Who do You say that I am?

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

We all long to know. Even my Jesus wanted to know. He asked His closest friends—“who do you say I am?” 

And Peter knew. He saw Him for who He was, “You are the Messiah.” 

We yearn to believed in. We yearn to know that someone knows who we are and willingly stands beside us. Without it, life feels lonely. Just as my children want to know someone is on their side, someone is there to sit in the crowd, cheer them on, we all long to know that we are believed in, that someone has confidence in our worth. When we feel doubted,  when we are given false names, false worth, our hearts weaken. It's just too often man made names speak untruth.  We are given names that at times make us question on the inside who we are. As if we don't doubt ourselves enough without others adding their own labels. Without Him, I am liable to call myself plenty of damaging lies. But the only question that really matters is, “Who do You say I am?” 

He sees us for who we are: Sinners, yet redeemed, unworthy, yet died for, hopelessly flawed, yet fiercely loved. Only when we truly know who He is, can we ever truly know who we are. 

“You are the Messiah.” Peter answered. “The Messiah.” There is only One, has only ever been One, can only be One. And because He is the Messiah, because I believe in who He is, I am called by a new name. And when I long to be truly known, I can say with David:

¹ You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139)

When I need to know who I am, I will remember the I AM. I will remember He is the God-Who-Sees, as Sally Clarkson so beautifully reminded. He sees me. He knows me and calls me by my true name. He calls me by His name.

Isaiah 43:2 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

Redeemed, Ransomed, Precious, Loved, Called by His name

Isaiah 43.1-7

Who do you say He is today?  He is my Messiah, my hope, my strength, my peace...

                                                                                                                                      Undeserved, yet wholly loved