Many Opinions, One Question
Matthew 16:13–14
Before Jesus asked the disciples what they thought, He asked what everybody else was saying. “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Their report: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
Notice that these are generous answers. Each puts Jesus above an ordinary man. But look at the three names. John was bold and confrontational. Elijah was the prophet of power. Jeremiah was the weeping prophet, tender and compassionate. Each is true of Jesus, and yet each falls terribly short of who He is.
We still do this today. Some want only the Jesus who confronts, as long as He’s confronting someone else. Some want the miracle-working Jesus. Some want the gentle Jesus of grace and no more. Whenever we pick the parts of Jesus we like and ignore the rest, we’ve made a Jesus in our own image.
Paul saw this coming. He warned the Corinthians about people who would preach “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4). Not no Jesus, but another one. Every age has tried it: the pop-culture Jesus, the good-teacher Jesus, the Jesus recruited to every ideology.
Humanity has a million opinions, and they can’t all be right. Two opposing views might both be false, but they can’t both be true.
If people said untrue things about you, you’d want the chance to speak for yourself. Let’s give Jesus the same kindness.
Pause and ponder: Which “version” of Jesus is easiest for you to settle for?
▶ Watch the full message: [VIDEO LINK]
Next: Heaven speaks, and Jesus speaks for Himself.