In Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. Jesus was pleased to hear this. Pleased to know that they were getting it – the revelation of his divinity wrapped up in his humanity.
So who is Jesus really? I used to say that he’s the Son of God, my Savior, the one who died for me. But that really doesn’t fit anymore. Oh, its true certainly, but he’s so much more than that.
In the Bible he’s called by many names. Some of them are: Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the end), Author and Finisher of our faith, Bread of Life, Bridegroom, Cornerstone, Creator, Emmanuel, Everlasting Father, Friend, Great High Priest, Healer, Holy One, King of kings and Lord of lords, Lamb of God, Light of the World, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Man of Sorrows, Mediator, Messiah, Mighty One, Morning Star, Prince of Peace, Provider, Redeemer, Savior, Son of God, Wonderful Counselor, and Word of God. We could certainly do a study of these names, and others, and it would give us a better picture of who He is, but it still wouldn’t give us a complete picture.
Who is Jesus? To some He is everything; to all He is something. To no one is He nothing. Whether He is revered or reviled, he is relevant. When He was here walking on this earth with His disciples, he was their teacher. And some say that’s all He was – a great teacher. But a great teacher barely begins to describe who he is. His brief time here literally changed the world. It changed the calendar. It changed the nations. It changed mankind. It changed our relationship with God.
It is impossible to know Him just by defining Him, because He is impossible to define. He is both a gale-force wind and a slight summer breeze. He is both a friend and a foe. He is as wild as a mustang on the open range and as tame as a foal in a corral. He is the raging torrent of a crested river and the gentle trickle of a babbling brook. He is the sunrise and the sunset. He is a radical revolutionary and a patient peacemaker. He is tempestuous and he is calm. He is both a judge and an advocate. He is both the mystery and answer to life itself. To know who Jesus is, is both complicated and simple.
I have known him in some fashion for all of my life. I have known him intimately for the last eight years of my life. I have loved and been loved by Him. He has been my greatest source of comfort in my darkest of days. He has rejoiced with me on my happiest of days. He has blessed me with my greatest of gifts – my husband and my daughter. He walked me down the aisle and gave me to the prince I had waited all of my life for. He was there when my daughter was born and is teaching me how to be a good mother. He has placed a peace and a joy in my heart that I had never known before. He has given me purpose and hope.
So when I hear Him ask me, “Who do you say that I am?” I have only one answer that encompasses all of who he is to me. Purely and simply I answer, “You Are”.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! TRUST JESUS NOW
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