Ministry Updates for Monday, May 18th, 2020
Scripture for Reflection – Matthew 16:15-16Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Reflection – Our Faith Identity (Part I of II)
Who is Jesus? Besides the Bible, there are an endless number of books you could purchase to answer that. Even the Bible itself has four ‘books’ on the subject, given to us by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In addition to these books, we have the letters of Paul and others. I am thankful for these different views of Jesus. It is not that these stories of Jesus are different, it is that each follower saw Jesus from a different angle.
We clearly want and need those perspectives on Jesus. However, Simon Peter’s answer provides a most basic of foundations.
Declaring Jesus as ‘The Son of the living God’, Simon Peter points us back to the Christmas miracle, the incarnation, the nativity, Emmanuel, ‘God with us’. Jesus is a special case in human history. This alone makes him worthy of study. But there is more.
Declaring Jesus as ‘The Messiah’, Simon Peter points to Lent and Easter. Jesus is the one who sacrifices his life for us. He is our savior, our Lord, the sacrificial lamb, risen from the dead.
Who we believe in says something about who we are. What we believe about God is central to our identity. As people of faith, the first thing we might say about our own identity would be to speak of who we believe in; who we follow; who carries our hope.
Jesus healed, preached, taught, and performed miracles. He walked endless miles and made personal sacrifices. He suffered slander and murder attempts. Finally, he was arrested, convicted, tortured, and executed. He did all this to show the limitless dimension of God’s love. He has this much love for me. He has this much love for you.
Our identity gives us a sense of value. The number one component of my identity is my relationship with God. It fills me with everything I need to live out my other identities. Today, I hope you know the good gift of knowing and living your identity in Jesus Christ.
Prayer
God who is the great ‘I Am’, God who walked the earth in the person of Jesus, God who created everything and took the time to look and say ‘it is good’, we give you thanks for our identities; the unique characters and characteristics you have given us. We are thankful you claim us. Lord, give me one opportunity today or this week to show who and whose I am; one who is loved by God, and called to love the world in His name. Amen.