27  Life’s Most Important Question  (Luke 9:18–22)

And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” (9:18–22)

The question that the Lord Jesus Christ asked the apostles in verse 20, “But who do you say that I am?” introduces the most critical issue facing any person: the question of Jesus’ identity (cf. 9:9). Where people spend eternity, either in heaven or in hell, depends on answering it correctly. Humanistic philosophy and secularism, as well as aberrant theological systems, cults, and false religions, inevitably reject the truth concerning the nature and work of Jesus Christ. The number of books, articles, papers, symposiums, lectures, and discussions advocating a false identity concerning Jesus Christ is seemingly endless. That plethora of supposedly scholarly and religious efforts to discover who Jesus is surely suggests to some that the question is a very complex, perhaps even unsolvable one. In reality, however, it is only difficult for those who reject the clear revelation of the Bible.

All four Gospels unambiguously present Jesus’ true identity. Speaking for himself and the other gospel writers as well, the apostle John revealed the purpose for the inspired records of the life and labor of Jesus when on behalf of all four he wrote, “These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). That statement is not obscure, but clear and precise: Jesus is the Messiah, God the Son incarnate, the only Savior, and faith in Him results in eternal life.

Like the other three historians, Luke clearly records the identity of Jesus Christ. The angel Gabriel said of Him, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (1:32–33). Later in chapter 1, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, testified that Jesus would fulfill all the promises of the Old Testament (1:68–69, 76–79). At His birth an angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (2:10–11). Later Simeon (2:25–32) and Anna (2:36–38), testified that He was indeed the Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy At the age of twelve, Jesus told His parents that He had to be in His heavenly Father’s house (2:49). John the Baptist, His herald and forerunner, also identified Jesus as the Messiah (3:16–18). At His baptism the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus and the Father affirmed Him as His Son (3:21–22) as He did at the transfiguration (9:35). Even Satan had to acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God (4:3), as did the demons (4:34, 41;8:28).

The Twelve testified that Jesus was Messiah, Savior, and Lord. Recognizing that he was a sinner in the presence of holy God, Peter “fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’” (5:8). After Jesus stilled a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee, the apostles “were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?’” (8:25). Immediately after the feeding in Galilee, the disciples were crossing the lake in a storm when Jesus appeared in the night, walking on the water. Matthew records that “those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’” (Matt. 14:33). But it is here in Luke 9 that the Twelve made a clear, precise, and definitive affirmation that Jesus was the promised Messiah. It comes in Luke’s narrative immediately after the climactic miracle of the Lord’s Galilean ministry, the feeding of the multitude, although the two events did not actually take place in immediate sequence. In the intervening time, Jesus ministered in the largely Gentile regions of Tyre and Sidon and the Decapolis before returning briefly to Galilee. He then once again crossed to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee (see Matt. 14:22–16:12, Mark 6:45–8:26). Some question why Luke failed to record those intervening events. But the vast amount of material available to the inspired gospel writers forced them to be selective (cf.John 21:25). Luke skipped the intervening material, recorded by Matthew and Mark, because doing so fit the thematic flow of this section of his gospel. In 8:25 Luke introduced the question of Jesus’ identity when he recorded the disciples’ fearful question, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” Herod Antipas asked uneasily “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” (9:9). The people, influenced by their messianic expectations and their religious leaders, remained confused about who Jesus really was (see the exposition of v. 19 below).To insert material that would divert his readers from his focus on Jesus’ identity did not serve Luke’s purpose.

As the scene opened, Jesus was praying (cf.vv.28–29;3:21;5:16; 6:12; 11:1; 22:41–45). It is instructive and challenging to note that the God-Man always made communion with the Father a priority in the face of the constant difficulties and demands people made on Him.

Though the Lord was praying alone, the disciples were nearby By this time they had been with Him nearly two and a half years, observing His life and ministry, and being taught and discipled by Him. They had witnessed His power over demons, disease, nature, and death. They had seen overwhelming evidence that He is God, possessing divine power, knowledge, insight, and giving divine revelation. After all that they had seen and heard, the Lord’s question to them in this passage amounted to their final exam.

