Who Do You Say I Am?

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

"Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

"'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"

...and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

At the end of a New Testament Survey class I took last year I asked my teacher, "What is the most important thing to take from the New Testament?" His answer (without even taking two seconds to consider the question): Who Jesus is.

In the first three chapters of Matthew we find this most important of things addressed. According to Matthew, Jesus is...

• The Messiah (or Christ)
• A son of David
• A son of Abraham
• A son of Joseph and Mary
• God with us
• King of the Jews
• A ruler over Israel
• The Lord
• YHWH's Beloved Son

All of these identity issues come to a stunning crescendo in the latter half of Matthew's gospel, when Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do you say I am?". Peter answers Him emphatically, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God".

This is the question that has reverberated throughout the centuries. Who do we say Jesus is? What dictates our answer? Interesting questions to wrestle with me thinks...