Whom Do Men Say that Jesus Is? - Matthew 16:13

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus told His disciples to, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O you of little faith, why reason you among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? How is it that you do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees”, and in chapter sixteen and verse thirteen of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus asked His disciples, “whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” where we read:

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying,

Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

The verse reads, “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, ...”. Matthew began with the word, “when” which means “at the time and moment” “Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “came into the coasts” which means “approached the coastline” “of Caesarea Philippi” which means “severed lover of horses” and was “situated at the foot of Lebanon near the sources of the Jordan in Gaulanitis and formerly called Paneas; but afterward being rebuilt by Philip the tetrarch. It was called by him Caesarea, in honour of Tiberias Caesar; subsequently called Neronias by Agrippa II, in honour of Nero”, “he asked” or “Jesus questioned” “his disciples” which refers to Jesus' “students, pupils and attendants”. Matthew shared how Jesus presented the following question to His disciples when they reached the shoreline of “Caesarea Philippi”.

The verse continues “... Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” Matthew added the word, “whom” which means “what person” “do men say” which means “are people declaring, uttering and proclaiming” “that I the Son of man am” or “that Jesus the Son of God is”? Matthew shared how Jesus questioned His disciples as to whom people were saying He was.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see Jesus presenting an interesting question to His disciples. His desire is to know who people were “saying” that He was. People today formulate their opinions as to who Jesus really is, and it was no different within the time of the disciples on earth. Jesus posed the question that should be asked of every person, “Whom do men say that” Jesus “is”? May all who read these words know Jesus as God's Messiah who desires to be their personal “Savior and Lord”.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus' disciples answered, “John the Baptist, Elias, Jeremiah or one of the prophets”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.