Fall 1986
Whom Say Ye That I Am
by Betsy Caram
PC Graduate

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, The son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, But my Father which is in Heaven. Matt 16:15-17.

BUT WHOM SAY YE THAT I AM.....

Was Jesus moved to ask this most important question because he knew that histime of suffering was close at hand, and his time on earth was short? Or, having now touched the earth in his humanity, did "the light of the world" desire to know how deeply that light had penetrated the hearts of those who had followed him most closely?

Though it is often difficult to focus on the humanness of Jesus; at this moment in time, earth and eternity did meet. The "Word" that had been made flesh did truly long for the revelation of that "Word" to be evident in a people, and responded in joy when He found that it had.

BUT, THERE WAS SOMETHING MUCH MORE IMPORTANT HIDDEN IN THE HEART OF THE LORD THAT DAY! For, though almost two thousand years has passed, the echo of this eternal question, "Whom say ye that I am" still reaches the hearing ears of the chosen of God and challenges us to tenaciously pursue the answer.

Yet, how can one answer for one's self such a penetrating question with any true sense of authority, except to repeat the immortal words of Peter, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God". God had revealed to Peter this life changing revelation of "CHRIST", and HE yet desires to personalize this revelation in each one of His chosen.

In the natural, Peter had know this man of miracles as Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter's son. He had wondered, questioned and had wanted desperately to believe. But now, supernaturally, light had burst upon his being and he had a divine encounter with the only begotten of the Father.

He had met the one true "LIVING GOD". Now, living took on a new meaning for him. It was no longer just the principle of power and success that he desired. Living now for Peter was something fresh and vibrant, "TO LIVE IS CHRIST"!

To "live" is for him to fulfill God's purpose on the earth. His simple yet profound confession of faith had reached the very heart of God and it brought forth a "Yea and Amen" in the Heavenlies. But it also accomplished a deep work within his own heart as well!

REVELATION! Glorious, glorious revelation! The fog now had lifted and the blackness gave way to images as yet not formed, but no longer shapeless. The sword of divine truth had pierced his "stony heart", now he began the long journey towards a "heart of flesh."

Peter would often reflect upon this wonderful experience as his journey carried him deeper and deeper into a progressive revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. In moments of weakness, when human reasoning threatened him, he could recall the thunderous echo of his own words, "THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OFTHE LIVING GOD".

WHOM SAY YE THAT I AM?.....

To me personally, I can say that he is the lover of my soul, my high tower, my God in whom I will trust. He is my shield and buckler, my refuge, my strength, my all consuming joy, my hope, and my soul's salvation. He is the way, the truth, and the life to me. He is the "Christ", the "Anointed One".

He is all of these, but he is so much more than my very limited expression of him! Throughout my walk with the Lord, as I seek to know Him more and more, I continue to find myself trying to answer this piercing question with some sense of true revelation. Thus the "seeking" becomes part of God's purpose for my life!

We read in Hosea 6:3 that "knowing the Lord" is conditional, and is dependent upon our willingness to follow on. "Then shall we know, IF WE FOLLOW ON to know the Lord; His going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth". So then, there is a divine purpose in this conversation concerning His identity, not only for a man called Peter, but for you and I as well.

For, with a fuller expression of who he is, like an artesian spring of freshwater continually bubbling up within us, we fulfill the very purpose of God for our lives, as we declare daily to the world in so many ways that He is "THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD."

But, a rich response to this eternal God given question requires a depth of response that renews hope and shatters doubt. It is always dependent upon the intimate expression of a heart that desires only to know the fullness of Christ; and we will deepen our EXPRESSION of Him, as we deepen our EXPERIENCE in Him!

"WHOM SAY YE THAT I AM"...is the only question God needs to ask!
"THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD"...is the only answer man needs to give!

Contained within this uncomplicated conversation between God and man, we seethe utter simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ wrapped up in one simple phrase. Thank God, we are accepted into the beloved upon such simple ground! Thank God that at the utterance of those faith-filled words, "THOU ART THE CHRIST", we, like Peter, can partake of His riches in Glory and be called "blessed". Yet as the "deep calleth unto deep" within us, may we continue to seek a progressive vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, and thereby feed our soul with "meat in due season".

"THAT HE WOULD GRANT YOU, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY, TO BESTRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT BY HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN: THAT CHRIST MAY DWELLIN YOUR HEARTS BY FAITH THAT YE, BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE MAY BE ABLETO COMPREHEND WITH ALL SAINTS WHAT IS THE BREADTH, AND LENGTH, AND DEPTH, ANDHEIGHT: AND TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST, WHICH PASSETH KNOWLEDGE, THAT YE MIGHTBE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD" Eph 3:16-19.