Albert Einstein challenged long-held views of science with his theory of general relativity— a complicated idea that defied comprehension. Virtually no one could understand it. For instance, in 1919, mathematician Sir Arthur Eddington was asked if it was true that only three people on earth understood relativity. He replied, “Who’s the third?” Good question!
In Matthew 16, Jesus challenged His disciples with the question of who people said He was. They reported that the people believed He was a prophet—perhaps John the Baptist, Jeremiah, or even Elijah (Matthew 16:13-14). But Peter said something even more astounding, something that perhaps no one else understood at the time, as he testified that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16). The Savior responded by telling Peter that this truth had been revealed to him by God Himself (Matthew 16:17). Jesus’ identity as the Messiah and the Son of God was and is a revelation given from on high!
Sadly, I rarely treat this truth with the awe that it deserves. Over the course of many years, I’ve become accustomed to the saying that “Jesus is Lord” or that He’s the “Son of God.” These are expressions that roll easily from the tongues of mature Christians. But it’s good sometimes to sit back and simply remember what these truths fully mean and express—that they’re nothing short of a revelation of the highest degree. And, yes, they’re something that should fill us with awe and wonder!
A proper response is amazement, much like the centurion at the foot of the cross (Matthew 27:54) or like Mary Magdalene when she first saw the resurrected Jesus on Easter Sunday (John 20:16). May we stand amazed as we consider everything God has revealed to us!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Luke 13:1-21
More:
Read Matthew 17:1-13 to see another account of Jesus’ identity being revealed.
Next:
Do you ever find that some of the expressions of Christianity have become cliché for you? How can you prevent this from happening and retain a proper sense of awe as you consider Jesus’ identity?
Gary Shultz on August 8, 2015 at 6:25 am
I think most believers at times take a part or the whole of our relationship for granted. It happens in all relationships, like weeds in the garden complacency grows wild. We must either stop and refresh our view of God’s wonder, greatness and might. It will probably be good to take stock in all relationships and make it a point to reflect often on there condition. Thanks