Who Do You Say I Am?

I was working on some devotionals about a week ago, and I heard this question, "Who do you say that I am?" And I began to meditate on it, really thinking about the moment Jesus asked this of His disciples.  (Matthew 16:13-17 NLT)

(13)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.” (17)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.

Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?"  In other words, "What's the word on the street?" And they began to say, "Some say you're John the Baptist.  Some Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Then He turned to His disciples and He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?"

"Okay, You've told me what everybody else is saying, but, who do you, you who walk closely with Me. You who talk with Me.  You who've seen me do miracles."

Who do you say that I am?

One of His disciples, Simon Peter, responded "Thou art the Christ!  The son of the Living God!"

(17)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. (NLT)

I feel like Christ is requiring that we all answer this question, "Who do you say that I am?" 

When you look at your life, everything about your life, who are you saying, and, I'm not talking about with mere words, that He is?

What are your actions saying?  What are you thoughts saying?  Who do your responses say that He is?  When you remain in sin? Who are you saying that He is? When you procrastinate in the things of God and walk in fear. Who are you saying that He is?  Think about your life.  Reflect on that question. 

Because whether we want to believe it or not, our lives speak.  Is your life "speaking" truth or a lie? In this hour,  those who walk closely with God, their very lives must declare to the world, This is who Christ is.  Everything about our lives, our good works, our holy lifestyle, our walk of righteousness, love, and joy, should truthfully declare,  "This is who God is."

Who we say He is should be different from who the world says He is.  People should be able look at your life and see the Father because the Father has been revealed to you.

Your life will say who He is.  Just as when Jesus walked the Earth.  He came declaring the Father.  Revealing and interpreting Him in the Earth. He came manifesting the very glory of God in the Earth. 

When another disciple named Philip asked Him to show them the Father, Jesus asked him, "Have I been with you all of this time, and yet, you don't know me?" Jesus told Him, "If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father."  This is why we are in the Earth.  That through our lives, God may be seen, revealed, made known and declared to this dying world. 

When Jesus ended His earthly ministry, He prayed a prayer in which He told the Father, I have manifested your name in the Earth."

 (John 17:6 AMP)

I have manifested Your Name [I have revealed Your very Self, Your real Self] to the people whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have obeyed and kept Your word.

This must be our desire and focus.  That each day, we live before God and man in such a way, that Christ, the real Christ is manifested.  And, in order for us to do that effectively, we must know Him.  We must have a divine revelation of who He is, just as Peter did. And divine revelation does not come from any human being. An intimate knowledge of who He is can not come from man. 

Man can tell you all day long who they think He is. But a divine revelation can only come from God.

It's all about knowing Him for yourself, so that you can declare and proclaim Him to everybody else. 

Prayer:  Father, may my life declare truthfully and loudly who you are to the world. May the world continually look at my life and be pointed towards you. 

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About the Author: Pamela Bell

Pastor Pamela Bell is a passionate, lover of God, who desires to see God's people walk in the knowledge of who they are in Christ. She resides in Mobile, AL and serves as an Elder at her church, Gulf Coast Christian Center. Pastor Pamela enjoys reading, spending time with friends and all things chocolate.