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Who Do You Say I Am?

  • March 31, 2026
  • Posted by: Carolyn Mahal
  • Category: Devotions
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Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered 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 tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. – Matthew 16:13-20

“Who do the people say I am”?

Christ poses this question to His disciples after they had recently been amongst a large crowd of people and a group of Pharisees who had tried to test Him by asking for a sign. Given the recent interactions, Jesus’ question isn’t too unexpected, nor are the answers given by the disciples.

It is funny how the answers given by people 2,000 years ago follow a similar pattern to what you’d expect to hear today. Think about it. Our modern society is very quick to label and compare when talking about other people. Instead of listing attributes and qualities, it’s easier to say who they remind you of, just like the people of Jesus’ time compared Him to Elijah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist.

Then, Jesus brings the question directly to them. “Who do you say I am?” What a moment! Imagine the scene. Was there an uncomfortable pause or an uneasy moment of contemplation? To be honest, I suspect the disciples had been wondering for some time just exactly who Jesus was. Were they able to recognize this on their own, or were they applying their own labels and comparisons like everybody else? They saw the amazing things Jesus did. They heard the chatter among the crowds. They had likely been asked this question by people who recognized them and wanted the inside scoop. To say He was the Messiah was absurd, but to deny it after everything they’d experienced wasn’t easy to do. It had to be equal parts exciting and inexplicable, and now Jesus wanted them to put it out there for the rest of the group to hear.

At that moment, Simon jumped in with the impetuousness that we’ve attached to his character over the years. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In response, Jesus blesses Simon, but not because he was so insightful. Jesus blesses him because he was bold enough to speak what had been revealed to him by God. Simon was now Peter, and he would become “the rock on whom the church would be built,” because he had been appointed by God to do this.

Peter’s blessing is rooted in the acceptance and sharing of the world revealed to him by God. That said, let me ask you this: what is God revealing to you? Where is He calling you to go and what is He leading you to do? This may sound uncomfortable at first, but understand that when we, like Peter hear and respond to the calling of the Lord, we also become a part of the foundation upon which God is building His church. When our hearts are opened to what God is telling us, He will guide and direct us along the path of our lives so that His will is done through us. We each play our part. We all fill our role. But like Peter, this doesn’t happen because of who we are. When God works through us, He is there to strengthen us as we impact the lives of the people we love and interact. That is when we hold the keys of the kingdom of heaven. That is when what we bind on earth is bound in heaven and what we loose on earth is loosed in heaven. This doesn’t give us authority, and we aren’t in a position of deciding. But what we do here certainly has a kingdom impact. This role gives us the best opportunity to lead others to Christ, and through Him, heaven. All of this is made possible because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer.

That is who we say He is!

 

Devotion by Richard Schumacher

Senior Director of Operations