Who Do They Say That You Are

Who Do They Say That You Are?

Scripture Reference: Matthew 16:13-15 (KJV)

Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Luke 9:18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. 20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

INTRODUCTION

Who do they say that you are?

Some of us try and act like we don’t care what people say about us

In one way, we need to have that frame of mind or we would be forever in a state of living our lives to impress others

However the truth is that somewhere deep inside we really do care what people say about us

In fact, that is one of the major forces that continue to push us to our destiny

I am sure that we can think of people who sincerely don’t seem to care what people think about them but this is only a cover so that they can hide their lazy and sinful ways

Those people realize that if they were to concern themselves with influencing what people said about them then they would be faced with the responsibility of leading a life that bared good fruits

MAIN BODY

Christ asked his disciples who did they say he was (verse 13)

This is really an incredible question because he had just finished doing a miracle with fish and bread and healing and teaching.

There are at least three other factors that make this such an

incredible question

1.) It can almost be assumed what the people should have thought

of him.

2.) I am also sure that there had to be people walking up to him

telling him what they thought of him and what he was doing for

them

3.) Lastly and certainly not least he could have went to the people

and asked for himself. If he really wanted to know what they

thought. He could have simply asked them for himself. After

all Jesus wasn’t a “hands-off” person like so many of the people

of God are today

We can never really know what people think about us today however because;

1.) We don’t have time we are too busy in the church to find time

to talk to the people.

2.) When we are out in public we normally give the impression

that we are just too holy to just stop and converse with the

common person.

We think he may let the wrong words come out of his mouth.

Or people might see me talking to him and know that he is a drug user, drug dealer, homosexual, homeless, jobless, penniless, etc. (you make the list) and come to the wrong conclusion about me and start to spread bad rumors about me

Thank God that Jesus wasn’t like this. Jesus went to where the people who needed him were and met their needs

Jesus knew what he had heard the people say and he knew that he could ask the people what they thought of him if he wanted to

Jesus probably would have got an spectacular answer, one that would have been very impressive and flattering but Jesus wanted to know what the people thought about him when he turned his back.

He wanted to know what they said when he was not around.

He had to know what they were saying all the while though especially if word had got to Herod what the people said. (Luke 9: 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; 8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. 9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.)

I am sure that if Herod had the word then you knew that Jesus had to already know what the disciples were just telling him.

After hearing what the disciples had to say about what the people were saying Jesus got to the heart of the matter. Jesus really wanted to know who they (his disciples) said that he was. (Verse 15)