Jesus Asked, "Who Do You Say I Am?"

By Mary Vee
Mark 8, Matthew 16, Luke 9

Peter

Photo by Mary Vee - Israel

I am a disciple of Jesus.

The eleven other disciples and I arrived with Jesus by boat on the northeastern side of the Sea of Galilee at a city called Bethsaida.

The people recognized Jesus as we walked into the city. Some people led a blind man by the hand to see Jesus. "Please. Please help him to see," they begged.

Jesus led the man outside the village. We disciples and the man's friends followed. He spit into his hands then rubbed the spit on the man's eyes. He gently set his hands on the man and said, "Do you see anything?"

The man looked up from the ground then left and right. "I see people. They look like trees walking around."

Jesus held his hands on the man's eyes again. He pulled them away and asked again. "Do you see anything?" 

The man opened his eyes and smiled. He looked left and right. He looked at Jesus and laughed with such joy. "I see everything clearly! I can see! I can see!"

Jesus said, "Go home and rest. Don't go into the village."

I wasn't sure why Jesus didn't want the man to not go to the village. He has said this before. When those who were healed had not listened, huge crowds came searching for Jesus. Even I could see that what they wanted was to see a show, not to listen to his teachings. 

Later when we traveled north to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked us, "Who do you say the Son of Man is?"

We said what we had heard. "Some say John the Baptist. Others say, Elijah. And still, others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

"Okay. That is what they say. But what about you? Who do you say I am?"

I answered before anyone else. I had all confidence in my answer for Him. "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus smiled and said, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. I tell you that you are Peter, which means rock. On this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

He turned to all the other disciples with us and said, "Do not tell anyone that I am the Christ."

I knew what he meant. He said that those words should not be spoken yet. There would be a time for that message to be delivered. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.