Who do you say that I am?

Jesus asked the disciples who the crowds of people thought He was.  They had been moving among villages and towns and He had performed many miracles, healing, providing food for thousands from a few loaves and fish and teaching the reality of God's Kingdom.  The disciples answered that there were many opinions held by the people as they witnessed these events and were in Jesus' presence.  Some thought He was John the Baptist brought back to life or a new visit by Elijah the prophet from centuries before...or perhaps another prophet.  It seemed they were trying to identify Him with familiar men of God from their Hebrew tradition.  But Jesus wanted to know if they had "made the leap" to recognize His deity, not just His Godly humanity.  And so He pointedly asked them "But who do you say that I am?  Peter was the first to answer, apparently, and He gave the right answer: "You are the Christ."  I think it's easy to have a "third party" opinion of Jesus.  He can almost be just an historical figure who did amazing, even miraculous things, while on the world's stage.  It's interesting that after Peter rightly identified Jesus as Lord, Jesus warned the disciples not to tell others His true identity.  Apparently He wanted people  to answer this question for themselves.  It seems that new life begins when we grasp this truth personally.  And I especially like the directness of the question.  It's not so much who others say Jesus is.  Like Peter, Jesus looks into each of our eyes and asks: "But who do you say that I am?"  And, like Peter, the correct answer doesn't come just from the facts of the story, but from God revealing the truth to our hearts!   Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.   blessings, Rob Smith