Matthew 16:13-16 “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
I love reading about Jesus and the disciples. It’s very real. They didn’t just blindly follow. They questioned, they challenged. Many times they didn’t understand what Jesus was doing and thought He was doing it all wrong. But He led and they followed. Not perfectly. Not without doubts. He taught and led them when they didn’t understand and challenged them to think about Him and His teachings.
Jesus came to restore our relationship with Him and the Father. To do that He taught, challenged, and sacrificed Himself. He did this for the world but the relationship is on an individual basis. Jesus doesn’t ask what we’ve been taught in church. He doesn’t ask about what our parents taught us. He doesn’t ask us what our friends believe. He comes alongside and asks, “Who do you say I am?”
Who is Jesus to you? Is he your teacher? Is he your miracle worker? Or is He your God? Is He your Savior? You don’t come to Jesus with your act together and your conscience clean. Jesus takes our messy lives and loves us through them. He doesn’t erase our troubles. He sees our tears. He takes our sinful nature and erases it. He draws us closer and gives us a fresh start, removing our sins from us. Sometimes, it is hard to look past our troubles. It’s hard to trust God is really there. But He knows our struggles and He waits. He waits for us to lean on Him. He waits for us to feel His love. He waits for us to know we aren’t alone.
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