Who Do YOU Say I Am?

“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.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven." -Matthew 16:15-17

Many times as Christ followers in whatever leadership position we carry, or in just being simple laymen of the church we get a big head in believing because of us and what we said convinced someone to accept Jesus. Maybe I'm the only one who gets that way, but I dare say I'm probably not. This past week I came across the story of Peter, then Simon, coming to recognize Jesus as the Christ. He was the first of all the disciples to recognize Jesus as the anointed one; the Messiah. Could Jesus have sensed a little pride in Peter upon his faith? Of course! Jesus was quick to take all accolades and give it to His Father in Heaven. Peter didn't figure it out all on his own.
It's interesting to consider the context of this passage. Context is essential in understanding the Bible and principles that are trying to be established. May I say quickly, be very leery of "teachers" who take scripture out of context and twist it for their own horn tooting. With that said, at the beginning of chapter 16 the religious leaders want a sign from Jesus in order to believe, and be convinced that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus played on their words, and ended up telling them that signs were happening, they were looking at a sign in Jesus himself. He went on to say the only sign He will give them is the sign of Jonah, in that He is referencing His Resurrection. Get it? Jesus goes on to remind His disciples of the miracle in feeding the 5,000 and now we come to our main point. Many people say if only they could see Jesus they would believe. It's just not so! The evidence is in the Bible. Jesus said, "Blessed are you who believe without seeing." The eyes of faith. This is what Peter experienced that day. Peter is known as the one who took His eyes off Jesus in the storm, but remember what I said in the last post, Jesus is the Redeemer. Jesus constantly redeemed Peter, and He does the same for us too. We are given opportunity after opportunity to trust Him, to grow our faith, the question is do we? When we sing these songs of Jesus, and who He is, do we mean it? We call Him Jehovah Jireh, so God will give us an opportunity to experience Him as the provider. Do you see how we sometimes miss Him? We know Jesus truly and fully not by believing truth about Him, but by knowing Him as a person. His purpose is that all may know Him, and acknowledge His Lordship over all creation.
The Father is the revealer of all faith, He opens the eyes of the blind. It was God who revealed to Peter his plan of Salvation in Jesus. This moment of revelation was a high point in the unfolding of God's will for humanity (Galatians 3). Jesus declared He will build His church upon Peter the rock because of His confession of Jesus as the Christ, and because God the Father opened His eyes, and revealed to Him the truth. Peter didn't build the church, John didn't build the church, Billy Graham didn't build the church, Jesus builds the church! It's His church, His bride. And this is the plan of Salvation: That God is the revealer of His Son, Jesus. No one on their own can declare Him The Christ, they can say the words over and over, but only when in their heart God has convicted, and compelled, and called; when He has taken the blinders of their eyes, and replaced them with eyes of faith can a person come to personally know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. We do not decide on our own time that it's time to get "saved" and recognize Jesus as Savior. God uses His children to expose Himself to the World. We can expose the truth, we can point to Him, we can preach, we can evangelize and show them truth after truth after truth. But it is God our Father who squeezes the persons heart, and calls them to Himself, we cannot convict another. No doubt God has put people in our path to help guide along, and we may even be able to lead them in a prayer, and help nurture them. In the end, we are flesh and blood, nothing was revealed to another that the Father didn't first initiate and inspire.
How is your faith? We just got through a series at my church called, "God Can." Do you believe He can? Further, do you believe He will? Faith is huge to Jesus, it's the pinnacle of Salvation. Jesus is asking you, "Who do YOU say I am?" How will you answer? How does your lifestyle answer that?
There is a decision to be made. If you’re feeling this in your heart, that this word from God is for you and ringing true, that is God the Holy Spirit prompting you, compelling you, convicting you, convincing you that you need Jesus. He is inviting you to trust Him.
To those of us who are leaders in our churches, and wherever God has placed us, may we remember, it's not us. We're just the mouthpiece. Give God all the glory, Jesus didn't even glory in Himself when Peter named Him the Messiah. What are we saying of God when we take glory? God has called me to be a missionary, how do I not boast in that! Lord, keep me humble, to boast only in what You have done, and what you are doing, and will do.
I encourage you to read a previous 2 part series I wrote this past fall called, "Faith Believing Obedience." I'll link it below. I go more in depth of what how faith, believing, and obedience is so pivotal to the Christian walk.
FAITH BELIEVING OBEDIENCE: PART 1
FAITH BELIEVING OBEDIENCE: THE COURAGE TO COUNT ON SALVATION
God bless you as you seek Him.