“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am’?” – Matthew 16:15

Interesting question that Jesus poses to his disciples. It’s easy, isn’t it, to repeat what others have said. Whether it’s a book, a movie, or a CD, for some it’s much harder to have our own opinion. Why? For one, we have to own the opinion. Second, we may be called upon to justify our opinion, and if it’s a hastily arrived at one, that soon will become apparent. Opinions, as is said, are a dime a dozen. Informed opinions entirely are something else.

I love Jesus’ somewhat elliptical argument. He begins by asking them what they’ve heard. What have people been saying about him? Sounds a little self-centered. But then he circles back and ask them who they think he is. “But who do you (my italics) think I am?” Puts them squarely on the spot. Just regurgitating what others say no longer is good enough. What do you think, he asks. And therein lies the crux of this conversation: Who do we (or, better yet, I) say that he is? No longer can we shirk responsibility for giving our own opinion.

Throughout history, at least that since Jesus’ death and resurrection, his identity has been fiercely debated. Who is he? Some said he was no more than a great man, a great teacher. He was human only. Among this group were Ebionites, Jewish Christians. Others, such as the docetists, suggested that Jesus was divine only, and his earthly body was an illusion. If that were true, how could he have been crucified? Or, if he was human only, how could he be the savior of the world?

While we living today are sure we know who Jesus is, do we still harbor doubts? I suppose many of us do. That’s why, then, it’s easier to let others tell us who Jesus is, be they professors, preachers, or Bible teachers. However, in doing that, we abdicate our own call to profess for ourselves who he is. And that’s not what Jesus asks of us. He really didn’t care, I think what others said about him. He only wanted to know what his closest followers, the Twelve, thought. You see, I believe it matters very much that we have our own thoughts and opinions about the person of Jesus.

Letting others tell us what to think (again, professors, preachers, and Bible teachers) may seem alright, but, then, how can we have a personal relationship with him? Until we decide for ourselves, Jesus is no more than a distant person who doesn’t figure prominently into our life. By the way, the Greek word for “you” is the text above is singular. It matters to Jesus our opinions and thoughts. It should matter to each one of us as well. See you on the road, and as we travel, may our own understandings of who Jesus is become clearer.

Grace and peace,

Mike

February 12, 2017