Who Do You Say Christ Is?

Matthew 16: ¹³ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

¹⁴ And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

¹⁵ He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 7: ²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

John 14: ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

⁷ If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

⁸ Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

It has become a popular idea to say that there are many paths that lead to God.  Many people who do not believe that Christ is the only living Son of God will even comment that they are better Christians than most "Christians"; yet, they do not proclaim the name of Christ as their Savior, nor do they believe that Christ is the only means of having a relationship with the living God.  It is sad; but true that many people who call themselves Christians disgrace the name of God.  A lot of those people are also religious only for what they think they might gain were they to "believe in God; after all, name it-claim it- God is one big Santa Claus" is an idea that has grown rampantly throughout the churches.  Many claim that Christ was a great prophet and teacher.  Many believe that their own "good works" will take them to heaven.  I wish I could say that my own life was a continuous shining example, always saying and doing the right thing; but, alas in the wee hours of the morning as the Word of God cuts through me, dissecting my motives, actions, thoughts, and desires, I realize how unworthy I am of this Grace I have been given.  There before the throne of God I can no longer pridefully compare myself to other people; but as I study the word and see the Majesty, Glory and Righteousness of God displayed I must fall before Him in utter failure.  Yet, there is this rock of truth that I can build my life and my future Upon–that rock is the revelation of the undeniable truth that Christ is the Son of the Living God.  If I really believe that, then I must believe that my only way to find God is through Christ.  To believe anything else would be to deny that He is the Son of the Living God; because His words must every one be true and He declared that He was the only way.  All my best righteousness is worthless compared to the righteousness that would be required to stand in the presence of God; therefore, I need to be clothed in the righteousness that only can be given to me by the very one who left the splendor of heaven to suffer and die on a cross bearing the penalty for all my sins. 

The following prayer by Jesus to His Father was among the last words that the disciples heard before Christ went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He awaited the arrival of those whom He knew would come to arrest Him.  When you can read the entire chapter.  Look at what He asked of the Father to give to all who would believe in Him as their Savior. 

John 17:  ³ And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

⁴ I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

⁵ And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was….

¹³ And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves….

¹⁷ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth…

¹⁸ As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

²⁰ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

²¹ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

²⁴ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

²⁵ O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

²⁶ And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

So, my final question to you is "Who do You Say Christ is?"