Questions pervade our lives. As soon as we learn how to talk, we start interrogating. How often do children ask their parents, “Why?” And they don’t quit! They persist until exasperated adults retort, “Because I said so!”
As we get older, we play games like 20 Questions to guess what someone’s thinking. The television show, Jeopardy, operates in reverse. It displays the answers and requires contestants to figure out the right questions.
We never outgrow them. About the most important one we ask or answer is, “Will you marry me?” And the most common inquiry we hear in social settings is, “What do you do?”
Questions characterized Jesus’ ministry, too; the Gospels record at least 173 of them. Christ valued questions. But why did He ask so many? What was His goal?
Question marks resemble fish hooks. Get near one, and we can get caught. Through questions, the Lord seeks to grab our attention. And He uses them to reveal the unexpected, change our thinking, and motivate new behavior.
Here’s how He dealt with the question of identity.
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ 14They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’” – Matthew 16:13-14
It sounds as though Jesus was taking a survey! But why would He need to? Josh Hunt proposes an alternative explanation:
“This is what I call a warm up question. It is a get-em talking question. I write small group curriculum for a living. I start nearly every lesson with this kind of question. It is a question to get the group started talking.”
“People have said to me, ‘I have tried using . . . discussion questions and my group doesn’t want to talk.’ Do what Jesus did. Get them talking about somebody else. People love to talk about someone else. I think this is why Jesus asked them about what other people thought. It is always easier to talk about what other people think than to share our own convictions or feelings.”
A redemptive use of gossip!
So Christ’s query got the Twelve talking about the opinions of others. And what an assortment! “Jesus is John the Baptist.” “No, He’s Elijah!” “He sounds like Jeremiah the prophet!”
Everyone thought Jesus was someone else, anyone but Himself. They redefined Him because they couldn’t grasp His identity.
“‘But what about you?’ He asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ 16Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” – Matthew 16:15-16
The disciples had no trouble answering the first question; all they had to do was report what they’d heard. But this one was personal and, as Josh Hunt notes, potentially transformative:
“Jesus knew that when Peter declared Jesus to be, ‘the Christ of God’ that Peter would be changed by this declaration. Jesus taught that we are changed as much by what we say as what we hear . . . This is why the Bible makes a big deal about ‘if you confess with your mouth’ (Romans 10:9) . . . When you confess the truth with your mouth, you are changed by that truth.”
How did Peter’s confession change him?
“Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” – Matthew 16:17-19
When Peter clarified Christ’s identity, he discovered his own.
And that’s what the Father wants to do in our lives. He reveals His Son to us so that we can find satisfaction in Him. We realize our place in His kingdom, cooperate with His people, and serve for His glory in heaven and on earth.
The more we come to know Jesus, the better we’ll know ourselves. And through that wisdom, we can help others to fulfill themselves in Christ.
Where is your identity? It’s in Jesus. Find yourself in Him.
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