Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
The Amplified version gives us a more detailed account of this.
Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”
Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).
When I read this, I had to read it several times and suddenly I caught a deep understanding of what the Holy Spirit was enlightening to us. Revealing to us who Jesus is.
The book of John 14:6 reveals to us that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
The book of John 10:10 reveals to us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
The book of John 6:35 reveals to us that Jesus is the Bread of Life.
The book of John 11:25 reveals to us that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
The book of Luke 5: 12 - 14 reveals to us that Jesus is the Great Physician
The book of John 8:12 reveals to us that Jesus is the Light of the world
The book of John 10:28 reveals to us that Jesus gives us eternal life
The book of John 4:10 reveals Jesus as the Living Waters
The book of 1 Corinthians 1:30 reveals Jesus as our Righteousness
The book of John 14:27 reveals Jesus as our Peace
The book of Galatians 3:13 reveals that Jesus is our Redeemer
The book of book of Acts 4:11 reveals Jesus as our Rock
The book of Luke 19:10 reveals Jesus as our Savior
The book of Matthew 1:16 reveals Jesus as our Messiah
The book of Hebrews 7:25 reveals Jesus as our Intercessor
The book of John 15:15 reveals That Jesus is our Friend
The book of John 1:29 reveals Jesus as our Lamb
The book of 1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24 revels Jesus as our Protector
The book of 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 reveals Jesus as our Strength
The book of Genesis 22:13 reveals Jesus as our Substitute
The book of Colossians 1:27 reveals Jesus as our Hope Of Glory
This is Jesus revealed to us in His WORD and so much more.
When Jesus asked His disciples this question "BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?"
I asked myself this same question that "WHO DO I SAY HE IS?"
Who is Jesus to us all.?
Peter had a personal revelation of whom Jesus is and like Jesus said that the revelation was given to Peter supernaturally and that this revelation came from above.
We need to have a personal revelation of who Jesus is and once we get the truth of who Jesus is, we will be free of every lie of the enemy. His WORD rightly says that the truth we know will set us free. To Peter Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God! And from this Peter could witness about Jesus even after he denied Jesus during his arrest. But the truth of whom Jesus was did not leave Peter and he was able to do exploits for Jesus' Kingdom.
To me I saw Jesus as the Great Physician when He appeared to me and healed me of Sickle Cell Disease that I had for thirty years. And He also revealed Himself to me as the Way, the Truth and the Life, when I saw it written on the wall of my bedroom in the middle of the night. And on several occasions He has appeared to me and the last appearance was in October last year when I called His Name from the bottom of my heart.
Jesus can be who we want Him to be to us.
We can get a deep revelation of who Jesus is in our lives as we seek for Him with all our heart, remember that He said in Matthew 7: 7 - 12 that when we seek we will find. Jesus is ever ready to show up in all our lives and in every situation of life.
Saul got a revelation of who Jesus was in Acts 9: 1 - 9
Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord [and relentless in his search for believers], went to the high priest, and he asked for letters [of authority] from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any men or women there belonging to the Way [believers, followers of Jesus the Messiah], men and women alike, he could arrest them and bring them bound [with chains] to Jerusalem. As he traveled he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him [displaying the glory and majesty of Christ]; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice [from heaven] saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?” And Saul said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him [were terrified and] stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was unable to see for three days, and he neither ate nor drank.
This was a divine encounter from heaven itself and Saul got a revelation of Jesus as the light, the glory, the Lord, as Jesus the deliverer and healer. Saul who was persecuting the church was now converted and became Paul the soul winner for Jesus. This Paul is the author of a lot of books in the New Testament. He is the one that reveals the grace of God to us all.
Stephen also got a revelation of Jesus in Acts 7: 54 - 60
Now when they heard this [accusation and understood its implication], they were cut to the heart, and they began grinding their teeth [in rage] at him. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit and led by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory [the great splendor and majesty] of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Look! I see the heavens opened up [in welcome] and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and together rushed at him [considering him guilty of blasphemy]. Then they drove him out of the city and began stoning him; and the witnesses placed their outer robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!” Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!” When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].
This is awesome.
Stephen was been stoned but yet he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, Jesus by His Father's side, heaven opened and he was able to forgive the people stoning him. Heaven is real and with Jesus revealing Himself to me I can say it with all the boldness that I have being given that His Kingdom is alive. Stephen gave his life for the gospel and we are called to do the same.
Another powerful example is John the Baptist in Matthew 3: 13 - 17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan [River], to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him [vigorously protesting], saying, “It is I who need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” But Jesus replied to him, “Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted [it and baptized] Him. After Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him (Jesus), and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!”
In this revelation of John the Baptist he got the confirmation that Jesus is the Son of God and he saw the Spirit of God descending on Jesus and he heard the voice of God the Father from heaven.
Blind Bartimaeus had a revelation of Jesus as the Healer in Mark 10: 46 -52
Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road [as was his custom]. When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say, “Jesus, Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!” Many sternly rebuked him, telling him to keep still and be quiet; but he kept on shouting out all the more, “Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, telling him, “Take courage, get up! He is calling for you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni (my Master), let me regain my sight.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith [and confident trust in My power] has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus on the road.
Bartimaeus who was blind got his healing because he knew that Jesus the healer was around him and faith in Jesus healed him of his blindness and from then on he followed Jesus wherever Jesus went.
In Matthew 1: 18 - 25 we read about Mary the Mother of Jesus' revelation.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the power of] the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.” All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet [Isaiah]: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.” Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife, but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation).
Mary's revelation is the greatest of all. The power of the Holy Spirit overshadowed her as a virgin, she saw Jesus as our salvation who saves us from our sins, the prophecy of Jesus came to manifestation through her, she got a revelation of God coming as a man to save us and God with us. And throughout her lifetime she was the mother of Jesus.
Therefore, who is Jesus to us.
Do we see Him as our?
Healer
Deliverer
Helper
Comforter
Strengthener
Shield
Peace
Life
Light
Redeemer
Way
Truth
Hope
Savior
Jesus reveals Himself to us every time through His WORD because He is THE WORD Himself. We see Jesus in every page of the Bible and this is the reason that we need to spend time in His WORD and in His presence. He said in His presence there is fullness of joy. And also in His presence there is everything we need Him to be.
Our Savior is alive and ready to be that which we want Him to be. Jesus came to reveal to us who His father was and the Bible says to us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God is Love and Love comes from God. God sent us His Son for our salvation so as to spend eternity with Him, by believing in His Son Jesus Christ who is the only Way back to our Father.
SO, WHO DO WE SAY JESUS IS?
Let's proclaim who He says to us in our time here on earth and to His glory like Paul said I am not ashamed of the good news for it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes according to Romans 1:16.
Remain blessed always.
