After a series of miracles and teachings, Jesus asks the disciples what people are saying about him. They answer that many see him as the ghost of one of the great prophets, from the recently murdered John the Baptist all the way back to Jeremiah. And then Jesus asks, “But who do you say I am?” Only Peter, always reliable when it comes to speaking up, answers, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus commends him for his understanding and especially because he didn’t come to it just by the testimony of others. He recognized Jesus’ greatness from his time spent with Jesus. How we name Jesus for ourselves and for others depends on how we have experienced him. Some of that experience comes from our upbringing and some from our own life journey.
If someone were to ask you who Jesus is to you, how would you answer? Has the way you would name Jesus changed over time? How would others name Jesus by witnessing your life of faith?
Think of all the different names by which Jesus is called (Savior, Friend, Lord, Master, God-With-Us, Teacher, Healer, etc.) and consider which is most relevant to you today. In prayer, thank him for being present in that way to you.