It’s a fact of life that the true nature of prominent people’s character is frequently misrepresented in the media. There’s their public persona – who the media spins them to be for good or bad – and then there’s who they really are. And in a world where disinformation has become de rigueur, who really knows?
That’s not, by any means, a new problem. When Jesus landed on the scene back in the 1st Century, He caused quite a stir. As a consequence, there was an awful lot of confusion about who He truly was.
Matthew 16:13-16 Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. He said to his followers, “Who do people say I am?” They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus said to his followers, “And who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Now, Caesarea Philippi was a pagan region known for its worship of any number of deities. It provides a powerful backdrop, in the shadow of idols and Rome’s imperial rule, for Jesus to ask the ultimate question, Who do you say I am?
People had all sorts of messianic expectations — prophet, revolutionary, miracle worker. But Jesus probes deeper to draw out His disciples’ personal convictions, not hearsay.
Peter’s answer – You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God – isn’t merely intellectual. As Jesus Himself later affirms, it’s Spirit-revealed truth. True faith is a gift and a revelation. In today’s culture of conflicting voices and false gods, set against the dark backdrop of decaying morality and ever-growing divisiveness, true faith is built on this confession: that Jesus is the Saviour of the world. The only Saviour of the world.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
