Who do we say Jesus is?
Who do we say Jesus is? Is he the Messiah, Son of God, our Lord and Savior? Do you claim Jesus as your personal savior? If so how often do you talk to him and tell him that you love him?
In today’s Gospel, and in Mark’s Gospel at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked certain questions about his identity. He asked a question in two parts.
The first part: May have been the first public opinion poll, “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” John the Baptist was so great a figure that it might well be that he had come back from the dead. Elijah, the greatest of the prophets was believed to be the forerunner of the Messiah. (“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord coming” –Mal.4:5. The phrase “one of the prophets” suggested that Jesus had a ministry like that of the former prophets. When the people identified Jesus with Elijah and with Jeremiah, they were, according to their teachings and understandings, paying him a great tribute and setting him in a high place, for Jeremiah and Elijah were the expected forerunners of the Anointed One of God. When they arrived, the Kingdom would be very near indeed.
The second part: “What is your personal opinion? For the first time in their relationship Peter, speaking for the other disciples, declared publicly: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter was the first apostle to recognize Jesus publicly as the Anointed One (also translated Messiah or Christ. Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah). Peter was saying thatJesus is the Christ, the anointed one of God, Immanuel, the Salvation of us all — God who became Man to save sinners! It’s obvious that Jesus is well pleased with Peter’s answer. Jesus first pronounced a blessing upon Peter, the only disciple in the Gospels to receive a personal blessing. “Blessed are you, Simon son of John!” Next, Jesus confirmed Peter’s insight as a special revelation from God. “No mere man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” However, Jesus was quick to explain to His disciples that he was a messiah who must suffer, die and be raised to life again.
Then His promise: “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church.” These verses have been among the most disputed in the New Testament. Historically, they have been central to issues of authority in the Church, especially of the authority of the episcopacy and of the Bishop of Rome. Jesus’ promise to Peter is the Catholic basis for the position of the Pope and of the Church. The Church teaches that Peter was given the keys which admit man to heaven or exclude him from it, and that to Peter was given the power to absolve or not to absolve a man from his sins. In other words, Jesus gave to Peter the authority to determine what courses of action would be permitted or forbidden in the Church. Further, this power given to Peter has descended to all the bishops of Rome throughout all ages, and that it exists today in Pope Benedict XVI, who, as the direct successor of Peter, is the head of the Church and the Bishop of Rome.
The keys of heaven and the binding power. The wording has its roots in Isaiah 22:22, (today’s first reading).”I will place on Eliakim’s shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open.” Eliakim thus became the steward of the house, responsible for opening and closing the house, and controlling access to the royal presence. In his new role, Peter was the first to preach Christ to three thousand people at Pentecost (Acts 2) and became the spokesperson to the Council of Jerusalem. (Acts 15). “Bind and loose” also concerns doctrine and ethical conduct, declaring certain actions as either forbidden or permitted. Later Christian tradition extended this principle our priests to include the power to forgive or retain sins (18:18; John 20:23). In Matt 18:18, Jesus extends this authority to the whole group of disciples, saying, “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” We believe that Peter’s authority passed from Peter to the Popes who followed him.
Guarantees given to Peter and his successors: Our Church teaches that by giving Peter the “keys” along with the promise that all his decisions would be ratified in heaven, Christ gave him the power of freedom from error when he was officially teaching the universal Church. In other words, Peter received primacy in the Church and the gift of infallibility in his official teaching on matters of faith and morals. The first Vatican Council defined this dogma and the second Vatican Council reconfirmed it. As the Church was to continue long after Peter had died, it was rightly understood from the beginning that those privileges given to him which were necessary for the successful mission of the Church, is given to his lawful successors—the Popes.
1) What does Jesus mean to us? Founder of a religion? Revolutionary Jewish reformer? One of the great teachers? Son of God and personal Savior? “How do we really see Jesus? Do we see Jesus as Good Shepherd, Savior, and Redeemer? Is he my beloved friend, closer to me than my spouse or child, father or mother? Is Jesus a living experience for me, walking with me, loving me, forgiving me, helping me and transforming my life and outlook? What difference does Jesus make in my life? Have I really given my life to him? Are there areas where I have excluded him, where my life is not noticeably different from the lives of those who see Jesus as irrelevant? Who do I say that Jesus is in my daily life? Who do I say that he is when I am in the presence of those who don’t know him, those who aren’t interested in him? What does the way I live and behave say about who Jesus is? Is the joy, the love, the peace that I find in Jesus reflected in the way I live my life?
2) We need to experience Jesus as our Lord and Savior and surrender our lives to him. The knowledge of Jesus as Lord and personal Savior should become a living, personal experience for each of us. This is made possible by listening to him through the daily, meditative reading of the Bible, by talking to him through daily, personal and family prayers, by offering to him our lives on the altar whenever we attend Holy Mass and by leading a sacramental life. The next step is the surrender of our lives to Jesus by rendering humble and loving service to others. We also need to praise and thank God in all the events of our lives, both good and bad, realizing that God’s loving hands are behind every event of our lives.
We are brought into the circle of faith, in large part because somewhere, somehow, someone in the circle just before us took out hand and said, “Come,” and so drew us in. That is one very important reason why we are here. That person was able to do this for us because someone had taken him or her by the hand and had drawn them in. And so it goes, back through all the centuries until we reach the hands that had actually touched the mark of the nails. In this way, Christ builds his church. We constantly re-live this Gospel story. When we say to Jesus, “You are the Christ,” he says to each of us—“You, too, are Peter, you too, are a rock, and with you, also, I am building my church.” What happened to Peter continues to happen and actually includes us.