Who do people say that the Son of Man is? Who is Jesus? Whom do I confess Jesus to be? This question, addressed by Jesus to his disciples two millennia ago, is the very question that we still grapple with today. It is the question that is at the center of our faith as members of the Christian community. Many books, including the New Testament, have been written in an attempt to answer what has since been referred to as “THE JESUS QUESTION.” When Jesus posed this question to his disciples, I don’t think he was looking for a thesis or an elaborate set of answers as we have tried to do over the centuries. I tend to believe that Jesus simply wanted to know what the people thought of him. And most importantly, he also wanted to know what the disciples had come to think of him. He had been with them for a couple of years now, and they had become partners with him in ministry. They were members of his inner circle and had stuck with him during good and bad times. They were his “buddies,” and he just wanted to know their thoughts about him. It was a “friendly” question, not an interrogation.
Jesus’ surprise question to his disciples did not just pop up. Something must have triggered it. The Jesus figure was a phenomenon in his community. He grew up as any other ordinary boy would. He did not show any “special” talents as a boy growing up in Nazareth (save for the deep knowledge of the Scripture he displayed the time he got lost in the Temple [cf. Luke 2:46-47]). He worked in his father’s workshop, and was known as a carpenter/son of a carpenter (cf. Mark 6:3). Whereas he appears to have been a regular synagogue goer, he did not join any of the “special schools” that were designated for those who wanted to become rabbis or high priests. It therefore came as a surprise when at about thirty or so years old, he began to proclaim himself the anointed one of God. The most he knew about the Scripture was a combination of what his foster father had taught him at home, coupled with the much he learned as boy in the temple or synagogue. Yet, he began taking his place among the teachers of the law and expounding on the Scriptures. He had also run away from home and gathered around himself both men and women disciples, some of whom were of questionable character. As if that was not enough, there were reports that he could perform some mighty signs as well! He could change water into wine, heal those who were sick, and even walk on water! Who was this guy? And from where did he get such power?
Not wanting to put his friends on the spot, Jesus began by asking them what they had heard others say about himself (who do the crowds say that I am?) From what the disciples were saying, the crowds had some positive things to say about Jesus. They did not fully know or understand the guy, but they had seen the miracles he had worked. They all agreed that he was a man of God, but were still unable to put a finger on the specifics. “They say you might be John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the great prophets come back to life.” John the Baptist was acknowledged across the board as a holy man of God (even by Herod the tetrarch), and Elijah was one the great prophets of the Old Testament period. To put Jesus in such a category was an acknowledgment that there was something special about him. But it was inadequate. Jesus is more than a prophet. What was their (the disciples) own thought about Jesus? Were they able to do better than the crowds?
“You are the Christ of God,” responded Peter to Jesus’ continued questioning. And Peter was absolutely right. He had seen Jesus in action, and knew that he was more than a great prophet. In Jesus of Nazareth, Peter saw the fulfillment of God’s promises on behalf of Israel (and humanity). As the anointed one of God, Jesus was God-incarnate. He was the face of a “faceless” God. All that the people had heard about God was being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The qualities that the people had come to associate with God - compassion, love, forgiveness, and generosity – were now visible in Jesus of Nazareth. The messiahship of Jesus consisted in his mission of setting the oppressed free, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and proclaiming a year of freedom. Peter had seen Jesus do all these, and he was convinced that Jesus was the anointed of God. May we join Peter in our confession of Jesus as the Christ of God.