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In Mt 16 Jesus asked His disciples who the people said the Son of Man was. He delighted in calling Himself the Son of Man. Well, the people did not have a clue; one of the prophets maybe. Then Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was – Simon responded with a revelation: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” But did they get it?
At the start of His ministry, Jesus was water baptized by John, and in Mt 3:17 a voice from heaven declares, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” Did they get it? Some thought it thundered.
Soon after, Philip brings Nathanael to Jesus, and in Jn 1:49 Nate declares “You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel!” Did they get it?
Knowing Jesus true identity is not easy! In Mk 4 after Jesus calms an intense storm on the Lake, with a word, the disciples wonder, who is this man who speaks to the wind and waves and they obey Him? They don’t get it.
A bit later, in Mt 14, they are rowing across the lake at night and Jesus comes walking on the water to them – after He saves Peter from an early death by drowning, the disciples are beginning to get the picture, for they say, “you are certainly God’s Son!”
In Mt 17 a voice from heaven declares to Peter, James, and John, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him!” In spite of the declarations, the miracles, the fulfilled prophecies—people, even the disciples, were having trouble seeing Jesus as the Savior, Son of God.
True, Jesus could say troubling things, as in John 6 about having to eat his body and drink his blood. Or how about at the Last Supper, when He, their teacher and Lord, put on a servant’s garment and washed their feet. The coming King of Israel, the Messiah could not, would not, do that, would He?
You see, when our minds, just like theirs, are set on man’s interests and purposes, when we are looking at things from a human perspective, it is hard to see the real Jesus. You know, if Jesus is really God and loves everyone, why is there famine, and injustice and suffering and dictators?
Friend, don’t let that be you! We don’t understand very much – just ask Job – but God’s not asking us to: He wants us to believe on His son, who died for our sins so we could become sons of God ourselves through the Resurrection.
Don’t hold back, don’t let human reasoning keep you from the prize. Don’t sit on the fence: jump into Jesus, Come Alive!
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