Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” What if Peter was wrong? In his letter to the Christians of Corinth, the Apostle Paul gives the perfect response to this question. I Corinthians 15:1-8 is as relevant today as ever before.
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the Gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this Gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
Islam rejects Jesus as the Son of God. Judaism holds that Jesus is not the Messiah. Who do you say that He is? Is your faith based on family tradition? Is your faith based on culture? If you had grown up in a Muslim nation, would you be Muslim? Is your faith based on logic? Who do you say that He is? What we do with this question sets the course for the rest of our lives and all of eternity.
If the Gospel is not true, Paul says we have believed in vain. This point is made further in I Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
It all comes down to Easter Sunday. Jesus either rose from the dead or He didn’t. Jesus was either Lord, as He claimed, a liar, as some believe, or a raving lunatic, as we would be if He is not in fact who He claimed to be. Easter is the perfect time to consider who you believe Jesus really is.
I Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
For Believers, Easter is the perfect time to approach our neighbors, family and friends with gentleness and respect, asking them, “Who do you say He is?” Don’t be shy. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you as you share the truth about Jesus.
As the famous Easter song proclaims, “He’s alive and I’m forgiven. Heaven’s gates are open wide. He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s alive. I believe it. He’s alive. Sweet Jesus!”
To learn more about faith in Jesus Christ, visit www.mostimportantthing.org.
