In Matthew 16:13, during a conversation with his disciples, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?” The disciples responded with who other people thought Jesus was. Jesus then proceeded to ask, “But who do you say I am?” Without hesitation, Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Upon his confession of faith, Jesus famously told Peter, “You are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”
Until Peter identified Jesus as the Son of God, he was just a fisherman whose life lacked real purpose and meaning, but God will never talk to us as we are; he’ll always talk to us as who we’re meant to be. Once he was able to acknowledge Jesus as Christ, his identity changed. He became a rock Jesus would build his church on.
Peter went on to preach the gospel which resulted in thousands of salvations just weeks after denying Jesus. His identity wasn’t found in his past mistakes; it was found in who Jesus said he was. Knowing who you are starts with knowing who He is.
So, who do you say Jesus is? How you answer this question is important because you find your true identity and calling when you acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to you who Jesus truly is. You’ll never know Jesus from a distance, you must have a personal encounter with him. Discover who Jesus is for yourself, not just who others say he is. Just like Peter, once we receive a revelation of who Jesus is, he gives us a revelation of who we are.