Luke 9:18b -19 (ESV) … the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.”
Jesus had been active in ministry for some time and great crowds were coming to see Him. He had been three main things: teaching about the kingdom of God, healing the sick and casting demons out of people. So, Jesus asked his disciples a simple question, Who do the crowds say I am? He got three different answers, but all were similar. All answers thought that Jesus was some type of prophet.
Some thought that he was John the Baptist or another old testament prophet risen from the dead. However, the crowds are usually wrong. Although he was a prophet, he was much more than a prophet.
Luke 9:20 (ESV) Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
So, Jesus then asked his disciples a second question, who do you say that I am? Peter gave the right and only proper answer, that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah of God. You see a prophet was simply a human being prophesying God’s truth. The Messiah, according to the prophets was going to be God in human form. Peter had come to believe that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. Now, the people of Israel thought that the Messiah would be a military leader who would overthrow the Romans. But that was not the purpose of the Messiah.
Luke 9:22 (ESV) saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Jesus acknowledges that Peter is right, but corrects any misconceptions the disciples may have about the Messiah. Rather than ruling and reigning at this time, the Messiah would suffer, be rejected and killed. But that is not the end of the story, nor the end of the Messiah. For on the third day, the Messiah would rise from the dead, never to die again. The resurrection is the ultimate proof that Jesus was and is the Messiah of God. Jesus acknowledged that He indeed was the Messiah.
We could ask ourselves the same two questions that Jesus asked his disciples. First is, who do the crowds say that Jesus is? Most today would agree with the crowds in Israel 2000 years ago. Jesus was a good teacher, a prophet, but simply a human being like all the others. Indeed, Jesus was a good teacher, a prophet and a human being, but He was much more.
In the passage we’ve studied so far, we see Jesus accepting the title of Messiah. Messiah means that Jesus was Mighty God, Everlasting Father, God in human flesh. So, what are the possible responses to Jesus’ claims?
First of all, we can’t say with the crowds that Jesus was simply a good teacher or prophet. Why not? Because he claimed to be the son of God, the Messiah. If these statements were not true, Jesus would be either a liar or a lunatic and not a good teacher or prophet. But If Jesus’ statements are true, then he must be the Messiah, the Lord. What are the implications if Jesus is the Messiah?