Who is Jesus? Everyone has different answers. Walk onto a college campus and start asking around. "Who is Jesus?" Some would say, "A philosopher," others, "A scholar." Many more might throw out, "He was a great moral teacher." How nice. Few will say, "He is the Son of God." A handful might even say, "Jesus never existed. He's made up." We can ask this question on a campus, but it wouldn't be the first time it's been asked. It's been asked millions of times, all around the world, but it all originates in the ancient texts.
Jesus asks his disciples, "Who does the average Joe say I am?" The disciples tilt their heads back and start rattling off answers: "John the Baptizer, Elijah, Jeremiah, a prophet..." They are cut short, though, as Jesus looks all of them in the eye and demands, "Okay, so what about you? Who do you say that I am?" They all look at each other. You'd think by now they'd know what was up, that God was in their midst. I imagine an awkward silence, and then someone speaks. It's the runt, the guy who never shuts up, the one so rambunctions he would jump out of a boat thinking he could walk on water (really, who does that?). He says, "You're the Christ, the Messiah..." As if to add some potency, "The Son of the living God."
I don't think Jesus just asked this question to see where loyalties lay. It rests much deeper than that. Why else would Matthew include it in his gospel? When Jesus asks this question, it's as if he is saying, "Look: you have to figure this one out, because you're going to havta put the stake of your life down somewhere. In the rock, in the sand, your choice. You can't ignore me, you can't pretend I don't exist, you can't write me off. So who am I? Your life depends on it." If he is only a philosopher, why should we really follow anything he says and does? If he is only a teacher, whether or not we follow doesn't matter that much.
But if Jesus really is the Son of God, the Messiah - what does that change?
Jesus asks his disciples, "Who does the average Joe say I am?" The disciples tilt their heads back and start rattling off answers: "John the Baptizer, Elijah, Jeremiah, a prophet..." They are cut short, though, as Jesus looks all of them in the eye and demands, "Okay, so what about you? Who do you say that I am?" They all look at each other. You'd think by now they'd know what was up, that God was in their midst. I imagine an awkward silence, and then someone speaks. It's the runt, the guy who never shuts up, the one so rambunctions he would jump out of a boat thinking he could walk on water (really, who does that?). He says, "You're the Christ, the Messiah..." As if to add some potency, "The Son of the living God."
I don't think Jesus just asked this question to see where loyalties lay. It rests much deeper than that. Why else would Matthew include it in his gospel? When Jesus asks this question, it's as if he is saying, "Look: you have to figure this one out, because you're going to havta put the stake of your life down somewhere. In the rock, in the sand, your choice. You can't ignore me, you can't pretend I don't exist, you can't write me off. So who am I? Your life depends on it." If he is only a philosopher, why should we really follow anything he says and does? If he is only a teacher, whether or not we follow doesn't matter that much.
But if Jesus really is the Son of God, the Messiah - what does that change?
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