who do you say I am?

"JESUS: Who do people say the Son of Man is?
DISCIPLES: Some say John the Baptist. And some say Elijah. And some say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.
JESUS: And you? Who do you say I am?
PETER: You are the Anointed One. You are the Son of the Living God."

~Matthew 16:13-16

There are all sorts of ideas about who Jesus is. Some people just call Him a good teacher (see this post for my thoughts on that). Some, including Muslims, say He was a prophet sent by God to show us how to live. In some churches today, He's basically said to be some sort of genie who grants wishes (except they call them "answered prayers"). Even the demons recognized Him as the Son of God.

It doesn't matter who everyone else says that Jesus is. Being able to repeat what others say doesn't mean anything about your relationship with Him, and that's what He wants. What He cares about, what He's asking, is, "What about you? Who do you say that I am?"

I don't know about you, but that's not a question I've given a whole lot of deep thought. Sometimes we have a tendency to just take what other people say and run with it, not really thinking for ourselves. Sadly, that's really common when it comes to religion. What Jesus wants, though, has very little to do with religion. Instead, He wants a true relationship with each one of us. In Philippians 3:10, Paul says, "I want to know Him inside and out." That's what each one of should be saying.

It isn't enough to just acknowledge who others say Jesus is. I can tell all the stories--about Him being found in the temple as a boy, about His temptation in the desert, about His biblical miracles--but what I really need to tell others (and to show others) is who Jesus is to me.

He is my Comforter. He is the One who comes and simply wraps His arms around me while I grieve, the One who wipes away my tears and keeps track of each one.

He is my Teacher. He is the One who lived in such a way that I have an example of how to react in every situation--when I'm tempted, when I'm facing unimaginable hardship, when people are trying to trip me up. That doesn't mean that I always react the way I've been taught...but I'm working on it.

He is my Counselor. He is the One who listens as I pour my heart out; the good, the bad, and the ugly. He listens to my prayers even when my words get all jumbled and confused and don't make any sense. And then He's the One who calmly points out where I'm off track.

He is my Savior. He is the One who looked at all the ways I have and will mess up in my life, who saw that I could never be enough on my own. He saw that I wouldn't be able to cross the chasm separating me from God, so He chose to go to the cross in my place in order to bridge the gap for me.

He is my Strength. When life hits me too hard and knocks me flat on my face, when it leaves me out of breath and too weak to even push myself up to my knees, He is the One who lifts me out of the dirt. He is the One who tells me, "Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Put My yoke upon your shoulders--it might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves. Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your easy souls will find rest. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." ~Matthew 11:28-30