A friend in India told me that he believes that Jesus Christ is a great spiritual master and that he respects Him for that. Others have their own opinions about the identity of Jesus. Some believe that He is an incarnation of the supreme gods, some believe that He is one among a long line of prophets, and so on. So, who is Jesus really and who is He to us?
This brought to mind a conversation that Jesus had with His disciples in a place called Caesarea Philippi, which was an important Greco-Roman city in Palestine located some miles north of the Sea of Galilee. It was a center of worship of various deities like the fertility god Baal, the Greek god Pan, and even the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus.
Jesus asked His disciples who the people said that He was. The disciples replied that some said that He was Elijah, some that He was John the Baptist, and others that He was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked them who they thought He was. To that Simon Peter answered and said that he believed that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of the living God. Jesus told Peter that he was blessed for believing this and that this truth was a revelation from God (Matthew 16:13–19).
Jesus told His disciples that it was not important what other people thought of His identity, but who they knew Him to be after their intimate walk with Him. When Peter confessed the truth about Jesus, then Jesus went on to articulate Peter’s identity. Peter’s accurate perception of Jesus led to an accurate perception of his own identity and mission in life. That perception was not based on what Peter thought of himself or what others thought of him, but on who Jesus said he was.
Reflecting on this passage of Scripture caused me to affirm my personal belief as to who Jesus really is. While there are shades of truth in the beliefs of Jesus as a prophet or a unique enlightened spiritual master, He is much more than these things. Jesus is, as Peter declared, the Messiah or Anointed One, the Son of God. He is the living Savior who atoned for our sins and who gives salvation and eternal life to all who believe in Him. Our relationship with Jesus brings purpose and fulfilment to our lives.