The setting for this incident was Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:13; Mark 8:27), located north of the Sea of Galilee on the slopes of Mt. Hermon, about forty to fifty miles southwest of Damascus. It was near the extreme northern boundary of Old Testament Israel, not far from the city of Dan. It was originally named Panion, after the god Pan, whom Greek settlers, who entered the region after the death of Alexander the Great, worshiped in a nearby cave. Herod the Great built a temple there, and dedicated it to Rome and Augustus Caesar. Herod’s son Philip the Tetrarch renamed the city Caesarea and appended his own name to it to distinguish it from the other Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. At more than one thousand feet in elevation, this scenic region offered Jesus and the apostles some relief from the crowds in the lowlands. It was also fartherfrom Jerusalem and the hostility of the Jewish leaders, and the threat of Herod Antipas.

The apostles’ “final exam” consisted of two questions. The answer to the first one expressed human opinion concerning Jesus; the answer to the second one expressed divine revelation of His true identity.

THE ANSWER OF HUMAN OPINION

and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” (9:186–19)

Addressing the Twelve Jesus questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” Ochlos (people) is a word Luke used frequently to speak of the uncommitted mass of people who followed Jesus everywhere (cf. ? 37; 4:42; 5:1, 15; 7:11, 24; 8:4; 11:14, 29; 12:1, 54; 13:14, 17; 14:25). They never questioned the legitimacy of His miracles, having witnessed them firsthand (John 7:31; cf. 3:2; 9:16). Indeed, it was largely because of those miraculous signs that they followed Him (John 6:2). They also recognized that no mere human could exercise such supernatural power. Such unparalleled might and creative acts were beyond the realm of human capability, and thus Jesus had to be wielding the forces of heaven. But their ideas as to His specific identity were off target. Some, like Herod Antipas (Matt. 14:1–2), thought He was John the Baptist risen from the dead (cf.9:7). Others opted for Elijah (cf.Mal. 4:5; Matt. 17:10); still others argued that another one of the prophets of old had risen again.

The correct answer to the Lord’s question is clear in Scripture. He is the Son of Man (cf. 6:5; 9:26; 12:8, 10; 17:24, 26, 30; 18:8, 31; 19:10; 21:27, 36), a messianic title derived from Daniel 7:13–14.The angel Gabriel told Mary that He would be “the Son of the Most High” (1:32) and “the Son of God” (v. 35; cf.22:70); another angel told the shepherds that He would be the Savior (2:11); even the demons were forced to acknowledge Him as “the Holy One of God” (4:34) and “the Son of God” (v. 41. See also the discussion of Christ’s identity earlier in this chapter).

It seems incredible that the crowd, knowing what they knew, could come to any wrong conclusion about Jesus. At this point, though uncertain about His identity, the crowds had not yet turned against Jesus. They still hoped He would be the conquering messianic king, who would drive out the Romans, usher in His earthly kingdom and bring blessing and prominence to Israel (cf.John 6:14–15). Israel’s ultimate rejection would not come until Passion Week under strong influence from the religious elite. Many of the Galileans would follow Jesus to Jerusalem and join the mammoth crowd hailing Him as the Messiah as He entered the city. Shockingly, by the end of the week, the crowds of pilgrims and residents would reject Him and scream for His blood. But for the time being, Jesus still maintained some popularity with the people.

John 12 reveals two significant reasons for the crowd’s perplexing inability to correctly identify Jesus. Even during Passion Week, just days from His death, the crowd was still asking Him, “Who is this Son of Man?” (v. 34). Jesus replied that they were not lacking information; they already had the light, and needed to believe the truth that had been revealed to them (vv. 35–36). Having said that, Jesus “went away and hid Himself from them” (v.36).The people knew the truth and rejected it, and as a result God judicially abandoned them:

Tragically, their persistent rejection of the truth eventually brought God’s judicial hardening so that they could not believe.

Another statement in John 12 reveals the second major reason that people fail to affirm Christ’s true identity: “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God” (vv. 42–43). Here is a sobering illustration of the power of false religion—they knew the truth, but refused to act on it. Maintaining their façade of self-righteousness, being accepted by the Jewish religious authorities, and avoiding the trauma of being put out of the synagogue was more important to them than the truth. Like the fickle crowd, because they would not believe they eventually could not believe.

