviour. Amen