If you’re joining us in reading through the Gospel of Matthew today’s reading is taken from Matthew 16:13-23 and the devotion is taken from verses 13-16. When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Today we have many pictures of who Jesus was. Sometimes he’s pictured as having long brunette hair and looking quite European. Other more realistic paintings picture him as more Middle Eastern with reasonably curly hair. Some show him as a shepherd and others show him surrounded by loving children. On occasion, you will even find pictures of him judging but there is always a sense of kindness and loving. Since almost the beginning, Christianity has struggled to define who Christ was is. In the first two centuries some believed that Christ was a loving New Testament God and God the Father (or whoever was the Old Testament God) was the mean and vindictive judgmental God. Near the beginning of the fourth century there was a priest named Arius who decided that Christ was a created being. Almost God but not God. Almost perfect but not perfect. And Arius won over many of the priests and even bishops during his time on the earth. But his impact even went farther. And even though he was considered a heretic his theology followed, in one way or the other, all the way to do today. Interestingly enough, it was a priest who followed Arius’ teaching that taught Mohammed about Christianity. If you look in the Koran you will find the Arian teaching of who Christ is. So why is it important that we have a clear understanding of who Christ is? Without our understanding of who Christ is our theology will ultimately move to a heretical position. This is what is happening many liberal seminaries and in many mainline denominations. They’ve lost the fact that Christ is God. They’ve lost the fact that Christ was not a created being. They’ve lost the truth of the virgin birth. Who do you say Christ is?
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 10:00:00 +0000
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