Who Do You Say I Am?

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” Mark 8:1-4 NIV

“But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”  Seriously? What about Jesus? Just two chapters earlier, in Mark 6, we read the account of Jesus feeding more than 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. How could the disciples have forgotten? Of course, Jesus could get enough bread to feed the hungry crowd who had stayed to hear him teach for the past three days! As ridiculous as their question sounds, I must admit that I too am guilty of forgetting the Lord’s faithfulness. As I think about their question, I am convicted for the countless times the Lord has provided for me, both physically and spiritually, only to have me doubt his ability to help the next time I find myself in a “remote place.”

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. Mark 8:11-12 NIV

After miraculously feeding the crowd of more than 4000, Jesus encountered a group of Pharisees who questioned and tested him. The same Greek word for test, in this passage, is the same word used in the account of Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness. In that account, Satan tempted Jesus to prove his identity by turning stones into bread, or by throwing himself off the highest point on the temple. It’s funny how temptation always seems to come in the wilderness and remote places. These Pharisees, just like Satan, were challenging Jesus to prove who he was. How often we challenge Jesus to prove himself to us, if not in word, most certainly in our emotional response to the times in life I’d consider “remote places.” While we never actually utter the words, “Prove to me your power, God,” our emotions betray us, revealing our unbelief, as fear and worry speak volumes about our trust in God. Hopelessness has no place in the heart of a believer and must be offensive to our powerful God! When the Pharisees tempted Jesus to prove himself, he sighed deeply. I wonder how many times I’ve made him sigh. Not long after this, Jesus said this to his disciples:

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” Mark 8:17-21 NIV

The details of his questions to me may be different than the ones he asked his disciples that day, but I have no trouble filling in the blanks: “When I………” “Did you have more than enough?” “When I……….” “Was I able to rescue you?” “To heal you?” “To provide for you?” “To strengthen you?” “To forgive you?” “To bring you out of darkness?” “To restore you?” God has shown me time and time again that He is everything I need! How is it that I so quickly lose sight of that? How can it be that I still don’t understand? It all boils down to our understanding of who Jesus is.

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Mark 8:27-29 NIV

That’s the question we all need to settle. “Who do you say I am?”  Is Jesus God or not? Is He all powerful? Does he have more power than the enemy? Is He really all we need or do we need to reach for something more? Is His love and forgiveness perfect and complete? Is He able to satisfy us, or do we need to find other things to fill in the gap?  Can He really calm the storm? Once we settle that, everything falls into place. Hopelessness is no longer an option. Fear and anxiety have no longer have a place. Satan will no longer be able to take us captive to do his will. If Jesus is all we need, we will live differently. We will serve Him and obey Him no matter what the cost. We will walk in victory.

Who do you say that He is?