Who are you?

After being arrested for having “church” and teaching about Jesus, then being miraculously released, then rearrested, Peter and the Apostles were forced to stand in front of the High Priest for questioning. After being questioned, Peter replied, “We must obey Jesus.” In his discourse, Peter referred to Jesus as “Prince and Savior” (Acts 5:27).

In the Bible, followers of Christ have used many different names to describe Jesus, including: Lord and Christ, Holy and Righteous One, the Author of Life, Anointed One, Son of Man, Savior and the Son of God. These men and women recognized beyond any doubt that Jesus was God’s promised Messiah. In fact, they were so convinced that He was the deliverer promised so many centuries earlier that they were willing to risk everything, including their very lives for Him. These early Apostles surrendered convenience and sacrificed personal agendas to devote their energies to a bold and relentless campaign to publicize the truth about who Jesus is and what He had done. Their uncompromising faith fueled the early church with vitality and purpose. Yet the question still remains, WHO ARE YOU?

This question permeated the Gospels 2,000 years ago in one form or another and to this day dominates many discussions about who this guy named Jesus really is. Was He a prophet? A radical rebel? A failed revolutionary? A wise spiritual leader? Or, is He actually the Son of God? At one point the people insisted that Jesus tell them plainly whether or not He claimed to be the Messiah (John 10:24). Jesus replied that the miracles He did in the name of God the Father spoke for Himself because “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The response was immediate – the crowd wanted to stone him for blasphemy because of His seemingly audacious claim.

But sooner or later each of us must ask the same question: who is the man named Jesus? We can look at His life, listen to His words and examine His claims. However, the ultimate conclusion for each of us is a matter of the heart, but the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is Love in Action, Wisdom Personified – the Son of the living God, our Savior. WHO DO YOU SAY HE IS?