Who Is The Son of Man?

Exodus 1:8-2:10; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20

One of the greatest questions that we can answer is "Who is Jesus Christ in my life?" It is an important question because in answering that question we discover who it is that we are in relation to God and everyone else around us. Who is Jesus Christ? What does he mean to us? This is the question Jesus wanted his disciples to grapple with when he asked them, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?"

When asked this question the disciples did something that we all do. They began to quote what everyone else was saying on the subject. They had heard some people theorize that Jesus was John the Baptist. They had also heard others suggest that he was a reincarnation of Elijah. Or, they had heard some people postulate that maybe he was a prophet, like Jeremiah. And as I read this gospel lesson, it is almost as if the disciples were presenting theories that could have been voted upon. It was almost as if they could have picked their favorite theory about who Jesus was and voted upon it right then and there. As they were pondering who Jesus was, they were looking at all the options; looking at what everyone else was saying about it.

Of course, we do the same thing, today, as well, even when it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ. How many of us allow friends, family, the media, our employers, and society, itself, dictate who Jesus Christ should be in our lives? Rather than believing that Jesus should be the one who determines how we should relate to the world, how often do we not allow the world to determine how we shall relate to Christ?

This was the problem that the disciples had with their faith. They were confused about what to believe. So they were going to the world for an answer. And there are many examples of how we allow the world and worldly people to influence our relationship with God. Materialism, for instance, is just one example. God has called us to be his people here in this town. God has called us to be a visible witness to his love and power. And this requires that we put forth our time and resources in such a way that the ministry of Jesus Christ takes on a powerfully physical form in our midst. As someone once said, we are Christ's hands and feet and voice in the world. In other words, if we don't do Christ's ministry now, who will?

But up against this call from God to be his people in the world, is another call that comes from deep within us to keep what we have and live our lives for ourselves. And we hear this call from the media, and from advertising, and from our friends and others to spend time and our resources in such ways that we no longer have time for God and for the ministry he wants us to do. There are those who don't have time for church because of busy schedules. But we can all understand busy schedules. And, there are those who don't have the money for a tithe. But we can all understand money crunches. And there are those who have trouble believing in things that they can't see. But we can all understand vision problems. And there are those who have trouble with their priorities. But we can all understand such things.

We've all encountered such problems. The question is how we define ourselves. And we define ourselves by how we define the world and by how we define the presence of the Holy within our midst.

Now, it should be clear by now that the question Jesus asked, "Who do men say that I am?" may have little to do with the truth. After all, some people were saying that Jesus was John the Baptist. And some were saying that he was Elijah. And some were saying that he was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But it doesn't matter how many people might have believed one theory or the other. Truth, after all, doesn't depend upon how many people believe something. Everyone on earth could believe that elephants have wings, but that wouldn't give them wings. Nevertheless, how easily we are swayed by the majority! There is, after all, a lot of power in the words, "A hundred million Americans can't be wrong!" or "Everyone else is doing it!" Advertisers depend upon peer pressure and what's popular to get people to buy their product. But, that doesn't make it right or good or true.

That's why Jesus asked his disciples the second question. And what was the second question? You remember it from the scripture lesson: "But who do you say that I am?" In asking this question Jesus was saying, "Forget about what everyone else is saying about me. Forget about what the important religious thinkers of our day might have to say. Forget about what your friends think about me. Forget about what your mother or your husband or you wife or your children might have to say about me. Forget about the majority. Forget about peer pressure and popularity! But answer this one question: "Who do you say that I am?"

One of the most painful things to do in life is to wrestle with an important life or death issue, alone. Most of us just don't like to do it. We'd much rather have someone else decide for us. Whether or not to take a dying loved one off of a respirator, whether or not to go through the surgery that could either kill you or save your life, whether or not to jump into the water to save the drowning kid's life; whether or not to stay where you are or move into the retirement home. It would be so much easier to let someone else make the difficult decisions in life. But, when it comes to our answer to Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" there is only one person who can answer that question. Each of us must answer for ourselves. No one else can answer that question for us.

"But, who do you say that I am?" Peter answered that question. And his answer, though the right one, didn't come from everything he had heard from other people. His answer didn't come from advertising or books he had read. His answer, even though it was the right one, hadn't come to him from a seminary professor or some great and wise orator. Rather, Peter's answer to Jesus' question came from his heart and soul. His answer came from his very experience of Jesus in his life. And his answer was, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

Now, please don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with getting the opinion of other people. Being educated is important and good. Being wise in the ways of the world is something everyone should be in order to survive in this life and even in order to be an effective disciple of Jesus Christ. But, there is only basis to any definitive answer to who Jesus Christ is must come from one's heart and one's faith.

There are many philosophical arguments and so called proofs concerning the nature and existence of God. But any of these can be refuted by clever persons using simple, logical processes. And there are those who cling to a system of religious principles and practices without actually knowing the God for whom those principles and practices are dedicated. Yet, principles and practices are not enough and do not answer Christ's question, "But who do you say that I am?"

Nothing is enough for our salvation than to answer the question just as Peter did, from our heart and soul and from a position of faith: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

If we believe this then there is ultimately nothing that can stop us in our quest to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. There is nothing that can hold back our giving or our caring or our devotion in terms of prayers, presence, gifts, or service. When we really believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, then our lives show it. We live it. We know it. We share it. And we love it.

This is why Jesus was so pleased with Peter's answer. When Peter told him that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus rejoiced. He said, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! For the world has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." And then he explained to Peter that it was upon such rock-solid faith that Christ would build his Church.

These are certainly perilous times in the history of the Church. At no other time in the Church's history have there been so many fascinating alternatives to following Jesus Christ. At no other time in the world's history have we seen the human race on a greater rush towards ecological disaster. At no other time in the world's history has there been such a threat to the survival of animal and plant species necessary for life upon the planet. Yet, in the face of all of these perils there is one solid rock that will not be destroyed. And, as Jesus told Peter, upon that rock he has built his church, "and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."

How, then, shall we ask the question posed by Jesus, "But who do you say that I am?" We answer that question everyday by how we live our lives, by how we set our priorities, by how we spend our money, by our prayers, presence, gifts and service. May God bless us as we constantly wrestle with the answer to Christ's question to us!

Amen.