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?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ (Mark 8:27-29)
We like knowing the scoop on what’s going on and what people are saying. Jesus was no different. As Jesus and the disciples were traveling, He asks them what they were hearing about Him. Jesus knows people have been talking about Him. He also knows the disciples have been speculating.
Under the guise of wanting to know what others were saying, Jesus actually wanted to know what they were thinking. He wanted to know what they were thinking and saying because faith can’t come from someone else’s words or faith. Faith must come from our own words and from our own heart. We can’t live anyone else’s faith, nor can anyone else live ours. Faith must be personal.
Jesus puts this same question to us: “Who do you say that I am?”
Jesus wants to know what we have to say. He doesn’t want us to duck the question, He doesn’t want us to give anyone else’s answers, and He certainly doesn’t want to know all we’ve heard, read, recited, or sung. We can hear, read, recite, and sing a lot of words that aren’t necessarily connected to our heart and soul.
So, again, who do we say Jesus is? He wants to know. He doesn’t want to know for His sake—Jesus knows who He is. He wants to know if we know who He is for our sake.
Although it’s really important to know who Jesus is for us, I encourage us to know that it’s even more important for Jesus to know who we are for Him.
Who does Jesus say we are? We are God’s beloved children. We are His sisters and brothers. We are, in His name and by His grace, the hope of the world.
Jesus came to this earth, went to the cross, and was raised from the dead, so that we would trust who He says we are for Him. The more we know who we are for Him, the more we will know who He is for us.
Reflection Questions:
- When Jesus asks who He is for you, what do you say?
- When you ask Jesus who are you for Him, what does He say?
- Could your faith in Jesus be more personal, more intimate, more real? If so, how?