Growing in the Knowledge of Who Jesus Is Correctly Is an Urgent Priority

Growing in the Knowledge of Who Jesus Is Correctly Is an Urgent Priority

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Once when Jesus was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’  They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.’  ‘But what about you?’ He asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’  Peter answered, ‘God’s Messiah.’  Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.  And He said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life’” (Luke 9:18–22).

 

 

 

(1)   Today, as I meditate on the passage of Luke 9:18–22 together with Matthew 16:13–17 and Mark 8:27–31, I would like to receive the lessons that the Lord gives us:

 

(a)    First, one day, while Jesus was praying alone, the disciples came to Him. At that time Jesus asked them, “Who do people say that I am?”  The disciples answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life” (Lk. 9:18–19; Mt. 16:13–14; Mk. 8:27–28).

 

(i)               As I meditated on this passage, the following question arose in my mind: “Why did Jesus ask His disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’”

·        The reason is that Jesus wanted to lead His disciples not to be swept away by the empty rumors of the world or by general public opinion (“John the Baptist,” “Elijah,” etc.), but instead to make their own firm confession of faith.  This was not a simple opinion poll; it was a process of training—a core question of disciple education designed to guide them to correctly recognize who Jesus is and to follow Him accordingly.  In other words, it was a question intended to help the disciples clearly recognize Jesus not as merely one of the prophets, but as the Messiah (the Christ), and on the basis of that faith to walk the true path of discipleship (Internet).

 

(ii)             Who do people in the world today actually think Jesus is?

 

·        Today, people view Jesus in a wide variety of ways: as more than a religious saint—some see Him as a historical figure, a great teacher, a moral model, or the Son of God (the Messiah).  For Christians, He is the Savior and God Himself; for non-Christians or the general public, He is often regarded as a saint or wise teacher who taught love and peace, and many people hold a generally positive impression of Him.

 

More specific perceptions include:

 

Historical figure and great teacher: Many people see Jesus as a historical figure born in Bethlehem about 2,000 years ago who taught love and sharing, and as a rabbi.

 

Saint and moral model: Regardless of religious affiliation, many respect Jesus as a morally flawless figure who exerted a positive influence on humanity.

 

Son of God and Savior: Within Christian faith, Jesus is confessed as God, one of the Trinity, and the Messiah who saves humanity from sin.

 

The way of truth and life: Believers trust Jesus as unchanging truth and as a rock who gives direction to life.

Ultimately, people interpret Jesus differently according to their faith, culture, and values, and He is remembered as one of the most influential figures in human history (Internet).

 

(iii)           Why did the disciples answer, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life’?

 

·        The disciples answered this way because, when the people of that time saw Jesus’ extraordinary authority and miracles, they thought that Old Testament prophets (such as Elijah or Jeremiah) had been resurrected or that one of the prophets had reappeared.  This response reflects the confused perspective of the crowds, who evaluated Jesus by connecting Him to figures from the past without clearly recognizing Him as the Messiah (the Christ).

 

Summary of the reasons:

 

Old Testament prophecy and expectation: Jews expected Elijah to return before the coming of the Messiah, based on the prophecy in Malachi 4:5.

 

Jesus’ excellence: The powerful miracles and teachings Jesus displayed resembled those of the great prophets of the past, leading many to speculate that one of them had been raised from the dead.

 

The influence of John the Baptist: Because John the Baptist’s ministry was so striking, some mistakenly thought Jesus was John reincarnated.

 

Lack of spiritual understanding: The disciples honestly conveyed the various public opinions of the time, which represented a stage prior to correctly recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.

 

In short, the disciples’ answer shows that while people highly regarded Jesus as a divine prophet, they did not fully accept Him as the complete Savior (the Messiah), revealing the spiritual confusion of that era (Internet).

 

(b)   Second, when Jesus asked His disciples again, “But who do you say I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ of God, the Son of the living God” (Lk. 9:20; Mt. 16:15–16; Mk. 8:29).

 

(i)               As we meditate on the fact that Jesus—who first asked, “Who do people say I am?” (Lk. 9:18)—then asked again, “But who do you say I am?”, we too are reminded to examine ourselves and ask whether we correctly recognize who Jesus is.

 

·        The reason is that if we do not correctly recognize Jesus, the object of our faith, then our faith itself cannot be correct, and the path we walk as disciples of Jesus cannot help but be misguided. 

 

-        Therefore, growing in the knowledge that enables us to know correctly who Jesus is must be our highest priority.  This is the first part of 2 Peter 3:18: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ …”

 

n  The apostle Paul, who said that “the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord is most excellent” (Philippians 3:8), also said: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (vv. 10–11).

 

(ii)             When Jesus again asked His disciples, “But who do you say I am?”, Simon Peter answered as follows: “The Christ of God” (Lk. 9:20), “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16), “You are the Christ” (Mk. 8:29). 

 

·        I meditate on Peter’s confession in three aspects:

 

-        First: “Lord.”  What does it mean to confess Jesus as “Lord” (Romans 10:9)?

