And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:18-20)

Who Do You Say That I Am?

The coming of the Messiah did not present itself as the world considers greatness. To be born of a royal family is to receive the royal treatment of birth into nobility, prestige, and power. When a ruler is to bear a son, great pomp and circumstance accompany the news. At the birth of a child, news spreads far and wide with festivals and celebrations. The child is nurtured by royal privilege. He is cared for with meticulous care to prepare him to become a ruler. Everything in the child’s life is measured by who he is and which family he was born into. None of this was the case for the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Jesus was born to an unknown woman who was from Nazareth, a town of little reputation in the backwaters of Israel. By God’s providence, Jesus was in Bethlehem, the city of David, when He was born. No one knew of his birth. There was no announcement to the world that a king was born. No rulers came to pay homage to the newborn ruler and prince. Joseph and Mary could not find a house to care for Jesus. The Son of God was born in a barn and spent His first night lying in a manger full of straw. That night, some shepherds visited Jesus. A few years later, some wise men from the East brought gifts for the family. The family lived in Egypt for a while and then settled in Nazareth, where Joseph worked as a carpenter.

Very little was known about Jesus. He lived with his brothers and sisters and worked in the carpenter’s shop with His family. It was not until He was thirty years old that his mission became clear. The teaching of Jesus astonished the multitudes and concerned the Jewish leaders. He performed miracles no one denied. His presence was a powerful testimony to the word of God. Educated men tried to trap Jesus. His enemies tried to destroy Him. Government officials feared Him. There was no one like this man from Nazareth.

The question Jesus asked His disciples is the same question that must be asked today. Jesus had spent some time with His disciples when He asked them what the crowds thought of Him. “Who do the crowds say that I am?” The world had a view of Jesus. Many believed Him to be sent from God, but many more denied Him. They saw the miracles, but their hard hearts refused to accept the power of God. Eventually, the world would turn against Jesus and kill Him. Instead of seeing Jesus for who He was as the Son of God, the world saw Him as a dangerous contradiction to their desire to live in the flesh. They rejoiced that they had killed Jesus.

The hatred of the world did not change who Jesus was. They killed Him on a cross, but God raised Him from the dead. Their view of Jesus did not change; He was the Son of God. Jesus performed untold numbers of miracles, from raising the dead, curing all manner of disease, and casting out demons, and He never failed! Even His greatest critics never denied the miracles. Jesus was shown to be the divine Son of God through His teaching, His power, and His example. The world murdered an innocent man and stands condemned for it. Did it really matter what the crowds said about Jesus? Some thought He was John the Baptist. They were wrong. There were those who believed Jesus to be a resurrected prophet named Elijah. They were also wrong. Some thought He might be one of the old prophets raised from the dead. Again, the worldview of Jesus was wrong. He was the Son of God.

The only view that will matter in eternity is how the individual sees Jesus. If they believe as the world does, they will deny who He is. Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was because that is where the eternal question is asked and answered. It will not matter what the world says about Jesus in eternity, but it will make an eternal difference in how I view Jesus. No one can stand before God and blame the world for what they believe. There will be no excuses offered for rejecting the proof of Jesus Christ. When all men stand before the I AM, the one question that will be answered is what the individual believes about Jesus. “But who do you say that I am?” is the most important question. There is only one right answer.