THE ANSWER OF DIVINE REVELATION

And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” (9:20–22)

In light of the confusion and unbelief that His first question revealed, the Lord asked the Twelve, “But who do you say that I am? The word you is emphatic in all three gospel accounts of this incident (cf. Matt. 16:15; Mark 8:29). Who did they in contrast to prevailing public opinion, believe Jesus to be?

The apostles’ answer, voiced by their spokesman Peter, was the absolute antithesis of the crowd’s suggestions. When the Twelve confessed Jesus to be the Christ of God, they did so with full knowledge of the alternative views of Him being proposed. To make their view of Him unmistakably clear, they added their affirmation that He is “the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Christos (Christ) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word mashiach. Both words refer to the anointed one (cf. 4:18; Acts 10:38; Heb. 1:9), the one whom God Himself chose to be prophet, priest, and king, as the possessive phrase of God indicates (cf. 2:26; 23:35; Acts 3:18; 4:26; Rev. 11:15; 12:10). Anyone who rejects Jesus, God’s Messiah, is cursed (1 Cor. 16:22) and deserving of the most severe punishment (Heb. 10:29).

The apostles knew Jesus was not merely another prophet, nor was He the political and military ruler that fit the expectation of the people. He was God’s chosen, anointed Messiah and His beloved Son (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Col. 1:13; 2 Peter 1:17), the king of Israel (John 1:49). The faith of the apostles would continue to waver at times between this confession and their Lord’s death and resurrection. But despite the fluctuations in their trust, they would hold fast to their identification of Him. They would question His plan, especially when He spoke of His death. But never did they doubt His person.

Matthew’s account records that Jesus also told Peter, and by extension the rest of the Twelve (except for the traitor, Judas Iscariot), “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). Spiritually dead people (Eph. 2:1–3) cannot be convinced that Jesus is God, Messiah, Savior, and King unless God awakens the mind, and gives understanding to the heart (1 Cor. 1:21; 2:10–14; 12:3). For that reason Jesus declared, “No one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt. 11:27) and, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44).

Since they had just confessed their belief in Him, this would seem to have been an appropriate time for the apostles to spread the word about Christ’s true identity. They must have been puzzled when He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone. The forceful terms epitimaō (warned) and parangellō (instructed) indicate that Jesus strongly, sternly commanded them not to spread the news that He was the Messiah. In John 12, this was a judicial act on the part of Jesus, hiding the truth from those who were already confirmed in their rejection of it, and the people, who had recently been thwarted in their attempt to make Jesus king (John 6:14–15), did not need to be incited to try again. But the reason for this prohibition was to instruct His followers that the message they were going to preach was not that Jesus was a healer or provider—but the Savior. They would never be sent out to preach permanently until after His death and resurrection. Those consummate achievements by the Lord Jesus would be the essential heart of the gospel they and all who followed them would preach. To show that this was His reason, He immediately spoke of it (cf. Matt. 16:20–23; Mark 8:30–33). On many occasions He restricted the proclamation of His power (Mark 1:25, 34; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, 30; 9:9).The Lord had no intention of starting a revolt against Rome—a revolt based on false expectations of Messiah’s mission.

Instead, Jesus told the apostles, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” If His prohibiting them to spread the truth that He was the Messiah had puzzled the Twelve, this statement must have floored them. There was no mistaking the significance of Christ’s words; the word must reveals that the Savior’s death was part of God’s unalterable plan. Jesus was, as Peter would later proclaim, “delivered over [to death] by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23; cf. 3:18; 4:27–28; 13:27–28; Luke 9:31; 22:22, 37).What Isaiah predicted would infallibly come to pass:

The many things the Son of Man would suffer included the hatred of the Jewish leaders, the agony in Gethsemane, the betrayal by Judas, mockery, a brutal whipping, the crown of thorns, being rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and being forsaken by the Father and killed. All of that must have dealt the apostles’ messianic hopes a staggering blow. The plan was not that Jesus usher in the kingdom, but that He suffer death at the instigation of the rulers of the nation. Jesus came to be “made … sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Having accomplished redemption, Jesus would be raised up in triumph on the third day.