Who is Jesus for you?
What do you associate with the name Jesus? Perhaps you think of his love, kindness, mercy, and grace. Perhaps you recognize his essence in a smile, in a helpful gesture, or in forgiveness that brings tears. Often, our ideas about God are shaped by our own desires. We tend to see God and other people in ways that best suit us.
The Bible shows that God created humankind in his own image. Since the Fall, however, humankind has striven to mold God into its own image. We project our values, opinions, and beliefs onto God in order to do and think what seems right to us. We were created to live in an intimate relationship with God and to see him as he really is—not as we would like him to be. Therefore, the crucial question is: Who and what is God? Who is Jesus, and what significance does he have for your life? The answer to this question shapes our entire existence.
An example of this can be found in the Gospels. Jesus and his disciples traveled from Galilee to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way, he asked them: "Who do people say that I am? They said to him, 'They say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah; others, one of the prophets.' And he asked them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered and said to him, 'You are the Christ!' And he warned them not to tell anyone about him" (Mark 8,27-30).
Jesus then began to teach them, explaining: "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spoke this word boldly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him" (verses 31-32).
Peter recognized that Jesus was the Messiah, but he wanted to dictate how this Messiah should act. Jesus strongly contradicted him: "But he turned and looked at his disciples and rebuked Peter, saying, 'Get behind me, Satan! For you are not thinking about the things of God, but about the things of man'" (verse 33).
This question, which Jesus posed to his disciples, is still relevant today: Who is Jesus? What authority does he have, and why should we trust him? He is the center of the Christian faith. The crucial thing is to recognize the Son of God and his true nature. In the following verses, Jesus speaks about self-denial, which includes letting go of our false ideas about God. We are invited to turn to Jesus instead of viewing God through the lens of our own prejudices. In our relationship with him, we do not change God according to our ideas; rather, he makes us new through his grace so that we can give ourselves to him and grow into what he created us to be.
Because Jesus is human, he can empathize with our weaknesses; because he is God, he intervenes with divine power for our salvation. Whoever accepts Jesus as Savior and Redeemer can be assured that their salvation will not waver. Finally, the question remains: Who do you, dear reader, consider Jesus to be? Is he merely a historical figure from more than 2000 years ago, or is he your Savior, whom you trust and obey?
by Jeff Broadnax
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