I would like to share my meditation on the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 16:13-17
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
During that time, many people followed Jesus, but very few of them truly knew Jesus.
Some people thought John the Baptist was Jesus himself. Some people thought that Elijah was the Messiah. Others thought Jesus was like the prophet Jeremiah, who wept after slain his people. Some people thought Jesus was another prophet in the history of Israel.
Jesus proclaimed the Word of God; he healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, fed the hungry, brought back the dead, and comforted the hurt.
Many people met Jesus, heard his sermons, and saw the miracles he performed. However, they did not know who exactly Jesus was. They only cared about their own survival, about their bodily needs. When Jesus chose the cross and chose to suffer, unlike their expectations, they left. People had no interest in salvation but only focused on their bodily needs.
Jesus asked his disciples, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, son of the living God.”
Peter's confession was different from that of others. Peter knew exactly who Jesus was and why He came. Like Peter, I hope that all of us will believe this truth and confess it in faith.
John 20:31 says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The Bible was written to make people believe that Jesus is God’s son and give life through Jesus’s name. Therefore, if we want to know who Jesus is, we must read, listen, and learn the Bible. Then, Jesus will become my Christ, and we will earn life by believing that he is God’s son.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Nowadays, we call Jesus our healer, comforter, and friend. But we must know why Jesus does these ministries, and that is to save us from our sins. He came to the earth not to solve our physical problems but to solve spiritual problems that stand in the way of eternal life.
When my daughter was 5 years old, she called me.
“Mom, help me!”
I said, “You can do it yourself!”
“Please help me!”
I said, “Why should I help you?”
She answered, “Because you’re my mom!”
Without hesitation, I helped her with a joyful heart. She answered in a way I liked. Through this story, I realized that when Jesus asks me, “Who do you think I am?” I have to answer in a way that He would like without hesitation.
John 1:12
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
When Jesus heard Peter’s answer, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” He praised him, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah.”
So, those who know who Jesus is are blessed. That blessing would be a great joy when we join the kingdom of God. The great joy of salvation. The joy of eternal life. Those who receive joy from the Lord are truly blessed.
I hope we may be blessed by knowing and believing in Jesus Christ.
Just as Jesus asked his disciples, he now asks us. “Who do you say I am?”
I hope we may all be filled with the Holy Spirit and answer without hesitation. I hope that we may strive to become the ones Jesus desires, get the joy of salvation in the Lord and get the joy of eternity.
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!”
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