 

To confess Jesus as Lord means that Jesus controls us, that He is our authority, and that He comes to dwell with us—His presence is with us.

 

-        Second: “Christ.”  What does it mean to confess that Jesus is “the Christ of God”?

 

“Christ” is a Greek word meaning “the Anointed One” (in Hebrew, Messiah).  Who was anointed? Kings, prophets, and priests.  Therefore, to say that Jesus is the Christ means that He is: The King of kings (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14), The Prophet (Deut. 18:22), The High Priest (Heb. 3:1).

 

[Our confession that Jesus is the Christ and the Lord is a confession that Jesus, as the King of kings, controls us; as the Prophet, speaks authoritative words to us; and as the High Priest, is God who comes to dwell with us.  To say that Jesus is the Christ and the Lord means that Jesus, who saves us from our sins, controls us as the King of kings, speaks to us with authority as the Prophet, and comes to us as the High Priest.

 

-        Third: “The Son of God.”  What does it mean to confess that Jesus is “the Son of the living God”?

 

Jesus is God the Son, who shares the same essence as the eternal God.  He existed from eternity (Jn. 1:1), was with God in the beginning (v. 2), is the Creator (v. 3), and is fully God (the divinity of Jesus).  At the same time, He is fully human (the humanity of Jesus) (Chang Seh Kim).

 

·        When Peter made that confession of faith, Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 16:17).

 

-           Truly happy people are those who know Jesus correctly, make a right confession of faith, and live a proper life of faith.  Because God the Father in heaven reveals to all of us who Jesus is, and because the Holy Spirit of truth guides us into all truth (Jn. 16:13), all we need to do is live always in Christ as the Holy Spirit teaches us (1 Jn. 2:27).

 

n  The words and actions of “the righteous people in God’s sight” who believe in God’s revelation and live in obedience to that revelation (Lk. 1:6) will appear astonishing in the eyes of the people of this world, and the world will not be able to endure them (cf. Heb. 11:38).

 

(c)    Finally, thirdly, Jesus commanded (warned) His disciples not to tell anyone about matters concerning Himself—that is, that He was the Christ.  Then, for the first time, He openly revealed to them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, be killed, and after three days rise again (Lk. 9:21–22; Mt. 16:20; Mk. 8:30–32).

 

(i)               Why did Jesus command His disciples not to tell anyone about matters concerning Himself—that is, that He was the Christ?

 

·        The reason Jesus told them not to reveal His identity was to prevent misunderstandings among the people who expected a political Messiah, and to fully accomplish His saving mission through the cross and resurrection.

 

The main reasons are as follows:

 

Preventing misunderstanding of a political or military Messiah: The Jews of that time desired a powerful king who would drive out Rome, but Jesus came as the ‘suffering servant’ who would atone for sin; therefore, He sought to reduce such misunderstandings.

 

Priority of the mission of the cross: If His identity were revealed too early, it could have led to premature conflict with Jewish leaders before the appointed time (His death on the cross), hindering the fulfillment of His mission.

 

Therefore, this command can be understood as the Messianic Secret—Jesus’ intention during the early phase of His ministry to conceal His identity until the true meaning of the Messiah (the cross and salvation) was fully revealed (Internet).

 

(ii)             Why did Jesus begin to clearly reveal, from the time He warned His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ, that He must go up to Jerusalem, suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, be killed, and rise again after three days? (Mt. 16:20–21; Mk. 8:31–32)  Why did Jesus begin to make this clear only after Peter confessed, by the revelation of God the Father in heaven, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16–17)?

 

·        In my view, the reason is that Jesus knew that His time was near [“My hour” (Jn. 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20; 12:4, 23, 27; 13:1; 17:1)].  Here, Jesus’ “time” refers to the moment when He would be crucified to redeem the people whom God loved and chose.  In other words, Jesus’ time refers to the moment when, as the Son of God, He would reveal His glory.  Therefore, Jesus began to clearly reveal to His disciples that, as the Christ, He must go up to Jerusalem, suffer, die, and rise again on the third day.

 

-           “Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Lord, this shall never happen to You!’  But Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not thinking about God’s concerns, but human concerns’” (Mt. 16:22–23).

 

n  Why did the apostle Peter take Jesus aside (Mk. 8:32) and say, “Lord, this shall never happen to You”? (Mt. 16:22)  Why was it Peter—among all the other disciples—who had confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16), who took Jesus aside and spoke this way?  Why, after making such a precious confession of faith by the revelation of God the Father in heaven (v. 17), did Peter “not think about God’s concerns but about human concerns” (v. 23) when Jesus said He must go up to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and rise again after three days?  Why did Peter become “a tool used” by Satan (Hochma) to cause Jesus to stumble?  Why did Peter boldly insist, “Even if everyone else abandons You, I will never abandon You,” and “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You” (Mt. 26:33, 35), yet end up denying Jesus three times? (vv. 70, 72, 74)

 

#   These are words that Jesus also spoke to Peter: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (v. 41).  That is why Peter later wrote in 1 Peter 5:8–9: “Be sober-minded and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.”