“Who Do You Say That I Am?”

by Petey Crowder, Senior Pastor
February 16, 2021

Many of us go by a lot of different titles, depending on our relationship with others. Friend, child, boss, teacher, coach, student, parent, colleague, neighbor. How we identify the people we interact with often influences how we treat them and how their influence impacts our lives.

As a child, when I would complain that friends were getting to do something that I wasn’t, one of my parents would drop a familiar line: “They’re not my kid.” Or, “I’m not their parent.”

The role someone plays in our life depends on who they are to us—it depends on what we call them.

Jesus once asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?”

Jesus knew that how they identified Him would deeply impact how they lived in the world. Yet despite their allegiance to Him, they didn’t always have the perfect answer; neither do we. Sometimes, they had a good answer but then they didn’t exactly live up to expectations. I have to admit that I’m always encouraged that the small band of people that walked with Jesus for three years still found ways to disobey, disregard, and disown Him with their actions and their words.

While Jesus is infinitely worthy of all of our admiration, praise, and worship, I find it comforting that He said He came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”- @peteycrowder”]Because Jesus serves us, our broken attempts at following Him are made whole. Because He pursues us, our poor attempts at pursuing Him find their way. Because He forgives our lack of faith, we are known as forgiven and not faith-less.[/inlinetweet]

If we follow a servant, we should be known as people who serve. If we follow a healer and a forgiver, we should be making the first to step toward compassion and forgiveness in the midst of the messiness of others. If we follow a redeemer, we should speak and bring redemption into existence wherever we go.

I hope that you see Jesus for who He truly is, so that you can see yourself for how He sees you.