Luke 9:18-22 – Christ’s crucial question - who do you say that I am?

In Luke 9:18, we see that the Lord Jesus was praying alone to the Father. Luke makes it clear that His disciples were there with Him. And though they were with Him, Jesus did not allow their presence to prevent Him from engaging the Father. In the light of what happened in the next few verses, it wouldn't be difficult to guess why. To Him nothing could be more important than prayer. It not only connects Him with the Father but it’s also where He gets empowered for the mission. As the Messiah, Jesus had enjoyed a great measure of success in the work of the Kingdom. The sick were being healed, those demon possessed were delivered, the Kingdom proclaimed and miracles abound. It’s time to assess if His disciples had any idea concerning Him. Jesus wanted them to be clear that He was not a political Messiah as the common notion in His day was. So He began by asking a question to assess their perception of the current situation. Hence, His first question was "Who do the people say that I am?" They answered Him from what they knew from their current scene. There were people who thought that He was John the Baptist. Some concluded that He was Elijah. And still some said that He was one of the prophets who had risen.

 

What was important to the Lord was whether His disciples could see that He was their Messiah. He then asked them the second question, "But who do you say that I am?" Their answers would affirm whether they understood that He was the long anticipated Messiah. Of course He was not disappointed when Peter exclaimed that He is the Christ of God, meaning He is the Messiah. The rest could have nodded in agreement.

What's puzzling hereafter was the warning and instruction He gave to them in verse 21. They were told not to speak about His Messiahship. Why? He did not want the people to get the wrong end of the stick, and thought He was a political messiah and came to spark off a rebellion. So He seized the moment and began to talk about His impending role as the Suffering Messiah. He told them He would suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders of the day, better known as the Sanhedrin. Here He also foretold His death and resurrection. What Jesus said to them must have sounded foreign to their ears. It didn't make sense to their mind. How could the Messiah die? Hence, when all these took place, they were disillusioned and devastated. They only understood after His resurrection and ascension.

 

Though the Twelve could tell that He was the coming Messiah, they have not understood that confessing Christ always requires embracing Him as a suffering Savior as well. Today we have the advantage of history, hence it is easier for us to accept the necessity of His suffering and dying for us. If not for His atoning death, we would be totally lost in our sins. Therefore we must cling to the old rugged cross.

 

What are some struggles we face today? What about the enticing, luring temptations we encounter in life? Embracing Jesus as our Lord and Messiah, and to experience the triumph He promised, requires that we also embrace His cross and suffering. Christ could wear the crown because He first bore the cross. And like Him, we can't wear the crown if we won't bear the cross. The only Christ honoring life is a cross bearing, Christ-centered life. So let us take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow after Him.