Making the Deal
Who is Jesus?

Scripture Reading: Luke 9:18-20

Key Verse: Luke 9:18

Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

Jesus was far from an egomaniac or a paranoid leader when He asked His disciples what the crowds were saying about Him. His question was centered on the key factor of making the “deal” with God. Anyone coming to God needed to understand who Jesus is and His relationship with God the Father. So, Jesus pressed the issue. Were the crowds getting it? Did the crowds understand who Jesus truly is? According to the disciples, most of the crowds were not. The crowds were whispering that possibly Jesus was John the Baptist reincarnated. Others in the crowd were certain Jesus was Elijah resurrected to this generation. Jesus pressed the disciples further. What about them — His closest followers — were they getting it? Who did they say He is? Peter jumped in quickly: “You are the Christ.” Yes, that was the answer — the only answer to this all-important question.

Why is this issue so extremely important? A man would need to be totally insane to claim sonship to God — literal sonship. There is no in between answer. If Jesus is not the Son of God, the Christ, Savior of the world, then how could anyone follow Him? His teachings might be good, but He is making this wild claim to be God’s Son; to have been present at the creation of the world. If Jesus is not who He says He is, surely that negates everything else and we must look for “another” as many of the Jews do yet today! To make the “deal” with God, you must deal with Jesus!

Father, I claim Jesus as your son, the Christ who would redeem the lost of this world. I receive Jesus as my Savior and thank you for making me your child. In Jesus’ Name, amen.