When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-17)
At this point the people identified Jesus with one of the prophets. John the Baptist preached repentance and righteousness, and he was beheaded for his stance against Herod’s unlawful marriage. Elijah confronted hundreds of false prophets and mocked their god. He lived a life of faith and miracles, and bore witness against the people’s idolatry. Jeremiah spoke against superficial religion, and stood alone when he called his people to repentance and to surrender to God’s will. These were great and holy men, courageous men, a noble breed, who declared truth and suffered for righteousness.
Anybody else should have been flattered, but Jesus was not satisfied. Perhaps his disciples had a different opinion? “Who do you say I am?” Does it really matter? No one understands the Christian faith until he realizes that this is the most important question. It is the question that divides humanity into two groups – the saved and the damned, the children of God and the children of Satan. This is everything. It is insufficient to offer a generally positive opinion on the person. A false answer, an answer that is not exactly right, means sure damnation. But the right answer accompanied by sincere faith means total forgiveness and abundant life.
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This Jesus of Nazareth who walked the earth was the Messiah, the king and savior promised to God’s people. A person must acknowledge that he was all the things that the Scripture said about the Messiah; otherwise, he does not in fact acknowledge that he was the Messiah at all. The Messiah is not an empty title, or just a sound, but a term pregnant with the attributes and promises that the Scripture assigned to it. And it says that the Messiah would be killed, not because of himself, but for the sake of his people. However, God would not leave him in the grave, nor would he allow his body to undergo corruption. The Messiah would be raised from the dead.
Therefore, the idea of the Messiah includes the atonement and the resurrection. He is alive today, and he remains the focal point of faith and salvation, and his identity remains the most important question. Who do you say that Jesus was? Just one of the prophets, a moral reformer, or the incarnation of the divine Son of God? And who do you say that he still is? The Bible declares that he ascended to heaven and was seated at the right hand of God, with all power and authority over the nations.
Peter gave the right answer, and Jesus said that he knew it not because he was taught it by flesh and blood, or by men, but because the Father himself revealed it to him. It is a Christian’s duty and pleasure to tell a man, “Jesus is the Son of God. Trust him and be saved.” But in himself the non-Christian cannot hear even such a straightforward statement, and would construe it and respond to it in the strangest ways. Jesus explained, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (John 6:65). He said that the Father opens up the secrets of the kingdom of heaven to some people. As for others, he makes their eyes blind and their ears dull. We thank God that he has taught us the truth about Christ. It is the very gift of life.