Who Do You Say Jesus Is? The Question That Changes Everything
What happens when someone isn't who you think they are? It kind of depends. In a romantic comedy, the humble guy the girl falls for turns out to be a super-rich CEO — great for her. In a mystery movie, the friendly neighbor turns out to be the one who did it — not so great for the protagonist. But what if the person you've misidentified isn't a movie character? What if it's Jesus?
The Creepy Movie That Makes a Profound Point
Have you ever heard of the movie Coraline? I haven't seen it - and I probably won't, because it's too creepy. But I know the basics. The main character, Coraline, is a young girl who discovers a secret door that's basically a portal to another world called "other world." Everything there seems better. Instead of her inattentive mom and dad, she has "other mom" and "other dad," who give her great meals, all the toys she wants, and plenty of attention. The only weird thing? Instead of eyes, they have black buttons.
The plot makes me think about identity - and how sometimes we think we know who someone is, but we don't actually. Maybe we've made them into who we want them to be. And as strange as it sounds, that's exactly what can happen with Jesus.
The Most Important Question Ever Asked
This month, we're in a series called Overheard, looking at questions Jesus asked. He asked a lot of them - 307 questions in the Gospels, if you include the ones He posed in parables. But today's question might be the most important question ever asked. It's a question we'll all have to answer at some point, and our answer will determine our future.
We find it in Mark 8:27, where Mark records: "Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, 'Who do people say I am?'"
Why Location Matters
Where Jesus asked this question is actually important. Caesarea Philippi was about 25 miles north of Galilee - and it was not a Jewish town. It was originally called Paneas, named after the Greek God Pan, a half-goat, half-man God thought to be the God of shepherds, hunters, meadows, and mountains. He was said to have a loud, startling voice that caused enemies to flee in terror - that's actually where we get the word "panic" today.
This place had deep roots of immorality and pagan worship. There were caves with deep water that many believed were gates to the underworld - gates to hell. Each year, people would try to entice Pan to come up from hell by committing heinous and immoral acts.
It's right here, in front of what might be called the gates of hell, that Jesus asks: "Who do people say I am?" (Mark 8:27 NLT)
Close, But Not Quite Right
The disciples report back in Mark 8:28: "Well, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets."
People weren't completely off base. John the Baptist was known for boldly proclaiming the coming Messiah - a compelling speaker, like Jesus. Elijah was an Old Testament prophet who didn't die a traditional death but was taken up to heaven. These were significant, respected figures. But they were wrong.
Then Jesus makes it personal in Mark 8:29: "But who do you say I am?"
Peter answers: "You are the Messiah."
The word Messiah means "the anointed one" - the one set apart by God that the Jewish people had been promised and were anxiously awaiting. Traditionally, three kinds of people were anointed: priests, prophets, and Kings. And Jesus fulfilled all three roles. As the perfect high priest, He gave us access to God forever. As the perfect prophet, He showed us what God is like. And as the perfect King, He leads us - exercising God's rule uniquely as both a king and a servant.
When You Think You Know, But Don't
Here's the thing: Peter gave the right answer. But just a few verses later, in Mark 8:31-33, when Jesus begins explaining that the Messiah must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise three days later, Peter pulls Jesus aside and reprimands Him. Jesus responds: "Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's."
Peter had called Jesus the Messiah, but he hadn't understood the fullness of what that meant. He thought the Messiah would be a strong political leader who would overthrow Rome. He didn't imagine a Savior who would ride in humbly on a donkey, take His place upon a cross, bear our punishment for sin, and then valiantly defeat death.
Peter's viewpoint of the absolute best the Messiah could be didn't come close to how good Jesus actually is. The most incredible savior he could imagine fell short of the true majesty of Jesus.
Misidentifying Jesus Affects Your Salvation
It's possible to think you know who Jesus is, be right in some ways, and still subtly misidentify the true person of Jesus. The crowds weren't completely off base — they just weren't right. And it can be easy for us to do something similar.
It's tempting to create a version of Jesus that looks more like you — one who supports the political policies you support, agrees with the social and cultural values you care about. Maybe you've heard people say things like, "My Jesus doesn't judge me," or "Jesus doesn't care if I do this as long as I'm trying to be a good person."
But the issue with creating a version of Jesus that looks more like you is that you're missing the fullness and beauty of who Jesus really is. The best Jesus you can make up in your head is nothing compared to the true Jesus. He is not moldable or changeable. There is a right answer to the question.
If He is Lord, then our opinions and desires cannot shape Him. Instead, He has to shape our opinions and desires.
Romans 10:9 makes this clear: "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
To be saved, we have to really understand who Jesus is. Not who people want Him to be. Not who people change Him to be. Not someone who agrees with us — but who shapes us.
Misidentifying Jesus Affects Your Identity
The Greek word for Lord used in Romans 10:9 is kyrios — and it doesn't just mean a title for God. It also means "he to whom a person or thing belongs." To confess Jesus as Lord isn't just acknowledging a fact about Him. It's recognizing His authority over your life. It means I belong to Him and not to myself.
A sense of belonging and identity is so important, and we're seeing that play out in the world around us. In a study of nearly 10,000 young adults in 2021, researchers found that only about one-quarter demonstrated a strongly settled sense of identity, while most showed at least some degree of identity confusion alongside their search for purpose and direction. And I don't think that's just a young adult problem.
But when Jesus is your Lord, your identity is anchored in something that doesn't change:
You know who you are — a son or daughter of the King, beloved by God.
You have a purpose — to glorify God.
You know what you believe — that God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
You know what values guide you — the Word of God.
A lot of the struggles we see in this culture — with identity and self-worth — come from trying to produce it within ourselves. But God has given you your identity; there is nothing you can add or change to make it better. And actually, the more we surrender to Jesus as Lord, the more we become who we were created to be.
Putting It Into Practice
So today, answer the question: Who do you say I am?
If you've never really thought about it — today is your opportunity to find salvation and identity in Christ as your Lord. Not your parents' Lord, or your friend's Lord. Your Lord.
If you've thought about it before — take a moment to examine whether you've been worshiping a moldable Jesus you've shaped more into your own image. If you start to notice that Jesus is becoming more like you instead of you becoming more like Jesus, it may be time to reevaluate what it means for Him to be Lord over your life.
Remember how Coraline ends? Those "other parents" who seemed so great, so loving, who offered everything she ever wanted - they turned out to be the bad guys. What seemed like a better version of her parents would actually have led her to her death.
A Jesus that agrees with our politics, is okay with our sins, and never Judges is not Jesus at all. Turning that into your savior doesn't save you.
There is one Jesus who saves. He is the Jesus who hung on the cross - both man and God - who died for our sins and three days later rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever.
And today, He's asking you: Who do you say I am?