Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Speaking as someone who could be described as being taken directly from the hospital at birth, straight to church…it can often become a bit challenging to differentiate between what I was taught to believe, and what I actually, in my heart-of-hearts, believe -  what I have taken and adopted into my own belief system that governs not only the filter through which I take in and process information, but which propels me to think, say, and live out in my day-to-day life.

Take for instance, the belief or value that being an active participant in a church community is a non-negotiable.  This was a value both taught and practiced in my family of origin. Seriously, we only missed church if we were dying (or had chicken pox, like in 2nd grade). But is this belief one that I genuinely value as a non-negotiable in my life today as an adult woman?  Or am I merely going through the motions because, well, heck, I was told to do it as a child and it’s worked so far! Wrestling with this belief, especially during this pandemic, has caused me to definitively determine that this is indeed a value that I hold dear.  I need it.  I need the connection, accountability, friendships, inspiration, encouragement and challenge that a healthy church family offers.  I have therefore decided to keep it.

Or the belief that God loves me.  Now that’s a big one.  Huge, in fact. Do I believe God loves me because I’ve been told this throughout my life by my parents, Sunday School teachers, pastors, friends, little old ladies at my church, and that guy screaming in Piccadilly Circus?  Or is this a truth that I embody – believe in the depth of my soul?  A truth that I revisit over and over again when I experience rejection, failure, shame, or when I’ve straight-up sinned so badly that I can’t even look at myself in the mirror and everything within me is screaming to convince me that I’m a lost cause?

That one was a bit tougher.  Took lots of years of counseling, soul searching and deprogramming of the lie that God loved me for what I did, not who I was.  Just being honest.

And finally, do I believe God is who He says He is?  I mean, REALLY?  Even when life is horrific and it seems my relationships are all splintered and messy, and money is tight, and people I love are sick, and so many are suffering, and it seems like no one cares, and our world is messed up – do I believe God is who He says He is then?

I think this may have somewhat been the case when Jesus was with His disciples during a time in which there was a bit of a “buzz” going on about who the heck this “Jesus” really was…

“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, the Son of the Living God.’”

Much like my wrestling, Jesus actually wanted the disciples to wrestle with this question!  It’s like he was saying, “I don’t care what others think.  I don’t care what your parents, or rabbi, or buddies say either.  I want to know what you think.  Who do YOU think I am?”

Why do you think Peter was the one that answered?  Did Jesus look at him?  Was the question directed at him?  I think it possibly was. Why? Because Jesus knew that Peter was capable of being easily swayed; that he wasn’t completely solidified in his own beliefs, and that he was the type to go along with the crowd (remember the “Deny Him 3 times” incident?!). I think He knew Peter hadn’t fully thought out his beliefs up to this point.

I can imagine Jesus implying “Think this one through for me, Peter. Don’t think about what others are thinking and saying.  Don’t think about what your childhood rabbi might say. What are YOU thinking?  You have a mind of your own, I’d like for you to use it.  Who do you say I am?”

There’s a lesson to be learned here.  BIG. TIME.

We need to know what we think.  We need to understand what we believe and why we believe it.  We need to have our own thoughts and convictions. We need to stand firm in our values. Not our parent’s values. Not our pastor’s values. Not our friend’s values. OUR VALUES.

THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE’LL MAKE IT WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH.

As we’ve walked through these past several weeks…. Let me rephrase that.  As we’ve walked through these last months (almost year at this point), we’ve been witness to, and have experienced to some degree or another, a world in complete turmoil.

Global pandemic
Racial unrest and injustice
Political chaos
Anger
Rage
Economic disaster
Broken relationships
Not to mention conspiracy theories up the wazoo.

As a result, fear and anxiety have threatened to overwhelm us, shake us to our core, resulting in exhaustion and despair.

What’s going to happen?|
What kind of world will my kids and grandkids live in?
What does my future hold?

It’s a mess, to say the least.

I have this really good, wise friend that lives in the UK.  Recently I asked her opinion, as an outsider, to the events in the US of late.  How did we seem to be handling things?  

Her response shook me.

She said two things: “Christians are so mean to one another over there!” And “It seems Christians in the US care more about the Constitution than they do about what God says.”

You know when you hear such profound truth, that you can’t be defensive?  You just have to let it wash over you and then sit in it for a while?

This was one of those times.

What are we doing?  Who do we believe Jesus is?

Is He weak – at the mercy of our government and a virus?

-OR-

Is He the Christ, the Son of the Living God?

The One who provides
The One who forgives
The One who heals
The One who administers justice
The One who gives hope
The One who strengthens
The One who cares
The One who loves
The One who enables
The One who opens and shuts doors
The One who protects
The One who gives grace
And the One who loves His neighbor

This is my God.  This is who I love and serve. This is who I believe.  Not because I was told to believe it. Screamed into believing it.  Shamed into believing it. Or persuaded to believe it.

I’ve wrestled with it. I believe it because it’s true.  He IS the Son of the Living God.

The world might be going to hell in a handbasket, but I’m not.

I’m with Jesus.

Thank you for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts!!!

Cammie