Daily Bread

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Date: Jul. 16, 2021

Passage

Matthew 16:13-20

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Key Verse: Matthew 16:15

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Jesus is many things to many people. A possible poll today might include: A great spiritual leader, the Messiah, God himself, or even a hippie Jew.

While we spend a lot of time maintaining and worrying about our public image, it is the person who we share our personal life with that really knows us best. For Jesus, Peter was one of those people. Peter encountered Jesus when Jesus told him to let his net down for a miraculous catch of fish after a failed night of fishing. Peter was given a new hope when Jesus called him to fish for people. After this, he could not but say, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Even as Christians, sometimes we only know Jesus as we are expected to know him. But Jesus wants us to know him as God knows who we truly are and loves us. We can do that when we open our heart and life to him and experience his truly life-giving Spirit in our own life. It is God who speaks into our own hearts who Jesus is to us. If we let him, he can save us from whatever failure, shame, or sin we find ourselves in.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, I want to experience your grace on my life and struggle. I want to know your power to heal and transform me.

One Word: One Word: Who is Jesus to you?

We Are Your Sheep, Lord

Psalm 79:1-13

Key Verse: 79:13

But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Today's Question

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