“Who do you say that I am?”
I have answered this question many ways throughout my life.
I am certain that there was a time in my life where I saw Jesus as some sort of cosmic Santa Clause who could give me whatever I wanted in life if only I prayed. I am looking at you Blue BMX dirt bike with grey dust covers.
“Who do you say that I am?”
The clearest impression that I have of Jesus from my childhood is that of Jesus as a friend. Maybe I was a weird child, or maybe I was just lonely with few friends, but I would talk with Jesus constantly. I was always told by my Sunday school teacher that Jesus was right with me, and I believed that completely. So, I would go about my days talking to Jesus in my head about the things that brought me joy. I would talk to Jesus about things that would make me sad. Jesus would be there as I tried to work through my frustrations. Jesus heard a lot about cleaning my room. And, I would talk to Jesus sometimes just because I could; no asking and no needs. Today, we would call this prayer, but I never thought of it that way. Jesus was my friend, and he went into the mud looking for worms with me.
According to the Bible, Jesus is our friend. “I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15). So, I might not have been too far afield in my conversations.
“Who do you say that I am?”
In Jesus’ time, some thought that Jesus, the Son of Man, was John the Baptist. I understand how this might be. John the Baptist preached that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and Jesus picked right up where John left off, preaching the same thing. I never confused John and Jesus, but I can see how it could happen.
“Who do you say that I am?”
Elijah seems like an obvious choice since Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fishes is so similar to Elijah’s multiplication of the oil. Furthermore, Jesus’ ability to bring a little girl back to life makes us think of Elijah laying on a boy in prayer and bringing him back to life. If we were to put bets on who Jesus was, my bet would probably be on Elijah.
“Who do you say that I am?”
Jesus is either Elijah, or one of the prophets; maybe the great prophet Moses. There was a time in my life in which I struggled with the idea of Jesus having miraculous super powers of sorts. I did not stop following Jesus during this doubtful time in life. I simply looked at Jesus in a different way.
During this time, Jesus’ ethical teachings became extremely important to me. Many people made fun of the “What would Jesus do?” movement in its day, but the question was something that I thought about a lot. I wanted to be like Jesus. I still do I guess, but at the time Jesus was mainly a prophet and a teacher to me, bringing heavenly, ethical wisdom down from the mountaintop like Moses.
This also is not without a biblical basis, of course. The gospel of Matthew gives a big amount of space to Jesus’ ethical teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount. Like Moses, Jesus teaches us from the Mountain and instructs us concerning things that I found very important such as blessing the poor in spirit, meditating instead of worrying, and loving God and others. I was all about acting like Jesus, and I was convinced that if others would do the same, the world would be a much better place.
“Who do you say that I am?”
This is what is so fascinating about Simon Peter, because, to Peter, Jesus has been all of these things. Peter got the gift of answered prayer when his mother-in-law was sick. Peter is Jesus’ closest friend. Peter has been a part of Jesus’ ministry of bringing the kingdom near, taking part in the healing and feedings ministries of Jesus. Peter has seen the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. And, Peter has had the chance to have face to face instruction concerning Jesus’ interpretations of the laws of Moses. How I would love to be in Peter’s sandals!
Yet, when Peter is asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter does not call Jesus a preacher, not a prophet, nor a teacher, nor does he mistake Jesus for Santa Clause. Sorry, no Blue BMX dirt bike with grey dust covers for me!
“Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
When Peter looks at Jesus and all that Jesus has done, he sees “the Messiah.”
Now, I have been preaching this story for twenty years, and you have likely heard this story preached to you even more times than that, but this is the first time that I ever stopped to ask, “What is a Messiah?”
What is a Messiah? More to the point, what did the people of Jesus’ time expect to see when they encountered the Messiah? I have never thought to ask this question before. So, I looked at some rabbinic writings from the time and I found some amazing stuff.
The rabbis expected the Messiah to be and do things like: to be a descendant of David, to be a mighty warrior, to judge the people well, to be sitting among the poor lepers untying their bandages, to be found among those who need healing, to be despised by some but revealed to be bright and beautiful to others, to come to us riding on the clouds if the people of God have been faithful, but riding on a donkey if the people of God have not been faithful, to be a great teacher who interprets the Torah wisely, to be anointed with oil, and to bring about a new age where everything is right again in the world.
If your are anything like me, your head is swimming with all of the connections between who Jesus was and who the rabbis expected the Messiah to be. I imagine that God caused Peter’s head to swim, seeing these connections as well.
When Peter sees and hears all that Jesus is doing, he sees the one who will bring back the Garden of Eden. He sees the one who will bring about an age of healing and peace. He sees the one who will finally crush the head of the snake and restore order to chaos. He sees the Messiah who we also desire to see.
What if our world could be restored again to peace?
What if the pain could be gone and the world could eat from the tree that heals all the nations?
What if your pain and trouble could be healed?
“You are the Messiah,” Peter declares. Peter sees Jesus as the one who is starting to straighten out the world again. Peter sees Jesus as the one who is saving us from our chaotic and hurtful ways. And Peter’s declaration falls now on your ears, so that you can hear and believe that God cares about you too. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
Did you know that you are invited into this restored garden? Did you know that you have been trusted to tend the garden and participate in the garden’s healing and peaceful ways? Did you know that the keys of the kingdom of heaven have been handed over to us?
“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” (Matthew 16:19).
Did you know that we are allowed to unlock those gates of healing and peace and forgiveness and love any time that we want? Did you know that the garden is springing up wherever we step when we allow that kingdom to be unlocked for those around us? Did you know that Jesus has unlocked that kingdom for you?
Open the gate. Find your healing. Find your forgiveness. Feel the soft grass of the garden on your feet. Eat of the tree that heals all that is broken. Discover your Messiah walking with you toward the tree of life. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
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