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27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:27-38 NIV)
Happy and blessed Monday to you ConCafe Family! And may you, dear Reader, rise to meet all the challenges and opportunities that the Lord shares with you; make His name known today! As we pray, please add the name of my only living aunt, Mrs. Aurora Meza, of Chicago, Illinois. She fell and needs hip surgery. She is my Dad's sister, and the only living family member of that generation. Pray for her healing. Please continue to pray for those who have asked prayers of us, and may we glorify God by our faithfulness. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.
Imagine if we ever stopped saying the name of Jesus. What would the result be? Would the faith die? Would we die? The answer is that, thank God, there is no way that anyone who ever has experienced the transformation that Jesus offers to us, would be quiet about the change and blessings that have come our way because of Him! Yet, critics have always said that we are always one generation away from the elimination of the Christian faith. Some naysayers have delighted in ages past when it seemed that yes, this could be the end of that nonsense of Jesus. Nope. They were wrong. The reality is that we continue to hear that each day another person, somewhere, and in some way, comes to faith in our Lord and Savior. And that is what makes our faith strong. The key question, like the one Jesus poses, still holds true; Who do we say Jesus is, and how do we back up what we believe with our actions? The one I heard when I was in high school: If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict?
Jesus knew His name would be known soon enough both by those who would come to know and follow Him, and those who wanted Him removed from the face of the earth. Soon, there were rumors as to Who Jesus really was. So, He asked the disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Very similar to what some may ask about your church; "What goes on in that church?" The disciples, who did go in and out among the people of the villages, heard what they shared; "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." The people knew their history and soon enough, they knew the news around them. John the Baptist and his ministry impacted a lot of people, as did eventually his death. Elijah was considered one of the greatest of the prophets and knew of the scriptures talk of his return, so they did not doubt the possibility of something God said might happen, actually happening. And for Jesus to be one of the prophets was a possibility as well. But then, Jesus brings it to a personal level; "But what about you?" Yes, the sort of question of what do you say about your church and its ministry and mission? "Who do you say I am?" It's Peter. My hero, who says, "You are the Messiah." If nothing else, you have to admire the man's faith and boldness. He was, after all, the only human to ever walk on water. And, not to rub it in, Jesus did say that he would have the keys of the kingdom which allowed jokemakers to start all those jokes about Peter being the guy who decides if you get in or not? LIke the one... just kidding. For now.
The question surrounding the next statement that Jesus is credited with having said in many passages; "Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him. Some believe He did want them to talk about what He was doing and used reverse psychology on them; or, Jesus really meant what He said. I tend to agree with the latter. His ministry depended not on reactions but on responses. What we do when we come to faith matters more than what we initially think about Him. Jesus does take this opportunity to share with them what was in store for Him and this angered the man with the keys. "Get behind me, Satan!" Jesus tells him, "You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." The Jesus lays out the reality of discipleship. It begins with our self-denial. This is so difficult for so many. For some it may mean putting aside plans made for personal gain, wealth or fame. This has happened to many, too. It means finally putting God first in our lives and seeking to live a life that honors only Him. Discipleship also means taking full and complete responsibility of the cost that may come with our positive response to the Lord. Taking up our cross means yes, there may come some difficult things in our faith-walk, including some so serious it is implied not explained. The truth, Jesus says, is that whoever wants to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for the sake of God, will find it. What good, Jesus asks, comes from gaining the whole world and losing our soul? And if we are ashamed of Jesus during this shameful and sinful generation, Jesus will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory to gather us His own.
Who do we say Jesus is? There's only one answer; Jesus is either our savior or not. We surrender to Him or we don't. We live as if we believe or as if we don't. I say we decide to say Jesus is OUR Lord and to live like that (in other words, serve Him!)
PRAYER: Loving Father, hear as we pray that we might become truly Your disciples. Forgive us for the times we have chosen us over You; and our will over Yours. May we make Your name real; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live as a true disciple in ways that others may see Him in you.
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
