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The Other Half The Other Half
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‘Who do you say I am?’ is what Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 16:15. The Celebrate Core Group has chosen this as the theme for the Celebrate Weekends in 2011 and ever since the meeting a few days ago I have been thinking about the question. It’s the ‘personal’ aspect of it that is so disconcerting. ‘Who do YOU say I am?’ Being me, I tend to relate spiritual questions to my everyday life! If Charles asked me the same thing – what would I say? I could say what others say - your children see you as their father; your father as his son. Northampton Youth Ministries and CaFE see you as the boss; people know you as a writer, a teacher - need I go on? For myself - I see him as the person I fell in love with so many years ago, my ‘other half’! So, how can I reply to Christ? I’m realising that He is many things to different people. A friend, a healer, a provider, a challenger, a comforter – but who is He for me? I still remember my first thought about Him when I became a Christian. The day after my encounter with God, I woke up and immediately said , “Thank you God for today.” And I KNEW that my Father in heaven had created me, that Jesus had died for me and that the Holy Spirit now lived in me. So, I could reply “Jesus, you died for me to reconcile me with our Father – how could you do that? You are amazing!” So I see Him as Saviour, I think – but there’s so much more. I’m now admiring Peter for giving such a perfect answer – it truly must have been a revelation from heaven to have been so concise but all encompassing! I find myself reading on in the text and I’m struck by the next few words Jesus spoke – “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.” In that moment of acknowledging Christ for who He is, Jesus gives Peter an identity and a purpose. That is true for each of us – as we meet Christ and acknowledge him as Lord, so we find our true identity and discover that He has a plan for us – it’s already prepared. So I can say to Jesus “ You are my Saviour,
the Son of God and I love you. Everything else I will learn about you
will pale into insignificance beside that. You have changed my life!” © Sue Whitehead
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