What kind of decisions keep you up at night? Topics like proposing to your girlfriend, choosing a job, selecting a school, or deciding whether your family should foster or adopt?
These are all life-changing questions and require careful consideration. In these moments, we often turn to wise friends and internet searches for guidance.
However, I’d like to focus on a question that is even more pivotal: Who is Jesus? Consider how you would answer that and what your source for the answer would be.
Throughout history, many people have been puzzled by Jesus’ identity, a phenomenon that started long before us. Even while Jesus preached 2,000 years ago, confusion surrounded him. His disciples often struggled to comprehend who he truly was. The Gospel accounts full of questions illustrate this uncertainty. Who is this who teaches with such authority? Was he simply another prophet?
Today, we continue to grapple with misunderstandings. Some see Jesus as a mild-natured, long-haired hippie preaching peace and love, while others view him as a tragic religious leader. Some might perceive him more as a magic genie, ready to grant wishes to those who believe fervently enough.
Popular culture often shapes our perceptions of Jesus, making it easy to cherry-pick aspects from the Bible that form a more comfortable image.
I encourage you to read the Bible and let Jesus define himself. Pay attention to his words and observe the reactions of his disciples and those around him. When the disciples witnessed his divine power, they were terrified and asked, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41).
While traveling with his disciples later, Jesus confronted them with this crucial question, “But who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29). Peter boldly answered, “You are the Christ.” Despite this confession, there remained confusion about its meaning. Soon after, Jesus revealed that he would suffer, be rejected, and ultimately killed, only to rise again. Peter struggled with this notion, expecting a Messiah, a victorious king who would take reign over the promised land.
This confusion led Jesus to instruct his disciples not to share his identity widely, given the misconceptions surrounding the title “Messiah” meaning “Anointed One.” In the first century, many filled this title with expectations Jesus did not come to fulfill.
Today people continue to define Jesus through various ideas and causes, often overlooking his true purpose and full revelation of Scripture.
As Jesus taught in Mark 8, the essence of his identity and what it means to follow him revolves around the cross. The cross presents the beautiful paradox of the Christian faith: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:35)
Understanding who Jesus Christ, the Son of God is is not just a religious exercise or philosophical pondering or merely historical question, but a confession that will lead to truly living.
