"You are the Christ."

“Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:16 ESV)

Pretty simple, right?  Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It is straightforward if one reads the scriptures, does not read a single verse but the entire context in which a verse is presented, be it the paragraph, chapter, and book, and that one does not stray into the non-Christian denominations that call themselves Christians.

You see, the word “replied” in this text indicates that Peter is responding to a question or questions preceding Peter’s response. Jesus asked Peter, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”(v13) Peter responded, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He (Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”(v15) At which, Peter responded with today’s text. Jesus responds to Peter with a revelation to all the disciples, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

There we have it; this was revealed to Peter by God the Father. So why is Jesus everything else to these false religions, some of whom use a 66-book Protestant Bible? Much like those people Jesus referred to in the first century, many today call Jesus a prophet, the Archangel Michael. They deny the eternal nature of Christ, imply or outright state Jesus was created, denying the existence of the Trinity. They call Jesus a lesser deity, not equal to God the Father, or say works are required to achieve salvation, essentially eliminating the need for Jesus’s sacrifice.

Many of us are afraid of the knock on the door, be it the Mormons, SDA, or those in the blind tower (JW). I love it because it allows me to tell them the true gospel and refute their false assertions about Jesus with scripture. Most of them have stopped knocking; none have returned to learn more.

When we accept Christ in our hearts, we KNOW He is God. We know this because our lives in some way have been permanently changed. For those God has chosen to preach, teach, or proclaim the gospel boldly in ministries, it is something you cannot stop doing. I know two men who contribute to this ministry who are examples of this fact.

Just as Jesus said, it is not flesh and blood that reveals Christ to us as the Son of God. It is God. This revelation gives us so much in our salvation: peace, the love of Christ, the love we give, knowledge, which is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 9:10), and an assurance that no matter what happens in our lives, we are always held in Jesus's hand, never to be snatched away (John 10:8).

How do you know Jesus? Do you know Him at all? Are you denying His existence, His deity, His words, or His death? His bodily resurrection, or His ascension? Over 2000 years ago, wise men sought the infant Christ child. Since Jesus began his ministry, people have still sought Him. I pray that you will seek Him now if you do not know Him as your Lord and Savior.

If you know Him, I pray you will proclaim Him to someone who does not. It is pretty simple, right? Tell them what Jesus has done for you, show them God’s words, and warn them of the two outcomes to a human life.  "The more knowledge you have of God’s will, the more you are accountable for doing it." (Romans 1).

Seek Christ while you can; time is of the essence. The urgency of this task cannot be overstated. If you need guidance or have questions, please get in touch with us here at In Messiah Ministries. We are here to help you in your search for Christ, to guide you, and to support you in this most important journey of your life.

Grace and Peace!