Who do YOU say I am?

Matthew 16:13-17

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.

The greatest question you'll ever have to answer is this one in the passage above. Your eternal future will hinge on what you reply.

It matters not what others say, you have to decide for yourself.

When Jesus looks you in the eyes on that great day, what will you say?

I was chatting with someone today who couldn't understand what we, as Christians, believe about Jesus and, more importantly, what He, Jesus, believed about Himself.

"Jesus isn't Jehovah"[the term those of the Jewish faith use for God], the person affirmed. "Of course, He is", I said, "He is the Son of God".

Many many people had different opinions about who Jesus was. As the disciples told him: "Some say you're John the Baptist [who had already been beheaded], some say Elijah" and others thought He was some other prophet.

In this day and age, some question if Jesus ever existed. That's an easy evasion of the issue. Some say a good teacher, a rebel or a dreamer.

When I mentioned that Jesus not only declared that God was His Father, but also foretold that He would have to suffer many things - at the hands of religious leaders and die, but rise again. My friend scoffed at it, as if I was telling fairy tales.

How hard it is to hear the good news of the gospel without the Holy Spirit's guidance.

When someone is speaking in a foreign language, then you need an interpreter. The Holy Spirit is that Interpreter, translating the message of Jesus into a language that we can understand.

I hope that you will join with me to pray that people all over this nation and indeed the world will have that experience of hearing the Holy Spirit interpreting the good news of Jesus in their own individual language.

Another word for the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete - meaning "one who comes along side" as a helper.

In actual fact without that deciphering that the Holy Spirit performs, it is impossible to understand and believe the gospel.

Come Holy Spirit and reveal Jesus to our hearts