“Who do you say that I am?”

Matthew 16:16-28 | Mark 8:27-38 | Luke 9:18-27

If there is one passage that has shown up in more of my teachings and writings than any other it is the campfire conversation between Jesus and his disciples centered on the revelation of his true identity. 

This conversation appears in the Gospels of Luke, Mark, and Matthew. As each Gospel writer tells the story of Jesus, this encounter becomes the literary hinge that structures their invitations. 

Luke leads us to this moment in the first nine chapters. After Jesus asks this question he sets his face towards Jerusalem and the rest of Luke tells us about the mission of the revealed Messiah and Son of God. 

Mark structures his Gospel between the identity of Jesus in the first eight chapters, and the mission of Jesus in the final eight. This conversation is the moment that bridges his understanding of Jesus. 

All of Matthew leads up to this moment in chapter 16. And everything else Matthew wants you to know about Jesus extends from it. 

It's as if every Gospel writer is telling you, ‘This is why I am writing. Every human being has a decision to make. It is not a random decision in the sea of possibilities; it is the decision by which all others will be made.’

Luke, Mark, and Matthew are inviting you into a story that didn't just happen once, but a story that has happened and is happening in the heart of every person in history. 

There was a day the disciples found themselves talking with Jesus around a campfire in Caesarea Philippi that changed everything. Jesus is inviting us to the same campfire in our hearts. He isn't only asking them a question, he is asking us a question. 

"Who do you say that I am?"

The conversation begins not with the disciples, but the crowds. Jesus first asks what others say. 

It's the easier question. There are many opinions about Jesus. But what I've learned, and Jesus knew, is that you can't build your life from anyone else's opinion of Jesus. 

So Jesus turns the question to them. As he does, he lays bare the hearts of all around him. The response of his disciples will determine every part of their future. They had been with him for nearly two years. They had seen countless miracles. They had witnessed healings, supernatural wonders, and confrontations with the leaders of Israel. 

And what mattered above all else wasn't what they had seen him do, but who they believed him to be. Many people love what Jesus can do. Many people want what Jesus can offer. Many people stand at just far enough of a distance to receive from Jesus but lead their own lives. 

But the question that changes everything is if we are willing to step in and give our allegiance to Jesus; not because of what he can do, but because of who he is. It is Peter who responds in that moment. "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Peter's response echoes through the ages as the great confession that changes the course of human history.  

Jesus is more than a prophet. 

Jesus is more than a healer. 

Jesus is more than a teacher. 

He's the one Peter had been waiting for,

and he's the one we have been waiting for as well.

And as Peter sees Jesus for who he really is, he finally sees himself for who he really is. Through his confession of Jesus his true identity is proclaimed. He is more than a fisherman, he is a man that Jesus will build his kingdom alongside. He is the little rock grounded upon the great rock destined to bring the Kingdom of God to every rock and crevice of the world around him. 

This is the beauty of Jesus. For he knows that when we see him for who he truly is, we will finally be able to see ourselves for who we truly are. 

We live in a world bound by the pain of uncertain identity. Nameless humanity wanders, trying to find its true identity, but what it fails to see is that only one can reveal the ache hidden in every heart. The one who truly knows is the one wanting to be truly known. 

Today I invite you to the moment of all moments. Maybe it's a moment you've been at before, but today, approach it as if it were the very first time. 

Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God, is waiting for you at the campfire of Caesarea Philippi. 

He has a question for you. And it matters more than you can possibly imagine. The crowds have their opinions, but it is yours that matters. As you see Jesus, you'll start to see yourself. 

You were made for great things. Don't live another moment trying to answer for yourself what can only be found in Jesus. Come and find your destiny in the one who you've been waiting for your entire life. 

Take time and read these passages. Respond to Jesus, and let him respond to you.