WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!”   Luke 9:20 NLT

There is something sweet and magical in the scenes of the baby Jesus in the manger.  Angels hover above singing.  Shepherds come to adore him and magi follow his star.  But do we sense the awe they felt at the realization that God himself had taken on flesh and come to earth?

A.W. Tozer, in his wonderful b00k The Knowledge of the Holy, wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think of God is the most important thing about us.” 

We are all created uniquely different.  We come from different cultural and economic backgrounds.  Some of us were raised in strong Christian families, and some of us came from nominal or non-Christian homes. But we all must face Jesus and answer his question, “But who do you say I am?” The answer, “My Savior and Lord,” opens the door to endless truths yet to be revealed.

If things are going well in your life right now, who is Jesus to you?  The one through whom the Father has chosen to guard and bless you?  If you are in a dark and desperate place? Is he the one you rely on to rescue you and restore all that was broken or lost?  Maybe you are just swamped in the humdrum busyness of everyday life.  Who is Jesus to you there?  The one you spend quiet moments with, who takes you out of your everyday concerns and transfers you above your life to reassure you that he loves you and that Heaven is waiting for you?

Wherever you are today, whatever is going on, please, stop and allow Jesus to ask the question, “Who do you say I am?”  Then ask him to teach you what he wants you to understand about himself and how that impacts who you are in that moment.  What fresh, exciting revelation is waiting at the end of your query!?  You will never know until you choose to pause and trust that Jesus will give you the answers.

Pray with me: “Father God, forgive me for rushing by the very moments in which you have given me the opportunity to know Jesus better. Holy Spirit, prompt me to stop and allow Jesus to ask who he is to me personally.  I want to grow closer and more in love with the Savior who sacrificed his glory and his life so that I might know him.  Amen.”

Dear friend, be blessed as you trust that Jesus has fresh revelation of himself that will strengthen your faith and grow you in wisdom and understanding. May you choose to stop and ask yourself, “Who is Jesus to me in this moment?”  Be surprised with peace and joy as you believe the truth in the answers.  Amen.

Mary Sumner
December 15, 2018