In Matthew 16:13-17 it's written
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." He said to them "But who do YOU say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."
It's an important distinction to me made.. "others say this and that, so maybe I'll believe that." But Peter had not depended on flesh and blood to reveal to himself who Jesus was. The Father in heaven drew Peter to Christ, and by this time, Peter was able to say with confidence the truth, that He is the Christ, Son of the Living God.
Who do YOU say that Jesus is?
My answer would be dependent on the context I live in now. Looking back, we are exposed to much Light on who Jesus is. Redeemer, God incarnate, Son of man, eternal Father, mighty counselor, almighty God. But we each have, regardless of the truth of the bible, our own image of who God is, shaped by our past. Some of us have been spiritually abused in religion, some of us have extenuating circumstances where doubt took seed. God can take any circumstance and restore what the locust has eaten. In Peter's case, Jesus built his church on a rock of faith like Peter's, because given the light Peter was exposed to, and according to the will of God, Peter knew Jesus was diety and a savior.
Try answering that question, pretend you don't listen to anything anybody else has said about Him. It's all supposed to be your question, and think about who He is to you.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." He said to them "But who do YOU say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."
It's an important distinction to me made.. "others say this and that, so maybe I'll believe that." But Peter had not depended on flesh and blood to reveal to himself who Jesus was. The Father in heaven drew Peter to Christ, and by this time, Peter was able to say with confidence the truth, that He is the Christ, Son of the Living God.
Who do YOU say that Jesus is?
My answer would be dependent on the context I live in now. Looking back, we are exposed to much Light on who Jesus is. Redeemer, God incarnate, Son of man, eternal Father, mighty counselor, almighty God. But we each have, regardless of the truth of the bible, our own image of who God is, shaped by our past. Some of us have been spiritually abused in religion, some of us have extenuating circumstances where doubt took seed. God can take any circumstance and restore what the locust has eaten. In Peter's case, Jesus built his church on a rock of faith like Peter's, because given the light Peter was exposed to, and according to the will of God, Peter knew Jesus was diety and a savior.
Try answering that question, pretend you don't listen to anything anybody else has said about Him. It's all supposed to be your question, and think about who He is to you.
