Peter is a fun and interesting character. His mouth always seems to be getting him into trouble. But you have to look up to the guy for his boldness and his courage.
In our lessons for today, we hear about the confession of Peter. In one of the readings, he’s dragged before rulers and elders because He dared to heal someone in the name of Jesus. And he didn’t back down when they asked him “what happened.” He boldly pointed to the name of Jesus as the reason that a man was healed.
[Jesus] asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”
Mark 8:29
In the other lesson Jesus asked the disciples who the people say that He is and Peter is the one who steps up with an answer. The right answer. “
You are the Christ!”
In a parallel passage, we’re told that Peter wasn’t able to answer this because he was just that much smarter than everyone else,.but he was given that answer by God.
That’s pretty impressive!
We have all of Scripture and the Holy Spirit to be able to point us to Jesus as the Christ. And yet sometimes we fail to make that confession. If not in Word, then often in action. We fail to act like Jesus is the Christ, the Chosen, the Anointed one of God. We act in ways that put other people or other things or other ideologies in front of Jesus. We act in ways that don’t set him as Lord and Savior in our life; for all of the world. We have in mind our things instead of God’s things. We need to deny that and everything that puts us at odds with God and His ways; His plan; even if that means suffering.
We need to see – and share – Jesus as the Christ. We need to see in Jesus as the answer to everything that is needed – in our life and that of the world.
“God, thank you for showing us through the Holy Spirit that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and the answer to all of our needs through the cross and empty tomb. Help us now to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him no matter what. Give us the boldness of Peter to step up and step out in faith. Because Jesus is everything. In His name, Amen.”
Scriptures
- Acts 4:8-13
- Mark 8:27-35
