who do you say I am

I was reading in Luke today the passage where Jesus asks Peter, "Who do YOU say that I am?"

It was the first time I think I've read that and taken it personally.   It challenged me.

Can that question be answered by the way I live my life?  If I really, really believe Jesus is the son of God - the promised messiah, would I be different than I am?

Who do I say that He is?

I say a lot of things.

Can you imagine being looked in the eyes by Jesus, right after He's miraculously fed the 5,000 and healed the sick and being asked, "Who do YOU say I am..."

I say He is truly, "the son of God, the predicted Messiah, my savior"...

Who do you say His is?   Do your actions back up what you say?

what I learned today

It seemed fitting to read Luke 1 today before I finished (hopefully) all the creative details of Crossroads' Christmas services.

Out of the whole passage what caught my attention was a portion of Mary's conversation with Elisabeth.

Over and over again in the Bible God talks about the needy, the humble, the servants when all the world values are the complete opposite characteristics.

Luke 1: 51-53
"He has shown strength with his arm; 
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty."

Mary knew who she carried in her womb and she knew what God's promises were for the coming Messiah - what he would do for His people.  She rejoiced!

Can you imagine being the parent of a child that had been written about for years and years before his birth?  Everyone that read the scriptures knew what was promised.  Sadly many didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah, mainly perhaps because He didn't come the way they thought He would.

They expected a mighty King - someone who would overthrow evil earthly kingdoms and lead His people strongly.  Did they make up their own version of what the Messiah would be?

Just as the scriptures discuss above, it's the humble and the hungry He ministered to and worked through.  The healed witnessed to others, the shepherd boy killed giants, the widows last mite was used to demonstrate to generations that followed what our hearts should be like in order to really give.

The proud - even the proud spiritual leaders of the day refused to except a baby born of a human mother who quietly lead most of the time.

God's way of overthrowing governments and evil is to usually use an unlikely man or woman.  Someone who is powerless in the world's eyes.  Or someone who has been reduced to nothing in order to be used.

I try to see Him through all that I have and most of the time I don't see Him clearly.  It's difficult to need a Savior when you have all that you need now.  The humble, needy and sick need Him immediately - with no effort they see He is their only salvation.

Perspective comes when I quietly and honestly look at how fast my life is passing and ask myself -
"will anything I've done or bought or spent my time doing withstand the scrutiny of eternity?"

what I learned today

As usual, my study created more questions than answers.  Maybe that is how it should be based on how many questions Jesus asked people instead of answering them directly!  It makes you wrestle with the answer, maybe giving you more ownership when Christ reveals it to you...not sure.

Today I studied the life of Anna.  WOW - talk about a dedicated life.  She literally spent her entire life in the temple PRAYING without ceasing for the coming of Messiah!

To simplify the study:

The temple was HUGE.  Anna lived in a small quarter on the temple grounds.  There was no way she would have heard Simeon dedicating JESUS by accidentally strolling by at just the right time.  God placed her there, close to them!

At any given time there were thousands of people at the temple.  But on this special day God connected Mary and Joseph with Simeon to bless this precious God Child.  And he gave Anna the desire of her heart - not just by SENDING Messiah, but He directed her to be within EARSHOT of what Simeon was doing.  And that must have been close, due to the age the scriptures suggest she was - she could have been hard of hearing!  (just a little conjecture on my part - ha!)

By faith she KNEW immediately that this was the MESSIAH!  Many doubted because they thought Messiah would be a mighty, full grown, muscle bound, powerful SAVIOR that arrived to save them.  But Anna KNEW HIM immediately and that required a revelation from God.

The reason she was called a prophetess (one of only 5 women in the old Testament referred to in that way) was because she studied and taught the Word of God constantly!  When she wasn't praying she was sharing with everyone who would listen about the God she loved so intimately and the coming Messiah.

And now, in an instant, during a walk around the temple - God let her be one of the few that saw CHRISTS' revealing and dedication.

As this week points us toward Easter I found it interesting that I would be studying the beginning of his short life on earth...

The question this study created within me is this, if Anna was mentioned in scripture largely because of her incredible dedication to study, sharing with others the Gospel and prayer, particularly her constant prayer asking for the Messiah, should I now constantly prayer for Jesus' second coming?

Maybe believers longing for Christ's return, praying without ceasing - with no distractions - from prison cells, and poverty are more blessed than I with all my stuff and distractions...

Do I HONESTLY long for Him???  This question is where the story of Anna took me - very convicting.