The One Question You Can't Hand Off

Picture a road trip with your closest friends. Somebody leans over and asks, “So what are people saying about me these days?” A little awkward, right? That's pretty much how this scene starts. Jesus has been healing the sick, feeding crowds, and stirring up conversation everywhere he goes. So he pulls his twelve closest followers aside and asks what the word on the street is (Matthew 16:13-14). Notice the answers. Some say John the Baptist. Some say Elijah. Others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Here's what's interesting: not one of those answers is an insult. They're all compliments. People thought Jesus was a hero of the faith, somebody God was clearly using. They just stopped short of the real answer. Sometimes the most dangerous answer to a big question isn't a bad one. It's a nice one that doesn't go far enough.

Then Jesus turns the conversation. “But who do you say that I am?” (verse 15). The first question was easy. You can answer it without risking anything, because you're only reporting what other people think. The second question closes the gap. There's nobody to hide behind. Not your parents, not your pastor, not your small group, not the friend who seems to have it all figured out. Peter jumps in first, like he usually does: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus lights up. He tells Peter he's blessed, that this didn't come from human cleverness, and that he's going to build something on it that even the gates of hell can't knock down. There's a lot packed into those few verses, and we'll dig into it all week.

For today, just notice the shape of the scene. First a question about everybody else, then a question about you. Most of us are fluent in the first one. We know what our culture says about Jesus, what our family says, what the internet says. It's much harder to slow down and say, in our own words, who he is to us. Jesus isn't asking because he's unsure. He asks because he wants us to know where we stand. If you were at church on Sunday, this may feel familiar, but a good question is worth sitting with more than once. Take a few minutes to read Matthew 16:13-20 slowly, start to finish. Then read it again and notice which part of the conversation you're most tempted to skip. Is it the crowd's opinions? Peter's big answer? Jesus' promises? Wherever your eyes want to rush past, that's probably the best place to slow down.