You are from below; I am from above.

He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.

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Can you imagine what it must have been like to hear Jesus say those words? I think that it would have been hard to grasp what he was saying. The Jews of his day had a very limited understanding of what it meant to die in their sins. I think that my reaction would have been similar to theirs. The testimony of Christ to them, and to us, is that faith is important and more importantly faith in One who is not of this world. “Who are you?” is the question of the ages and the answer is the most important that a person can give.

Jesus answers that question for us in a way that requires us to take a step of faith. He does not say that "I am the Messiah" but he refers them back to his message from the very beginning. These people who walked with Christ saw the miracles, heard his teaching and witnessed his compassion and yet they did not perceive that he was the Messiah because they expected a different kind of Messiah. In truth I want a different kind of Messiah. I want one that works in the physical plane rather the spiritual.

You are the Messiah Jesus. Open my eyes to see you working in my life.