“Who do you say that I am?”                              Submitted by:  Merilee Ottoson

I admit it. It has really bothered me. When I read Gospel accounts of Jesus interacting with needy people, He heals them and then tells them to go “home” or gives them strict orders “to tell no one”. Why???? If Jesus healed them, shouldn’t they go EVERYWHERE and tell EVERYONE about the miracle they recently experienced?????

  It is easy for us to look at the New Testament and forget that the people He touched knew so little about Him. They didn’t have the knowledge that we have. We possess all the Scriptures…they had only a few copies (parchments) of the books that we call the Old Testament. They knew a Messiah was coming because it was prophesied long before. They had their own ideas of how He would arrive, how He would appear and what He would do for them.

As Jesus walked among the many people groups…..varied backgrounds…..social or religious…….He needed to make Himself known.  He was amazing to them….yet they weren’t certain whether or not to believe what they saw or heard.

Jesus, in Mark 8:26-29, asks His disciples about the crowds, “who do THEY say that I am?” Peter answered, “John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets.” He then asks Peter, “Who do you say that I am?”

 Has He made Himself known to you? What will you say……who is He to you? A  baby in a manger ...a kind man……the white-robed shepherd holding a lamb……   Peter answered, “the Christ…the son of the living God!” Peter’s confession of faith …….he understood and believed!!

Our life is directly shaped by our understanding of who He is.

 It is ON us to take what we have learned of Him and apply that to every area of our lives. He will not be who we think He should be. We will NOT shape Him into what feels good for us. That would bring shame to His Name….and rob us of His deity and power.                  The changeless One….

all knowing…all powerful….everywhere present….

the righteous judge…from everlasting to everlasting….

“He is Who He says He is.”