Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” And He warned them to tell no one about Him.

                                                                                                               Mark 8:27-30 

If you were taking an exam on the Person of Jesus Christ, would you pass? In today’s passage, Jesus is asking His disciples what people are saying about His identity. There were a number of opinions including, John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets. Peter, when asked the same question, bypassed all of the incorrect answers and declared the truth, “You are the Christ.”

The name Jesus means “God saves.” Christ can be translated “Messiah” or “Anointed One.” Add to these names, Emmanuel, meaning “God with us” and you begin to get a clear picture of Jesus’ true identity. But in a world that continues to hold various opinions of Jesus, it is vitally important for us, as believers, to accurately communicate the truth about Christ to a lost and hurting world. Let’s begin with the following:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

                                                                                                                       John 14:6 

The first truth about Christ that we need to communicate is that He is the way, He is the truth, and He is the life. Jesus is not just one of many religious options to be chosen from as you might select food from a buffet. Jesus is the only way to God. When He says “no one” comes to the Father but through Him, He speaks of His own authority as our Mediator (1Timothy 2:4-6, Hebrews 4:14-16). When we pray “in the name of Jesus”, we don’t do so because it sounds like a “holy” thing to say. We pray in the name of Jesus because it is the Person of Christ that gives us the right to approach Him in the first place. Without the cross, none of us have any rights before God. Praise God for the cross of Jesus who has made a way for us to access the Father!

Secondly, Jesus is the only name in which we can be saved for all eternity. Consider the following: 

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

                                                                                                                   Acts 4:12

There is salvation in no one else. It was God’s plan to send Jesus, who is without sin, to become sin and take our place as an atoning sacrifice for our sin, making us acceptable before God (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can involve ourselves in any other activity this world has to offer, but our souls can only be saved through the name of Jesus.

Thirdly, it is vital that we know that Jesus was God in human flesh. Imagine the Creator of the universe, leaving His rightful place in heaven, taking on human flesh, and walking this road with us. Consider the following:

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

                                                                                                     Colossians 1:15-16 

All things were created by Him, through Him, and for Him (John 1:1-3). When we come to personally know the Creator of the universe, we can live our lives with the purpose and design that He originally intended for us to enjoy. And this personal relationship with God comes through the name of Jesus.

Finally, consider the following:

He (Jesus) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 

                                                                                                       Colossians 1:17-18 

Jesus is eternal. He is the One who holds everything together. He is the head of the church (all born again believers). Jesus has first place in everything. This is the reason why we should give Jesus, not a place in our lives, but put Him center stage in everything that we do.

Knowing Jesus goes far beyond intellectual knowledge about Him. We are called to know Him intimately. Jesus is our Mediator to the Father. Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And all things were created for Him. If asked the question, “Who is Jesus?” would you pass the test? 

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

                                                                                                         Philippians 2:9-11