Who do you say He is?

Who do you say He is? When Laurel and I were first married, I remember thinking that one of the greatest bonuses of marriage was saying, “I have a friend.” Think about that phrase—I have a friend. It’s simple, yet it invites us into something deeper—the kind of reflection that Jesus once asked His disciples: “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15, NIV) Amid the noise of public opinion, Jesus pressed His followers beyond hearsay to personal conviction. And each one of us faces the same question: Who is Jesus to me? A moral teacher, a historical figure, or someone deeply personal—like a friend? Years ago, I sat in an allergy clinic flipping through magazines and found three articles about the historical Jesus. Each author offered a different version of my friend, Jesus. Some said He was a poet, others a failed revolutionary, and still others a highly troubled man. Something inside me just wanted to scream, “That’s not Him!” It wasn’t intellectual reasoning but personal recognition—the way your heart knows the sound of a familiar voice. I just knew that was not the Jesus I know. That moment reminded me that Jesus cannot be fully defined by analysis or theory. He is known through relationship, through a personal encounter that transforms us. Just like Peter, we are invited to answer that question: Who do you say that I am? Not with borrowed opinions, but with a deep conviction that says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16, NIV) That, is the Jesus that I know. Let’s pray together: Lord Jesus, your question still echoes through time, and I need to answer it again today. Who do you say that I am? Help me move beyond the surface and encounter you in a real and personal way. Let my answers not come from what other people say, but from what I know about you in my heart. In Jesus’ name, amen. Never forget, my friend, you are a miracle. Your friend, Grant Fishbook