Who Do You Say I Am?

“But who do you say that I am?” Mark 8:29

Do we really know who Jesus is? Where do we get our idea about Jesus, His character, what He values, what He did and what He said? Do we get it from the source of truth, the Bible? Or do we make up our own God by our experiences, and what others say, or read in other materials? It is easy to get misled because there is a great deceiver that looks for all the ways and means to beguile us and hoodwink us. The only trustworthy starting point is to read from the Bible what Jesus says about Himself. 

I read about a man named Daniel. Before he attended a church in Southern California, he lived in Uganda, when Idi Amin was President from 1971-1979. At that time, he was caught and tortured brutally for being a Christian. For several days at a time, a guard would hang him from his feet and whip him. One night as the guard was leaving, Daniel said, " Have a nice evening."

The guard turned back to him, and asked incredulously, "How can you say that to me? After what I have been doing to you?" Daniel then told him about Jesus, about the blood shed on the cross for him, about freedom, about how he had been forgiven and loved. A few days after that, the guard helped him escape, brought Daniel to his house, fed him and let him share about Jesus to his family. 

Jesus won't have to ask Daniel, "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus already knows the answer by the life Daniel lived and continues to live. How about us?

Lord, may I be faithful to Your calling. May I live in such a way as to show You that I know You, love You and obey You. May others who know me, know as well that I am Your servant.