Thoughts for the Day

Once when Jesus was praying alone with only the disciples near him, he asked them, 'Who do the crowds say that I am?' They answered, 'John the Baptist', but others, 'Elijah', and still others, that 'one of the ancient prophets has arisen.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered, 'The Messiah of God.'

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Can you remember the last exam you sat, or the last time you faced an interview for a job? How did you feel, and was it important that you passed? Well here we see the disciples being given the ultimate test. Jesus asks them "Who do you say I am?" This moment is a climax in Luke's Gospel, and at the start of Lent it's an important moment for us. Many people have asked this question and received different answers over the years. Now it's the time for us to answer the question. Upon it hangs our eternal life.

If Jesus is the Messiah, then he must be:

• Fully human, able to represent us all.
• Fully God so he can mediate for us.
• He must be free from sin, to bear our sin.

Faith sometimes seems a bit 'airy-fairy', but it always rests on something real - on a real belief. The disciples who had lived with Jesus and seen his actions believed that Jesus was the Messiah; the one who had come to save them; and the one who offered them eternal life. They had passed the test!

Lord Jesus,
Your disciples had faith that You
were the promised Messiah,
sent by God to save His people.
Give us this faith to trust in You,
and as we journey through Lent
to increase our faith so that we can
grow closer to You.
Amen.