But who do you say that I am?

And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

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Can you imagine walking through the villages of the Holy Land with Jesus as your tour guide? What an amazing journey it would be to walk with him and ask him questions. In contrast in this passage Jesus is the one asking questions. Many times in my life the Holy Spirit has worked this way. A question will captivate your imagination and get your attention like nothing else. Such is the way that the Lord draws his disciples in here.

Many believe that Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah hits to the heart of the gospel. You can almost get a sense that he blurted the answer out as others were batting around the other names. Interesting how others considered Jesus to be a prophetic figure in the genre of Elijah. These were looking for the return of that great prophet. But the Messiah is much more than a great prophet. He is the Savior of the world. He is God in flesh.

With Peter and the saints of all ages I confess that Jesus is the Christ.