By Evangelist John BJ Hall
The most important question of the ages was asked by Jesus in Matthew 16:15 “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” If we get this question right we have hope and blessings ahead of us. If we get it wrong, there is nothing but hopelessness in our future.
Jesus did not expect the disciples to accept Him on “blind faith.” They walked with Him for three years before He asked them this question. They watched as He healed the sick. They saw Him give sight to the blind. The witnessed Him touching the leprous hand and make their bodies clean. They saw him bring the dead to life. They also saw how He responded with authority to the challenges of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
They came to an informed faith in Jesus as their Christ and Lord. When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the one they were looking for (The Messiah) or if they need to look for some other. Jesus’ answer was clear. He wanted them to have an informed faith. He told them to look around and see the blind, lame, and sick healed and the dead raised.
When Jesus posed the question to them they were about 120 miles from Jerusalem in the northern part of Palestine. The region was strongly identified with various religions: It had been a center for Baal Worship; the Greek god Pan had shrines there; and Herod the great had built a temple there to honor Augustus Caesar. It was in the midst of these pagan superstitions that Peter confessed Jesus as the Son of God.
A right confession of who Jesus is is basic to salvation. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-10 (NASB) “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth, he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
I want to challenge my readers to investigate for yourselves the veracity of God’s Word and Jesus being the Christ. You can begin your journey by reading books like The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel, The Case For Faith by Lee Strobel, Evidence That Demands a Verdict By Josh McDowell, Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi, Cold Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace, and I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be An Athiest by Norman Geisler.
There are many other resources available to help you find the truth. If your objection to Christianity is the pain and suffering that is in our world, then I would suggest The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis. Lewis speaks of pain from a personal level. Not long after he came to faith in Christ he married a lovely young lady who had a son. His precious wife then died of cancer. His struggles are real as he deals with this topic. But his loss and the pain that resulted made his faith stronger.
There is one who knew the pain like no other.
A Dream?
A scream--
Groans of agony
The sound of metal striking metal.
metal striking flesh and bones
Torn flesh----
and blood that's streaming down.
A gasp for air, but in it pain
Joints pulled out of socket
The pain-
Hair matted with blood-
and tears.
When will it end?
Those eyes
sad, lonesome, -- loving, -
thoughtful, hurting, -- compassionate eyes.
I've seen those eyes -
but where? when?
What are they looking at?
At-
me?
and yet through me -
to the soul.
---------------------But why?---
Is-
that-
a tear?
Will it never end?
That voice
I've heard that voice before.
What was that?
ABBA-
Father!
Was that a name it whispered too?
Who's?
It can't be--
Mine?
What else?
It-
is-
finished!
I reached out to take a nail-scarred hand-
---And it was there.
Suddenly I awoke
a cold sweat on my face
Then I knew
IT-
WAS-
for me!
© Copyright 1993 by Passages Ministries. All rights reserved.
For permission to use this poem contact Passages Ministries.