“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”
Matthew 16:13-16
Of all the things we may contemplate in this life, none is as great as the question of Jesus’ true identity. As in the days of our Lord’s earthly ministry, the world has a spectrum of ideas about Jesus ranging from the seemingly plausible to the truly bizarre. Some see Him simply as a wise Jewish sage, others see Him as a social reformer who championed the cause of the poor and marginalized. A small minority insist He never existed at all, but was an invention based on the pagan mystery religions. All of these non-biblical ideas tell us far more about the people advancing them than about the actual Jesus of Nazareth. To know the truth about Jesus, we must consult God’s infallible word, the Bible. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy,” said the revealing angel to the apostle John (Revelation 19:10). The entire Bible is about Jesus (Luke 24:44; John 5:39; Acts 10:43), and our response to its testimony determines our eternal destinies. He is God the Creator (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-16; Hebrews 1:1-3) who took a human nature as a member of God’s special covenant nation (Philippians 1:5-7; Galatians 4:4; 1 Timothy 3:16). He is the Savior of the world (Luke 2:11), our substitute sacrifice, the one who died in our place (Isaiah 53:5-6; 1 Peter 2:24). He is God’s suffering Servant, the Lamb of God (John 1:29) and the risen Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). He is these and ten thousand other wonderful things. To the extent that we actually believe these things, Christ is also our personal teacher, counselor, financial advisor, event planner and volunteer coordinator. He will be the highest authority in our lives, and we will strive to take every thought captive to His obedience (2 Corinthians 10:5). We ought not to think of these things as grievous or burdensome. Of all the titles and names the Lord has claimed for Himself, perhaps most precious of all is that of friend. (John 15:15). The One who loves us as the Father loves Him (John 15:9), is without doubt the best friend we will ever have. He not only invites us to love, trust, and obey Him today, He promises unspeakably great rewards for doing so in the future. Remember, dear saints, “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Walk strong and be encouraged.
God bless you,
Pastor John
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