Week 20, Day 100 -- The Essential Jesus Challenge: Luke 9:18-27
Jesus presses the issue which each and every person. He presses it until He gets to the “me” point, the point where we can’t hide behind anything, the point where we must answer for ourselves. What am I talking about? Today’s reading lays it out.
Jesus asks his disciples a simple, general question: “Who do the crowds say I am?” (v. 18). It’s a question that even people today would be comfortable with because it doesn’t involve any commitment on our part; we can just answer by repeating what we’ve heard others say about Jesus. That’s exactly what the disciples did, too.
But Jesus won’t leave the issue there. He won’t accept the report of what others say about Him, or what we’ve memorized about him in Confirmation class. He isn’t really after general information about himself from us. He presses the issue until it hits home and there’s no escape: “Who do you say I am?” (v. 20). That’s the issue Jesus is pressing -- answering that question! We can’t give pat answers or memorized citations or what others have said; we must answer for ourselves, just like the disciples. When Jesus put the question to them Peter, speaking for all of them, answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16; Luke 9:20). Jesus pressed the issue with his disciples until they vocalized what they really thought it their hearts and minds. He does the same with us, with you. Everyone must give an answer.
“Who do you say that I am?” That’s the most important question in the world, the one that will determine our eternity, the one that will serve as the basis for the verdict that we receive on Judgement Day. My prayer is that you will join Peter and millions of other Christians throughout the world and throughout history in affirming with your heart and mind that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, my Savior, the Son of the living God.”
Week 20, Day 100 -- The Essential Jesus Challenge: Luke 9:18-27
Jesus presses the issue which each and every person. He presses it until He gets to the “me” point, the point where we can’t hide behind anything, the point where we must answer for ourselves. What am I talking about? Today’s reading lays it out.
Jesus asks his disciples a simple, general question: “Who do the crowds say I am?” (v. 18). It’s a question that even people today would be comfortable with because it doesn’t involve any commitment on our part; we can just answer by repeating what we’ve heard others say about Jesus. That’s exactly what the disciples did, too.
But Jesus won’t leave the issue there. He won’t accept the report of what others say about Him, or what we’ve memorized about him in Confirmation class. He isn’t really after general information about himself from us. He presses the issue until it hits home and there’s no escape: “Who do you say I am?” (v. 20). That’s the issue Jesus is pressing -- answering that question! We can’t give pat answers or memorized citations or what others have said; we must answer for ourselves, just like the disciples. When Jesus put the question to them Peter, speaking for all of them, answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16; Luke 9:20). Jesus pressed the issue with his disciples until they vocalized what they really thought it their hearts and minds. He does the same with us, with you. Everyone must give an answer.
“Who do you say that I am?” That’s the most important question in the world, the one that will determine our eternity, the one that will serve as the basis for the verdict that we receive on Judgement Day. My prayer is that you will join Peter and millions of other Christians throughout the world and throughout history in affirming with your heart and mind that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, my Savior, the Son of the living God.”