“He said to them, "But who do you say
that I am?" Matthew 16:15
Over the past several months, the youth department
of Millen Baptist has been active. From
the Spiritual Emphasis Retreat and International Mission Trip to the Urban Serve Atlanta, many of the students have engaged in ministry. Although each events was meant to be
enjoyable and of benefit, the intention of each opportunity was to bring each
participant closer to the Christ of Scripture.
In the present day world, our
youth… our churches… our world as a whole is need of a deep understanding of
Christ. Not the cultural Christ found in
so many homes. Not the Sunday Jesus
which is cultivated among those brought up and educated in the so-called
bible-belt. Not the false Jesus proclaim
by the false prophets who intentionally misrepresent Scriptural teaching. Humanity is need of understanding the Jesus
found in the pages of Scripture.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus asked His disciples,
“who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
The response was interesting, for you see, many people thought Jesus to
be a reappearance of one of the great men of old. The populous opinions were populated with an
incorrect understanding of Christ. The crowds
tried to force Jesus into a manageable and understandable mold… they wanted to
package Jesus such a way that He was understandable. Does this sound familiar? Is this not what the culture, in and outside
of the church, doing in our modern world?
Jesus turns the question around and asked the
disciples, “who do you say that I am?”
Peter’s response declares the truth found in the God-man before him,
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” With that declaration, Peter cuts through the
falsehoods with the blinding light of truth.
Today, Christ continues to ask… WHO DO YOU SAY
THAT I AM? One’s response is of utmost
importance, for it is the response to this question which will determine the
trajectory of one’s earthly existence and the residence of one’s eternal soul. Let each of us call out the lost among us and
declare the Jesus of Scripture so that each may respond to the Anointed One,
the Savior.