“But who do you say that I am? This is a question I find that I continually ask myself. It is a question we should all ask ourselves in regards to our relationship with Jesus. But who do you say that I am? Because the answer determines how you live your life and the decisions you make. It’s probably similar to the movement a while ago where people wore the “WWJD” bracelets – What would Jesus do? So when you didn’t know what you were supposed to do in a certain situation you were facing you’d ask yourself – what would Jesus do in this situation. I never got into that movement or thinking because I found it rather legalistic. It didn’t come from the heart. I better do it because that’s what Jesus would have done. I don’t really want to do it – but that’s what Jesus did. I don’t really want to forgive that person but that’s what Jesus would have done.
Jesus says that our love for others – the actions that we do – are to be from the heart. A life change – which is what the word repentance means – a change of person – not a change of behaviour. Paul says the same thing: By the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God– what is good and acceptable and perfect.
When Jesus asks his disciples the question he does so because people around the regions didn’t understand the new revelation coming through Jesus. They were still thinking in the old way. So when they were asked what were the people saying about who Jesus was, there was no new way of thinking: Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Their minds kept going back to the old ways rather than the new life God was introducing through Jesus. This would be a constant issue for Moses whose birth we hear about today. As Moses would eventually lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to the new promised land, every time they faced difficulty their immediate thought was – I wish we could go back to Egypt. Back to the old ways. And isn’t that also how we humans think. When life gets difficult we have the tendency to reminisce – to wish we could go back to the ‘good old days’. But some day in the future – today will be the good old days we will be reminiscing about.
Again, Paul says: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. This is not about – what would Jesus do – but who is Jesus. Who do you say Jesus is? Jesus is introducing a new way of thinking in how we face adversity in life. He praises Peter’s confession of faith because it was not based on human logic but by divine revelation: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And that’s a big difference because Jesus says that on that confession of faith he will build his church. And what a foundation that will become: On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
The old ways were not what Jesus was wanting to build his church on – the traditions of the past. Jesus told a parable about foundations: Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” It was the same house but different foundation. Things were fine whilst conditions were good – but when adversity hit then the house crumbled that was not built upon the rock.
The church has faced persecution from the first days it began. But here we are today, 2000 years later and still surviving – the gates of Hades has not prevailed. In fact, if we look at the birth of Moses we see an interesting parallel of survival.
When the new Pharaoh arrived and wanted to eradicate Israel it actually flourished. They set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. So isn’t that interesting – the more they were oppressed the more they flourished. It was the mystery Paul discovered – when I am weak then I am strong. It’s the mystery Paul discovered in suffering that produced perseverance, perseverance produced character and character produced hope. But it all begins with the foundation of Jesus Christ in our lives. Built on the rock. That is vital. It’s not what we build – as the foolish builder discovered. No matter how strong the house was. No matter how professionally built the house was.
It crumbled because it had no foundation. But the wise builder who built his house on a rock found his house withstand the storm – not because of his craftsmanship but because of the rock he had as his foundation.
So just as Jesus has built his church on a rock foundation so too we are to build our faith on that same rock foundation. For us that foundation is our Baptism where God first made his home in our lives. Where God made a promise to us that he would be with us always till the end of the age. And neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, our rock and our salvation. But it all begins with how we answer that question today. Who do you say that I am.
Who do you say that Jesus is. The answer is not – a good role model to follow. The answer is not – an inspirational leader who can teach us so much. The answer is not – the greatest leader who ever lived. The answer is – you are the Christ – God’s Son – the one who died for my sins. Or in the words of Doubting Thomas – my Lord and my God. When Jesus asked Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” he wasn’t asking Peter to recite a series of doctrines about the Christian faith. He wasn’t inviting him to recite the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed off by heart. Jesus was inviting Peter to express where he placed his faith. He wasn’t asking Peter if he was Lutheran, Catholic or Anglican. He wasn’t asking him what his mother’s maiden name was. Jesus was asking, as he asks you today.
Who do you say that I am.
