In today's devotional, we explore the question Jesus asked Simon Peter - "Who do you say I am?"

Scripture - Matthew 15:15-16

In the play Hamlet, an important question is asked during Hamlet’s soliloquy. In Act 3 Scene 1, Hamlet asks, “To be, or not to be—that is the question.” Others throughout history have posed important questions that are still relevant even today. Martin Luther King, Jr., in a speech given in 1957 in Montgomery, AL, said: “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’” a conviction King held strongly about helping others in our neighborhoods and communities. Abraham Lincoln asked, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” in response to a person questioning his actions following the Civil War. These three questions by Shakespeare, King, and Lincoln explore ideas about life and death, serving one another, and loving our enemies—important topics still relevant in today’s society. Yet, these profound questions by historical figures still don’t contain the most important question ever asked. That question is this: “Who do you say I am?” Jesus posed that question 2,000 years ago, and it is one that we all must answer today. When we confess Jesus as Lord, we affirm both his person and work—all that he has done, is doing, and will do. We cannot say Jesus is Lord yet deny aspects of his humanity or divinity. We should seek to understand and affirm the complete Christ and how scripture identifies him—all that makes him our Lord and Savior.

Throughout the centuries, various responses have been given to Jesus's question. Some have called Jesus a great teacher or prophet, while others have rejected his existence entirely. Others might affirm his miracles of healing and walking on water but deny his divinity, that is, that he is God’s only begotten Son, made flesh and dwelt among us. In John 8, we see that the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees called Jesus a “teacher,” while the adulterous women called Him “Lord.” There are many responses to who Jesus is with little consensus, even among the same churches, to the person and work of Christ. The further we go into our circles—our homes, workplaces, communities, and the world—the less unified our understanding of Jesus becomes. We can all think of a family member, colleague, or acquaintance on social media with whom we strongly disagree about who Jesus is. How can so many people have such a different perspective on Jesus? We must stop and ask ourselves, “How do I seek to understand the person and work of Jesus faithfully and truthfully?” The Bible, God’s Holy Word, is the only way we can rightly understand who Jesus is. Some try to define Jesus based on the person they need, not the person He is. When we do this, we can, at best, give too much weight to one attribute of Jesus and leave our other; at worst, we can be heretical in our thinking and make up something about Jesus that was never true. In either case, we need Scripture to help us rightly understand the person and work of Jesus. If the Bible is truth, God’s inerrant Word, then all that scripture says about the person and work of Jesus is also true. Jesus is not just a historical figure or a great prophet; He is God’s Son, the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). Scripture helps us not only understand who Jesus is but God’s redemptive plan to save us from our sin in Christ alone.

This 40-week devotional series is a journey to understanding who Jesus is, why we need a savior, and how all scripture points to the person and work of Jesus. We will explore his role in creation, humanity and divinity, earthly ministry, atoning death, glorious resurrection, and ascension. We will learn more about who Jesus is and who we are in Him. We will all have to answer this question: “Who do you say I am?” This week, take time to reflect on this question and think about your answer or write it down. Who do you say that Jesus is?