At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disicples two questions.  The first was; who do people say that the Son of man is?  The Son of man was a divine person in prophecy.  In Daniel we see the Son of man twice; first when Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego are in the firey fiurnace, onlookers see them walking around unharmed with an fourth figure discribed as a Son of man.  Also in Daniel, in the seventh chapter, it is propehsied that the Son of man will appear at the end of time to bring history to a close.  So, to ask who people say the Son of man is, would have elicited the responses of the best scholars and theologians of the day; could it have been John the Baptist?  Maybe it is when Elijah comes back, that's who the Son of man is.  Still others may have said simply one of the prophets like Jeremiah.

Then Jesus changes the question; what about you?  Who do YOU say that I am?  This question does two things; first it implies very strongly that Jesus asked that first question about himself, therefore identifiying himself as the Son of man, and secondly, it took things from the theoretical realm of what others said and thought, and brought it down to the flesh and blood reality of the faith of the disciples; I know what others say, but what about you?

Each of us must answer for him or herself that same question.  Who is Jesus?  Even Islam recognizes Jesus as a prophet; most Jewish people will admit that the historical figure of Jesus was a good and wise man, Buddhists and Hindus will say that Jesus was just a good man, a wise person, perhaps even an enlightened person.  Those are all good things; but in the end, either Jesus was who he claimed he was; God incarnate, or he was the biggest liar to walk the face of the earth!  If he was not God in the flesh, then his death paid for no one's sins and we are all still condemned under the law.  If Jesus was who he said he was, our sins are forgiven and we are able to have a full and free relationship with God.

So ... what about you?