Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And He continued questioning them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” And He warned them to tell no one about Him.

What are some things you have heard about Jesus from other people? Who is He to your friends, family, coworkers, or classmates? Across the span of our lives, we hear a lot of different thoughts about who Jesus is—from a good teacher to a Savior, to a hated enemy. Even as Jesus walked the earth, many people thought of Him in different ways. Many saw something special about Him, but to call Him the Christ would be a call to surrender. Giving Jesus the title of Christ, the Messiah that the world had been waiting for, would mean letting go of what was comfortable and trusting Him as He led.

Many were ready for a teacher, but few were ready for a Savior. Like the people of this time, we would rather get information from Jesus than surrender to Him. We want to understand more from Him as a prophet or good teacher, but it is hard to let go and trust Him as the Christ, the Savior of the world and our souls.

When we recognize Jesus as the Christ, everything in our lives changes. We realize His place of authority over us, His ability to guide us and save us, and our need to let go and let Him do the work in us. Even though many of us have made this decision before, we have to surrender continually and put this into practice in all areas of our lives. Peter gave this proclamation and still struggled to live it out as he denied Jesus later on. We must surrender continuously, reminding ourselves of this foundational truth of who Christ is over our lives.

• When have you forgotten Jesus is the Christ? How did that affect what were going through?
• What are some things that change when you remember Jesus as the Christ and Messiah?
• Pray and ask God to show you where you have not surrendered to Him as the Christ.