By David ReayFriday 6 Apr 2018LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 2 minutes
Read Mark 8:27-30
27 Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”
29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”
30 But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. (NLT)
We can get all hot and bothered about what people are saying about Jesus. Media commentators and academic theologians and devout Muslims all may have their ideas. And we may disagree with them.
In the end, though, it is what we think of Jesus that matters. Others’ opinions might be of some interest but their opinions do not define our eternal destiny. We have to make our own decisions about who Jesus is. And that perception may change or deepen over time. After all, just after making his bold declaration, Peter showed he misunderstood just what this Messiah was all about. We are to grow in our grasp of who Jesus is.
We might also say that this matter of Jesus’ identity is the one question that really matters. What we think about the church or sexuality or the problem of suffering or the nature of the early chapters of Genesis is ultimately of secondary importance. What we think of Jesus is the key to all else.
Get Jesus right and we have a chance of wrestling with all other issues. Get him wrong and we are wasting our time.
Blessings
David Reay