Mat 16:13 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?

Mat 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

More than one person stated who they thought Jesus to be. According to the Word of God, some thought He was John the Baptist. It seems to me that those who stated this believed in reincarnation along with many others who thought He was one of the other prophets of old. They just didn't know Him at all. They were merely guessing who he was by what He preached and taught.

Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

When Jesus then asked His disciples who they thought He was Peter answered and stated that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. It is noteworthy to see that Peter didn't just state the Son of God. He stated the Son of the "living" God. What this means is that there are lots of dead gods. Gods of wood and of stone that have arms, but cannot reach. They have legs but cannot walk. They have eyes and ears but cannot see nor hear. These are gods of the world which Satan has loosed upon the earth.

Peter actually knew Jesus. He knew who He was and where He came from. So how did Peter know who Jesus was without even having to think about it? What made Peter special in that he knew when it seemed many had no idea? Who do you say Jesus is? This is a question I want you to ponder as you read this article.

Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

It is important to note that Jesus' real identity was revealed to Peter. He wasn't just told about Jesus. He didn't just hear a hit song about Him. It wasn't in a poem he had read. It is important to also note that Peter was an ignorant and unlearned man. God Himself revealed to Peter who Jesus really was. Jesus further stated that this is the rock that He will build His church upon. Many think that Peter is the rock that the church is built upon, but Jesus is speaking about the revelation of who He is as being the rock. It must come by the spirit and God is the one who reveals it.

Where does this leave believers as far as preaching the gospel of Christ? We are to preach the gospel in spirit and in truth. Preaching the gospel of Christ is foolishness to men, but is the power of God that opens doors and hearts to receive Jesus Christ. If we refuse to spread the Gospel of Christ, we are not Him and are sons and daughters of Satan. We are to be witnesses of Him all over the world. The blood is upon our hands if we do not tell people about His great love and mercy. We are no better than murderers if we allow people to go to hell without letting them know the truth of His Word.

We must realize that even though it was revealed to Peter who jesus really is, he still wasn't ready to be a witness for Him. (Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. ) The same goes for us today. We cannot be effective witnesses until we are endued with power from on High. The Holy Ghost is who empowers us to be witnesses for Christ. We can give information all day long every day of our lives but it is for nought until the Holy Ghost empowers us. This will give confirmation to the information which leads to a demonstration of the power of the Holy Ghost.

The Apostle Paul wrote: 1Th 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. Many can speak the Word or say the words, but few will demonstrate the power of the Word. There will be a manifestation of the power of God when His word is spoken in the spirit. God is spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Lies have no place in the child of God or in the kingdom of God. The flesh or carnal mind has no place in the kingdom of God.

If you are a new believer or young believer you must grow in grace and learn as you go. Knowing how to follow Jesus doesn't come natural because the flesh wants nothing to do with Jesus. If you are a non-believer, meditate on Jesus. Let Him show you who he really is. If you feel a tug on your heart, ask Jesus to help you to see. He will help you to overcome the desires of the flesh and come to Him.

Why not let the Lord be your Shepherd. He will lead you in the right way and will not steer you wrong. We want to follow men so badly it seems that we refuse to allow God to help us. We are so stubborn and stiffnecked that we can't see straight. We worry about what's in it for us all the time not regarding our fellow human beings. We refuse to let God have His way in our lives. We live as close to the world as possible not wanting to let go of things that will cause us great harm. it is time to let these things go that wiegh us down and so easily beset us. These little pet sins that we have are the ones that will bring us down if we hold on to them.

God asked Job a question: Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. In the day we now live scientists try everything possible to undertsand how everything was created in the beginning. They do this is order to disprove that God is even real. They will fail in doing so because no one can understand God. We only know what is revealed to us by his spirit. (Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. ) Revelation can only come by His spirit. It has nothing to do with power and might. It has nothing to do with how well educated a person is. It has nothing to do with how old you are or how young.

 I know it may seem that I am saying to not preach the word or try and reveal Jesus to people. That is not my intention. The Word must be presented before revelation can come. The spirit must be able to work and sometimes it only takes one single word to get someone to thinking about Jesus. We must simply be prepared to preach or witness in the spirit.

I pray that you have been blessed by this article.