Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

 27 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?’ ²⁸And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ²⁹He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ ³⁰And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. (Mark 8)

I have been reading a sermon, that Eugene Peterson wrote, on this passage.  He brings up some interesting points, that have tapped my imagination. 

Most of it has to do with thinking about believing the man Jesus is actually God in human skin.

Some years ago a very serious long man from the seventh grade confirmation class came into my office one evening before class.  His faced look concerned and his body language was tense. He looked at me and quickly said:  “Pastor Marcia I’m having trouble with Jesus.  I know about God, I can believe in God; but Jesus just doesn’t fit.”

Not too many years after that my cousin, who was retirement age, basically told me the same thing.  

Peter’s pronouncement that Jesus was the Messiah, and the reality of that, must have created a tangled paradigm of confusion. What really went thought the minds of those twelve men who had walked, talked, and ate meals with Jesus for three years?  

Have you ever thought about that?  I never have.

This is so interesting to me because Jesus has always, from a tiny little child, been precious to me.  I loved Jesus early-on.  God was almost not in the picture for me.

And I wonder now if, even at that early age, I knew that they were the same.  

I don't know the answer.

When I read Peterson’s sermon I began to wonder about what it would be like to know someone for years — maybe not just three years — but many years.  And all of the sudden the person, I thought I knew well, told me he/she was the “Messiah,” Emmanuel — God with me.  God with me right now face to face with my friend.

WOW!

How would I react?

How would you react? 

How would you feel?

What would you think?

More tomorrow