At one time or another in their lifetime, people have to face the question of who they believe Jesus is. Even if they don’t address that question while alive, they certainly will moments after their death. In our Scripture today from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus presents the question to His disciples, along with another prediction of His crucifixion, and telling them the cost of being a follower of His. Let’s take a look at this Scripture passage.
Shortly after the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus went off by Himself to pray when His disciples came and joined Him. Jesus then asks His disciples about His identity, first asking what the general crowds say who He is, and then specifically who they say He is (vs. 18-20). The disciples answered by saying that the crowds thought He might be one of the great prophets of the past come back to life, or that He might be John the Baptist come back to life. The latter would be ridiculous, as John the Baptist and Jesus were together at the same time when He was baptized, and John had only recently died. We can ask the same question today. Who do people today say Jesus is? Many would answer that He was a good man, a good teacher and philosopher, who unfortunately lost His life, but that He was no different than any other great philosopher and teacher from the past, no different than Buddha, Gandhi, Plato, or Aristotle. And there are a lot who would say that Jesus was a crazy man who misled people.
Jesus then pointedly asked the disciples who they thought He was. Peter quickly responded by saying that Jesus was the Messiah, promised by God (vs. 20). Peter’s confession is foundational to salvation (Romans 10:9). It is important that we correctly identify who Jesus is, not just intellectually, but with our heart and through faith. This is a question that everyone will face at some point, either in their physical life, and for sure after their death. Who do you say that Jesus is? Do you believe that He was just some historical person who maybe had some good teachings, or do you believe that He is the Son of God, who brings salvation to those who believe?
As we continue reading, Jesus spoke to His disciples about His upcoming death and resurrection (vs. 21-22). This was something that He spoke to them about on several occasions, though they either didn’t seem to pay attention to His words or to understand them. Jesus’ suffering was not accidental, but was part of God’s sovereign plan for redemption (Isaiah 53:3-5). Jesus’ death was substitutionary. He bore the punishment for our sins, and those who call upon Jesus as their Savior have their sins forgiven and receive salvation.
Jesus also spoke about being rejected by the religious leaders of Israel. We see this all throughout His ministry, where the Pharisees in particular, along with the Sadducees and Sanhedrin (the Jewish high court) opposed Jesus and His teachings. This rejection by these religious leaders shows the blindness of human pride and self-righteousness. The Pharisees in particular did not like that many crowds were flocking around Jesus, and felt they were holier and more righteous than He was. The Bible teaches, though, that salvation is not found in religious rituals, but through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Jesus finished His teaching here by laying out the cost of discipleship (vs. 23-24). There are far too many preachers today who teach the “prosperity gospel”, saying that our Christian life should be smooth sailing, and God will make us rich. That is a false gospel! Nowhere in the Bible is a message given like that. Jesus taught here that true discipleship requires surrender. We are to pick up our cross and follow Him. The cross symbolizes suffering, rejection, and sacrifice. We must forsake all of our worldly desires and live in obedience to Jesus (Galatians 2:20). Clinging to earthly life leads to spiritual loss, but surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ leads to eternal gain.
As we close this Scripture passage, we are called to recognize that Jesus is the Messiah, understand His sacrificial mission, and commit wholeheartedly to following Him. Jesus never called people to give Him a try and see if we like Him, like we would a new food. He demands full surrender. We cannot squeeze Jesus into one corner or segment of our life, and continue living as we please. If we are truly following Jesus, then He is our whole life.
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