Totally Unique

May 4

Do you suppose Jesus was concerned about public opinion? If He were like modern politicians, He would be reading the polls and redefining Himself with every new indicator of exactly what the public perceived Him to be and whether that perception met their approval.

But, Jesus wasn’t in the business of conforming Himself to a standard established by public opinion. He was what He came to be and He knew many found that offensive. Why then did He ask of Peter in Matthew 16:13, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Perhaps because it gave Peter the opportunity to articulate his understanding of Christ’s mission, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” Matthew 16:16. It gave him the chance to say it, although he did not fully understand it at the time. In fact, Jesus went on to say in the next verses that “…flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but My Father…”

And perhaps in posing the question to Peter, believers through the ages are given the opportunity to express faith in the One who has come as the Son, the full representation of God. Perhaps this was Jesus’ way of pressing us to a point of recognizing how totally unique He is. As the Second Person of the Trinity, He encompasses the entirety of our salvation package—revealed by His Father.