When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”

What must the gathering around the campfire have looked like that night? Jesus sat with his closest followers, the twelve chosen disciples, and asked a critical question, “Who do you say that I am?” These men had been following Jesus for nearly three years. Yet I can imagine that an uneasy silence followed Jesus’ question. The preceding question was easy by comparison. “Who do THEY say that I am?”

When it became personal, however, the twelve men must have searched deep within. Each man gathered around that fire likely had an answer but only one of them dared to speak. Peter confessed aloud before his peers and his Master, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus may have been the first to ask this question, but he wasn’t the last. After all, this is not just any question. It has eternal implications. While there have been many religious leaders and prophets who have come and gone over the years, there is only one who claimed to be the Son of God.

He is the only one to ever declare, “I AM the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.”

He is also the only one who willingly laid down his life as a sacrifice for all. The gift is available to the multitudes but it will only be accepted by a few.

The question lingers. As a matter of fact, there are many more people asking themselves this very same thing today than those who did while Jesus was living here on earth. The answers vary widely. Below I have included a YouTube video covering this question. Do you hear YOUR answer amongst those given here?

There is something that bugs me about so many of these answers. It seems that a good portion of people who answer this question say that Jesus was a great prophet or a wise man. Yet what great prophet or wise man declares themselves the only son of God?

We can only arrive at one of two conclusions. Jesus is in fact the only son of the One True God, or he was stark raving mad and belonged in a mental institution.

That seems harsh to say, but let’s think about it. If you were mowing your front lawn and your neighbor walked up to you and said, “I am God’s son, come follow me.” Would you say that he is a great prophet or a wise man? NO! Regardless of your beliefs, you’d likely say that your neighbor just went off the deep end and is headed for a straight jacket.

My friends, I’m afraid there is no middle ground. Either Jesus is who he claims to be, which makes every word he spoke the Gospel truth (literally), or he was a crazed man with no idea about his real identity.

Who do I say that He is? Jesus is the only son of God.

He came here in human form to live on this desolate planet. He is the greatest royalty to have ever walked the face of the earth and yet He demanded no throne, no scepter, and no royal robes. He wasn’t born in a mansion, He was born in a makeshift barn. He didn’t grow up, lavished with the conveniences of the time. He grew up with only the necessities.

In Matthew 8:20 he goes so far as to say, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He didn’t come here for riches. He didn’t come seeking man’s wealth.

What would he want with these temporal things anyway? The gifts he brought were eternal. He brought the riches of heaven with him. As an obedient son, he came to impart upon us God’s grace, HIS mercy, and HIS undying love.

How many mansions remain standing from the time Jesus walked this earth? How many of those beautiful garments survived? How about the pottery? The finery of the day is ALL gone! Not even the great temple remains! Yet the gifts he brought, and graciously gave to all of mankind remain. He was, is and always will be the only son of the One True God. How do I know these things? I know them because he lives in my heart, and he is there to stay.

How about you? Who do YOU say that Jesus is?

 

~ Mitch Salmon

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Mitch Salmon is the founder of Fisher of Men Productions and a follower of Jesus Christ and proclaimer of the Good News – The Gospel of Christ Jesus!

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