WHO’S JESUS TO YOU?
Many in Church today do not know who Jesus is just like some of His disciples. Jesus knew it then and knows it now; He knows that not everyone who calls Him Lord had an experiential knowledge of who He really is. The reason is not far fetched. These are church folks who enjoy religion rather than Christianity. There are many people who bear the name of Jesus, meaning Savior but do not know who He is. It then depends on the Jesus you know. Little surprised, Jesus posed a question to His disciples: who do people say I am? This question is still posed today to the church; indeed to every Christian. The disciples compared Jesus with Elijah, Moses and Jeremiah. But Jesus is greater than all these past Prophets. They then compared Jesus with John the Baptist. Again when John saw Jesus he called Him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The one who comes after me I cannot lease His shoes; He is the Messiah and the son of God, Most High. John said I must give way to Him, “I must decrease so that Jesus must increase.”[John 1:15, 29, 36; 3: 30].
However, Jesus felt they did not understand the import of that question. So He then asked a more direct question: who do you say I am? I guess there was some silence for a while as they ponder on whom to say He’s. If the same question is posed to the church today, we should expect different answers like: He is the son of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth, one who called God His father, He claimed to be God, the Son of God, a radical reformist or revolutionary, a Jewish Rabbi [Teacher], and miracle worker and Galilean Priest. However, Simon whom Jesus named Peter was quick to break the short silence and answered, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him: good for you, Simon, son of Jonah, this is a direct revelation from my Father, who is in heaven. Since it had pleased my Father to reveal this through you; it’s for your blessings. I will then bless you, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church and the gate of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatsoever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” [Mathew 16: 13-19].
Jesus said to him, you are Peter [a little stone] but I will make you a solid rock. When the hurricane of life comes, you will be strong and unmovable. In the face of strong wind, you will be hard and unshakable. I therefore recommend Jesus, the Christ, and the solid Rock of Ages in whatever you’re going through. With Him in you, you will be unshakable and never be moved. It must be observed that Peter did not say: Jesus or Savior or the Lord of all but Christ meaning the Anointed One [Messiah] of God. Again, His anointing breaks every yoke of Satan. Based on Peter’s revelation, Jesus said, Peter you’re blessed. In his book, Free at Last, Larry Huch said, “we are blessed when we understand Jesus is the burden-removing, yoke destroying Christ…..After Jesus blessed Peter with power and authority, He backed it up by giving him the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
For example: In the prison system, the Warden [or the highest ranking Supervisor] on duty has not only the keys to open and close any door but also the authority and powers to do so. Another group of people that hold keys are the Janitors, maintenance people or building owners. They have authority to open and enter into any room or building under their care. Keys are symbols of authority. A key gives someone the power to lock and unlock, to open and to close, to let someone in or to keep someone out. However, the mere fact you have the keys or stand around keys does not give the authority to open or close and let one in or out. You must have the authority and powers to do so. You could hold the keys for safe custody or found a key that doesn’t belong to you. That does not give the permission to use the keys.
If I may ask you: who is Jesus to you: in your life, in your family, in your situations, at your job and of course in the community you live? Is he just the son of a carpenter from Nazareth or teacher of the new way of life? Until you know Jesus as Christ, the son of the living God, you don’t really know Him. Who is this man that people follow, worship and reference? Who is this man that I pray in His name and worship and rest my issues at his feet? If you are not sure of the Jesus you know, humble yourself where you are and ask the Father Almighty to reveal the true Jesus to you. When you have that knowledge, you have become a new person and have a new dawn; your life will never be the same again. If you love and honor the Lord truthfully, He will give you the desires of your heart.
In the genesis of creation, God the Father had all authorities and powers. He had all the keys to the kingdom. When He created man, He made Adam part of the creation and gave him the keys of authority and dominion. However Adam and Eve disobeyed God and followed Satan’s dictates. Satan, the trickiest creation, cheerfully deceived them; snatched the keys from Adam and Eve and became the god of this world. When Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our redemption, He descended into hell and defeated Satan. Jesus took back the keys from Satan for you and I. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He defeated Satan, crushed his head and took back everything the devil had stolen. Jesus took back not only the keys of life but also the keys of death and hell [Revelation 1:7].
Brethren, if Jesus should ask you: who do you say I’m? How would you respond to this life-determined question? Flesh and blood cannot give you the answer; there is no power in rituals. We need the power of revelation, mysterious insight into the working of God’s grace and His anointing, to answer this question. Only God can reveal Himself to you and make you know who He is. Despite all his experiences and exposures, Apostle Paul was still saying, “That I may know Him and the power of his resurrection…….. [Philippians 3:10]. When we confess that Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God, He will forgive our sins and break the yokes in our lives. He will strengthen our faith such that we can become a solid rock and stand the wiles of Satan. This does not mean Satan shall not tempt us or we may not fall but are no failures. Like Jesus said to Peter, be careful the Devil plan to sip you but I shall pray that your faith be strengthened. Jesus will give us the keys and authority to the kingdom of God and power to bind and loose, open and close, let in and shut out. Apostle John put it rightly, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God” [John1:12-13].
Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill at: weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272.