Matthew 16:13-15 – Jesus, Upon Whom History is Hinged

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-15 ESV)

Jesus of Nazareth is a man completely unavoidable, one upon whom all of history is hinged. Whether designated BC, BCE, CE or AD, all of man’s dating systems are split by the life of Jesus Christ. More books have been written, and more songs sung about this man than any other. He is perennially popular in the media, making appearances in cartoons, movies and countless documentaries. In short, whether a Christian or not, it seems everyone has something to say about Jesus. Today, popular thought holds that Jesus was simply a good man, a gifted teacher, or one of many prophets to grace the earth. Yet, as the commentator Matthew Henry aptly observed, “It is possible for men to have good thoughts of Christ, and yet not right ones, a high opinion of him, and yet not high enough.”

This day then, how will you answer the question Jesus laid out to his disciples? Will you answer in the private of your mind or in the safe company of believers that Jesus is Lord? Or will you answer in action as much as in word?