Are You Seeing Jesus Clearly?
One of the most important questions ever asked is the question that Jesus posed to His disciples while they were on the way to Caesarea Philippi: "But who do you say that I am?"
Many people today can recite what other people are saying about Jesus’s identity. The things that the “outsiders” of today are saying about Jesus, are really no different from what the “outsiders” in the first century were saying about Him. Because “outsiders” are blind and cannot see or understand Jesus’s true identity, they come up with all kinds of other explanations. But Jesus always probes His disciples, and us, further.
At first glance, Peter's answer, "You are the Christ" seems perfect. Peter correctly identified Jesus as God's promised Messiah. Yet as Mark’s gospel narrative unfolds, we discover that while Peter and the disciples now understood who Jesus was (they’ve got His identity right), they were still not seeing Jesus clearly. They didn’t understand Jesus’s mission. Their preconceived notions about Jesus and His role as the Messiah blinded them. And we are prone to the same problem.
Mark places the healing of a blind man in Bethsaida immediately before Peter's confession for a reason. The miracle serves as a picture of the disciples' spiritual condition, and … of our own. We may see something of Jesus’s identity, but often we tend to cover our eyes and plug our ears to His mission and our mission as His disciples, because it cuts against the grain of our own desires and selfish ambitions.
Genuine discipleship is about more than having the correct information. It first requires seeing Jesus’s identity clearly and then choosing to follow Him faithfully. And in the process of following Jesus, one of our greatest dangers is our failure to recognize or acknowledge that we are prone to blind spots. Pride convinces us that we are seeing things clearly, and we convince ourselves that we are right, and everyone else is wrong. But a humble person is willing to honestly look at themselves in a mirror of God’s Word, to regularly seek God’s help through prayer, and accept the help of brothers and sisters in Christ.
Authentic discipleship is not about inviting Jesus to help us accomplish our dreams. It is about surrendering our dreams so that we can participate in His mission. It is not about watching from the sidelines but actively following Jesus "on the way" wherever He leads us.
So, who do you say that Jesus is? Are you following the real Jesus on the pathway of self-denial, sacrificial service, and obedience? Or are you following an imaginary version of Him that is shaped by your own preferences and expectations?
The good news is that Jesus never gives up on His disciples. He patiently opens blind eyes and continues His transforming work in those who trust and follow Him. So, come to Him humbly and honestly. Ask Him to reveal your blind spots, deepen your faith, and help you to see Him more clearly. Because the pathway of genuine discipleship begins there and continues every day as we follow Him "on the way."
Following Him,
Dan Brewer
Foundational Faith Statement #43: What is the mission of the church?
The mission of the church is to glorify God by making more and better disciples of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished by proclaiming the gospel message to those without Christ, baptizing all who believe, and discipling believers with God’s truth to present everyone complete in Christ (Matt. 28:19–20; Col. 1:28–29).