From the desk of Pastor Ben

Examining Jesus’ Identity – Part 1

He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”                                     (Matthew 16:13b-15)

    “Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite designation of Himself, and it’s used approximately 80 times in the New Testament. The Jews recognized it as a title for Messiah, but because it emphasized His humanity, many preferred not to use it. Likely, that is why Jesus did use this title often — He wanted to focus people’s attention on the humiliation of His incarnation and His redemptive work.

To reveal Himself to the world — to teach and demonstrate that He was God’s Son — He asked the apostles, “Who do people [the Jews] say that the Son of Man is?” By asking that question, Jesus was not showing unawareness of what the crowds said about Him, but He was directing the apostles to think carefully about the swirl of popular perceptions concerning Him. Christ was not so concerned about the un-believing opinions of the Jews, but He did want to mold the thoughts of those who received Him favorably and realized, although sometimes uncertainly, that He was more than an ordinary religious teacher.

So, after witnessing many miracles and hearing much teaching, what was the peoples’ conclusion about the Son of Man, according to the apostles? Some thought He was John the Baptist returned from the dead to continue his forerunner ministry. Others offered the possibility of Elijah, perhaps the supreme Old Testament prophet. And others believed Jesus was Jeremiah, one of the so-called major prophets. Each of these opinions, however, falls short of Jesus’ true identity as Son of God.

Ask Yourself:
What kinds of answers do you think you would get to the question, “Who do you think Jesus is?” if you used it as a conversation starter? Would you be surprised by the opinions you’d get? How could you use the possible responses to defend the Bible’s teachings about Him?