Who is Jesus?
“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus still asks that question today. There are so many answers out there for us to choose from. Jews either regard him as an unwilling founder of a new religion or simply a teacher. Muslims see Jesus as a prophet. Hindus believe he was a wise man and possibly one of many gods. Buddhists see him as an enlightened and wise teacher. Atheists believe he (if he existed at all) was merely a man with grand dreams and delusional followers. Agnostics believe him to be a myth or a bedtime story. Demons see him as a threat and the harbinger of their eventual and eternal demise. But who do you say that he is?
Opinions swirl around us constantly. If we allow everyone’s opinion to stick onto our feelings, we will be downtrodden and paranoid. We don’t have to agree. We don’t have to apologize for what we believe. We don’t have to argue or make a spectacle of our beliefs. We simply need to state that belief boldly and without excuse and live like we truly mean it. If we believe Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah who came to pay the price for our soul, people should be able to see it. Does this mean we keep our faith to ourselves? Never! Matthew 5:14-16 tells us, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Who do you say Jesus is? If he is your Savior, your king, and your God, then your life should reflect his light. Stand boldly in his ways. Don’t shy away from speaking about him, but don’t sour the gospel by making it a stench in the nostrils of those who need to hear it. Jesus never compromised his message. He never held back the truth, but he never beat his listeners upon the head. His life was defined by love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. If the Holy Spirit resides in us, so will ours. As light attracts the moth, the pure gospel message attracts the hurting of the world. Keep in mind, the light also angers those who find comfort in the dark. It exposes sins and evil intentions. That will ruffle some feathers and cost you some friends. Jesus understood that as well. He made plenty of enemies, but he never allowed those confrontations to dampen his light or quiet the truth. He heard the slanderous accusations but refused to allow them to harden his heart or alter his message. This is who we follow. This is who we worship. If Jesus is who we say he is, our lives will reflect that, and the world will know without a shadow of doubt that we are Christians.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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