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.” 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. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
Matthew 16:13-28 NLT
In this chapter Jesus takes His disciples to a retreat into the region of Caesarea Philippi. Christ asked them (and us) the pointed question: Who do you say I am? This question defines all of life, and the answer is revealed by God (and accepted or rejected by each person). It is answered not with words alone but with every aspect of our lives. If He is the Son of God, then our lives must reflect what we truly believe.
The Messiah calls His people to obediently follow Him—into suffering. This is His way. Many people know who Jesus is but refuse to follow Him into the pain. Peter struggled with this as well (and was temporarily dubbed “Satan” for his lack of faith and tempting Christ to refuse the cross). Christ made it clear: He was headed for the cross (and resurrection). Christ also made it clear that those who follow Him MUST deny themselves and take up their cross (literally embrace death). This is the ONLY way to eternal life; in love for our Lord, our selfishness must die, and we find true life in Him. There is no other way; there is no shortcut.
Christ often leads where we don't want to go. His paths lead us to exponential growth, but they often hurt us; this is a hurt that heals—breaking away the chains of death that cling to us. The way of Christ will include suffering for others, it will include obeying Jesus when it doesn't make sense or when the feelings aren't there, and it will include being different than the world around us that says, “Do what makes YOU happy.”
Who do YOU say Jesus is? How is that question answered with your life—attitude, actions, obedience, calendar, purpose, relationships, etc? What does it mean for you to follow Jesus, deny yourself, and take up your cross
