A Holy Week Journey With James MacDonaldSample

Final Answer

When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am” (Matthew 16:13–15, ESV)?

Most days begin and end with a lot of questions—questions about managing your week, questions about where your career is going, questions about the future, questions about how best to approach the next big challenge that you hope will lead to better things for you and your family.

But a hundred years from now, all of your answers to all of those questions will be totally worthless to you. The only question that will end up having mattered is whether you believed Jesus Christ to be who He truly is. Not “well, I’ve heard,” or “they seem to say,” or “some people believe,” but, as Jesus said, “who do you say that I am?” Because it all comes down to that. Every person is headed quickly to a face-to-face meeting with the God of the universe, and when He looks at you, this is going to be the question: “Who do you say that I am?”

I’ve been to the place mentioned in Matthew 16, Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus first posed the question to His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” There’s an enormous, beautiful rock face in that location, into which are carved a number of alcoves. During the time of Christ, depictions of various idols (false gods) had been erected and situated inside those recessed areas. Then as now, people said a lot of things and held a lot of opinions about who Jesus was and is.

But today, on this Easter Day, with no guarantee of tomorrow, it’s only a matter of “who do you say that I am?”

A matter of individuality. “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

A matter of eternity. “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

A matter of opportunity. “Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God” (Hebrews 10:28–29)?

A matter of urgency. “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven” (Hebrews 12:25).

What say you? Today?

Because a day is coming when you can’t change your answer.

Jesus once told the story of a businessman who “went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return” (Luke 19:12). But the people of the land had another opinion. “His citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us’” (Luke 19:14). Jesus, our Immanuel (meaning “God with us”), came to the earth, lived a perfect life, and died a sinless death so we could be forgiven. Then He rose from the dead, conquering even the grave. He has truly received a kingdom. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11).

Bow to Him willingly today, on this Easter day.

Let it be your final answer to His most important question.

Journal

• Declare your answer. Put it in writing, just to see it, even if you’ve said it many times before.
• What’s been new to you this Holy Week? What has God revealed to you through His Word that you hadn’t really seen before? How will it change you today, tomorrow, and always?

Pray
Lord, You’ve changed me this Easter. Thank You for continuing to speak where I can hear. Thank You for doing something so incredible for me that I can never reach the depths of its greatness. The cross, the empty tomb, the hope of heaven—You keep me coming back to them, and they astound me every time. You are my God, and I willingly bow before You, receiving the faith You give me to believe, so that I can come to You in the name of Christ my Lord, amen.