And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. — Mark 8:29
Have you ever been with someone and they see another person that they know. They may talk to that person, perhaps even try to introduce you to that person, and then you go on your way. If so, you are probably like me and have asked the question, “who was that?” It’s a fair question when perhaps you didn’t know the person on the other side of the conversation.
Being known is something that seems to be in big demand in our day. People want to be social media famous, where they have thousands of followers and fame when they are out in public. They will go to extreme extents to try and gain attention of those in the world. Yet, there will still be people that do not know who they are.
Just before this verse in Mark, Jesus asked the disciples who other people said that He was. They gave a variety of answers. Some called Him other famous Christians of the day. Perhaps there were other names mentioned that were not recorded. But in typical Jesus fashion, He got straight to the point.
He looked at them and asked, who do you say that I am? Such simple words yet such a profound thought of who Jesus is. It was not a question about His name, they knew His name. He wasn’t asking if they were aware of His lineage, they knew who His parents were. They also knew there was something different about Jesus.
Jesus was not interested in who others thought He was, but that these had a personal knowledge of who He was. That challenge is still a challenge to us today. Who is Jesus to you? Is He your Savior and in His rightful place in your life? It does not matter who the pastors and priests say He is. It matters who you believe He is.