The Importance of Identity

“He said to them,

‘But who do you say that I am?’

Simon Peter said in reply,

‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”

Matthew 16:15-16

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

One’s identity is crucial. It sort of dictates what we do, how we act, and what we believe. So when Jesus asks His disciples who the people say that He is, He further asks, “But who do YOU say that I am?”  Jesus wanted to know who they, His followers, know Him to be. Peter said that He is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” By making that confession, Peter was saying that He knows Jesus and He believes in Him and in the One who sent Him. From knowing Jesus’ identity, Peter came to know His own.

Jesus asks you today, “Who do you say that I am?  Who am I to you?” How you answer this question will determine your own identity. The answer here is not that He is the Son of God or the Second Person of the Trinity – both of which are correct, but rather who is Jesus to you?  Do you know Him or do you only know of and about Him? We need to know the answer to Jesus’ question because our life depends on it. Is Jesus my Savior and my brother or is He a God that is up there in heaven that is far away from me?  For me, Jesus is my Savior and my brother, my sustainer and my redeemer, my all in all.  And in knowing that I know who I am before God – a beloved son. How about you? Jesus asks you today, “Who am I to you?”