"Who do you say that I am?" Jesus poses the question he knows is burning on the minds of his disciples. He speaks their thoughts into words. He goes to the heart of their deepest desires, hopes, dreams and doubts. Until now, Jesus has demonstrated over and over again that he is no ordinary man. He is the real thing; he is no charlatan, but perhaps - just perhaps - even those closest to him may still have doubts of his authenticity. After all, it is human to question, to doubt, to resist, to challenge. "Who do you say that I am?" He brings the question to the forefront. It is a climax of his relationship with his followers; a foreshadowing of another climax to come – the pinnacle of God's heilsgeschicte – God's salvation history. God is about to prove yet again, that He will save His children – from the primordial pool of creation to the present, God has been working to save mankind; he will not let us go. Soon, Jesus the Christ will hang on a cross; he will irrevocably tear the fabric of history asunder and usher in eternal hope to God's children.
Why would Jesus not simply tell us who he is? Why did he not give the answer directly? Perhaps he wants us to be in dialogue with him. He yearns for a relationship with us. He desires that we plumb the mysteries of his being at levels which transcend mere words. In asking the question, he invites us to reflect on him, to share in the profound revelation that is the Christ, our Messiah. Throughout his ministry, Jesus uses indirect communication to convey deep insights into the essence of God. He artfully spins stories that demand intense introspection and unpeel rich layers of eternal truth. Jesus presents us with an open question that we must all answer ourselves, from 2000 years ago and into eternity: "Who do you say that I am?" He has issued an invitation to fellowship with him and engage in the greatness of God's Messiah.
Father God, we thank You for
the gift of Jesus your Son. We thank you for your physical embodiment
of love and forgiveness in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus,
the Christ. Holy Spirit, imbue within us the deep, sweet joy of
your timeless redemption song that wafts through history from the creation
of time into eternity.
Mark Vernon
Beautiful
Posted by: Phil | February 18, 2008 at 10:32 PM