Matthew 15-17

October 16

Matthew 15-17

"“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”" (Matthew 16:15, NIV)

 

This question Jesus asked His disciples is the pivotal question in all of our lives. The way we answer this questions decides our eternal destiny. Our response to this question is beyond our ability to comprehend. Even if we answer as Peter answered; “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,”" (Matthew 16:16, NIV) we probably to not really understand all that that response means.  We can only begin to understand Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God when that is revealed to us by God. The Holy Spirit comes to us and reveals the truth of the gospel to our hearts and we are able to believe and receive Jesus as our Savior.

Too often we want Jesus to be the Savior we want Him to be instead of the Savior He is. Peter tried to tell Jesus that He could not die on the cross. Jesus heard the words of Peter as the words of Satan, the tempter, trying to thwart the plan of God. When Jesus likes and dislikes the same people we like and dislike, perhaps we have made Jesus into our image instead of allowing Him to shape us into His image. When we refuse to get out of our comfort zone for the good of the gospel, perhaps we need to examine ourselves and see if we are really following Jesus.