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Time Out for God
Devotional Ministry
By Danna Appleby
Who Do You Say I Am?
“. . . You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
Jesus was curious as to who people were saying He was so He asked His disciples. Their reply was straight to the point: “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah and others are saying Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Jesus didn’t hold back and asked boldly, “What about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter didn’t hold back: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
My daughter sent an e-mail to me telling about a book her husband was reading. Teens were asked to explain in a couple of words how they would describe Jesus. Many of them had a difficult time giving an answer, but the majority said, “He’s nice.”
After soaking up the whole conversation our youngest grandson said, “If they had asked me that question I would have said, ‘Jesus is the resurrected King of my life!’” Astonished parents looked at each other in disbelief that their 10-year-old could fathom such words, much less describe His Savior in that fashion. Needless to say, a mother’s eyes filled with tears.
So is Jesus “nice?” Actually, that would be an understatement because He is so much more! For someone wanting to find out about Jesus, the Book of John is a good place to start. It’s writer, the Apostle John, wanted to make sure his readers understood the deity of Christ, realized His character and saw Him as the true Son of God and long-awaited Messiah. John wanted people to believe in Jesus Christ so he wrote every detail of what He knew and understood of Him and why He came to earth. After all, John walked with Him. John saw His miracles. John heard His teachings. John felt His love.
John introduces a man who says he was not the Christ, but one who was sent from God and became known as “John the Baptist.” (Jn. 1:6) When John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him, he immediately proclaims, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29)
Later when Jesus is baptized, John the Baptist sees the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove where it remains. (Jn. 1:19-34) What a sight to behold!
There are many other instances in the book of John that verify who Jesus is and which reveal His wonderful character. Jesus uses the term, “I Am” all through John’s writings to identify Himself. He knew that we would be needy so He expressed to His hearers that He would be there for them in ways they had never known. He would not only be their Healer, Savior and Deliverer, but would sustain every Believer through all walks of life. And on top of all of that, wrapped up in each of His statements came a promise, so you can’t beat that!
I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger,
and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (Jn. 6:35)
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not
walk in darkness, but have the light of life. (Jn. 8:12)
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am
known by My own. (Jn. 10:14)
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes
in Me shall never die. (Jn. 11:25)
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through Me. (Jn. 14:6)
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (Jn. 15:1)
John ended his writing with saying that there were many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:25)
There are many other things I could tell you, but I hope you will take the time to pick up the Word and read the book of John for yourself. I believe it will be a blessing to you.
So, what about you? Who do you say Jesus is? Is He Lord of your life? Can you say without doubting that He is the resurrected King of your life? I pray your answer is: Yes, Jesus is my Savior, my Lord and King. I have given my life to Him. I am no longer my own, but belong to Him. Jesus died on the cross for my sins and I have been born again and now have a new life in Him.
Father, thank you for this reminder of who your Son truly is. Because of every great and precious promise, we can have life, peace, love and joy. We honor you at this moment. Help us to never forget who Jesus is because we have eternal life in Him. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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