The Christ of God

And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:18-26

From the prophets of old until the first advent of the Christ there had been 400 years of silence from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God's people had been severely disciplined by being sent into exile. They had suffered for their adoption of the pagan practices around them and for intermarrying with the heathen. Result: perfunctory, ritualistic religion in keeping the letter of the law, but not comprehending the reality behind those rituals and behaviors. There was very little real faith, just tradition-keeping, under the bullying control of the Pharisees who despised Jesus' person, resented His popularity and feared His power. All they could think of was finding a way to legally get rid of Him. Such a spiritually misled people wouldn't have an accurate frame of reference by which to evaluate the ministries of this Jesus of Nazareth. They were mostly poor, mostly uneducated, just plain folks trying to make it through each day with body and soul intact. They knew of the prophesies of the Messiah, who was to be a great military and political champion for Israel. They were in no way expecting a common man, a servant-teacher of humble circumstances. Such people let superstition rule their lives. Such people might attribute His deeds to a risen John, or Elijah or one of the other old prophets.

But His men knew. They had been with Him as He worked, prayed, taught, healed, raised the dead. They had seen His perfect character in every act and word. They had learned His love. They had witnessed His grace. They experienced His power and His strength of will, even as it manifested in humility. When I was under conviction at age 20, the mother of two small boys, I read the New Testament alone every day. I saw what these men experienced with Jesus, and my own soul was prepared to receive and believe this statement of Peter: "The Christ of God." That was the moment of my eternal salvation, though I didn't comprehend what all that really meant at the time. I don't think the Twelve comprehended it, either, but it expressed their commitment to The One they knew was Israel's only hope. Jesus wanted them to recognize that truth, but it was too soon to broadcast it to the world. They would have unknown pressures to endure, and it was time to begin preparing them for that.

So He warned them of His suffering that was to come. He told them they would face harsh and difficult decisions in loyalty to Him. He mentioned taking up the cross in identification with Him, day by day! They very well knew the cross as an instrument of torture and death; an end to the present circumstances and a journey into uncharted territory. Get ready, men. This will not be easy. It will, however, be worth it to you, and to those who come after you. You will lay down your lives daily by acknowledging and honoring The Christ with no regret or embarrassment. You will be greatly rewarded for your faith and obedience, in ways that cannot be imagined.

Each believer has a cross. It is the cross of Jesus Christ; our testimony that He is the Only Way of salvation and there is no other. No ifs, ands, buts or maybes. Jesus is The Christ of God. That cross is an offense to the world, and our badge of honor. Hold it high.