Who do you say that I am? Wherever we turn in life we are faced with the implications of this question that Jesus asks in today’s Gospel (Matthew 16:13-19).
Throughout the ages various individuals have attempted to answer that question posed by Jesus. Ernest Renan, a French writer, answered it by saying that Jesus was a sentimental idealist. Bruce Barton, an American businessman, said that Jesus was the greatest salesman who ever lived.
William Hirsch, a Jewish writer, responded that Jesus conformed to the clinical picture of paranoia. A musical drama was performed some years ago that answered this question by saying that Jesus was a Superstar. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, referred to Jesus as the “man for others,” the title I like the most of all.
The Gospel writers also attempted in their own fashion to answer this most fundamental question. They bestowed upon him numerous titles and claims: Son of God, Son of man, Divine physician, king, prophet, bridegroom, light of the world, the door, the vine, high priest, the firstborn of creation, the bright and morning star, and Alpha and Omega.
All of these were attempts to answer this question posed by Jesus. But these are attempts made by others.
The most important is the question that Jesus asks when he looks at you: “Who do YOU say that I am?” Does the way YOU live your life, reflect YOUR answer?
Thanks to Brett Blair for sharing.
PEOPLE WATCH YOU SURVIVING AND WONDER WHY YOU HAVEN’T LOST YOUR MIND. MAKE SURE YOU TELL THEM…..JESUS!
My Commentary:
“Who do you say that I am?” — This question from Jesus in Matthew 16 is more than a moment in Scripture; it’s a mirror held up to every generation, every culture, and every heart. It’s not just a theological query or a prompt for debate. It’s the question that shapes your identity, your priorities, and your purpose in life.
Over the centuries, Jesus has been labeled in a thousand ways: idealist, prophet, philosopher, salesman, threat, revolutionary. Each label says more about the one speaking than the one being described. And still, Jesus patiently waits for your answer—not from your lips alone, but from the way you live your life.
Bonhoeffer’s answer—“the man for others”—speaks to the essence of Christ’s ministry. But Jesus isn’t seeking titles. He’s seeking testimony. He wants to know: Am I your teacher, your Savior, your guide, your friend, your Lord? Because how you answer will not only shape your belief—it will shape your behavior.
So ask yourself: When others observe your resilience, your compassion, your joy, your peace in the storm… would your life be the kind of answer that whispers or shouts, “I know who He is—He’s my everything”?
My Prayer Reflection:
Jesus,
You asked Peter long ago, “Who do you say that I am?”
And today, You ask me the same.
Not because You need affirmation—
But because You want a relationship with me.
You don’t just want words; You want witness.
You want my life to reflect the truth I claim with my voice.
Forgive me when I reduce You to a name in a book
Or keep You locked in my Sunday rituals.
You are not just a figure of history or a poetic teacher.
You are the Christ—the Son of the Living God—
And the center of my hope, my healing, and my future.
When others ask how I’ve made it through the storms of life,
Let me not point to luck or strength—
Let me say with boldness: Jesus.
Shape my answer in how I love,
In how I serve,
In how I rise again after falling.
May my whole life respond to Your question
In truth, in love, and in faithfulness. Amen.
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