Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am?

Mar 8:29  And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. 

"Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am?" This was the first question Jesus posed to His disciples (Mark 8:27). The answers were many. Some thought Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah and others thought He was one of the prophets. Jesus then asked a second question: “But whom say ye that I am?” (Mark 9:29). Now that question became personal. Peter was the first to answer: “Thou art the Christ.”

Who is Jesus? Scholars, religious leaders, authors are all attempting to answer this question. But, on a personal level, the question to each and every one of us is: “Who do you think Jesus is?”

The way we answer Jesus has the potential to change our lives. If we think Jesus is just another historical being, then nothing will change. If we acknowledge Jesus to be a just another great teacher like Confucius, then perhaps we will pay close attention to His teachings. But if we see Him as the only begotten Son of God who had come down from heaven to save us, then we will put our faith in Him, honour Him and serve Him.

“Whom say ye that I am?” This question stills resonates after we have come to believe and take Him as our Saviour. Why do I say that? It is because we started our Christian walk with Jesus. Someone taught us about Jesus who came to die for our sins. We believed and then we were baptised. But along the way, some lost sight of Jesus.

What do we still think of Jesus determines how we worship and serve Him. Some believe in the Lord Jesus but do not like to worship Him. They will attend worship irregularly. Some will be in the worship service but their hearts are far away: they do not sing nor listen to the sermon and they are engaging in their phones all the time while they are “in worship”. “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6).

Some think of Jesus as a merciful Saviour who will overlook their sins. They will indulge in every kind of wickedness and make excuses for lying, cheating, drunkenness, fornication, and every kind of immorality. They seem to think that so long as they still believe in Jesus as the Son of God, He would overlook those deficiencies in their lives. They actually make Christ the patron of sin.

But when we think of Jesus as the righteous God and our Lord, we will align our lives according to His character and serve Him. If we acknowledge that Jesus is our Saviour who saves me from our sins, we will from henceforth go and sin no more. “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,” (1 Peter 1:15)

If we think of Jesus as our Lord, we will serve Him. Many want a god who serve them and take care of their needs. But the true Christians serve their Saviour whom they call Lord. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

And, if we acknowledge Jesus as the divine Son of God, we will reverence Him. We will be serious in our worship and service to Him. We will honour Him in our lives. We will pay homage at His feet and give due honour ascribe to Him. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

What do you think of Jesus? It is a question only you know the answer.

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.