I would just like to throw out a couple of random thoughts first. First, why is McDonald's always having "technical difficulties" with their drive through every time I come? I think after 11:00 they decide they need a break and just tell everyone in the drive-thru to come back in half an hour. That's frustrating when you're craving those two cheeseburgers with no onions. And second, I think that the service clubs should do rush skits too. The girls' skits were hilarious!
But anyway, today I went to First Baptist Church Jackson for the Sunday morning service, and it was a good service. It's a beautiful church and I like the traditional and contemporary blend of the service. But the pastor spoke on a passage of scripture from Matt. 16. And I noticed something very interesting about it. In this passage, Jesus first asks the disciples who the people around them say that the Son of Man is. And they reply to Him and tell Him that the people think the Son of Man is Elijah or John the Baptist, etc. etc. So then Jesus asks them who they think that He is. And Peter speaks up and says that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And then Jesus does something really cool! He says, " Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church..." So basically, what stood out to me is that Jesus asks Peter who He is. Peter, because He knows Jesus, answers correctly. Jesus then, and this is the cool part, gives him a new name. I don't think Peter would have believed Jesus about being the "rock" on which He would build His church. Wouldn't that sound crazy to Peter who would later deny Jesus three times? But the illustration that I saw from this is that when Peter knew who Jesus was, Jesus told Peter who he was. And what Jesus said came true.
That is directly applicable to everyone's life. When we know Jesus...when we understand that He is the Son of the living God, He will tell us who we are. He knows exactly who we are, even better than we know ourselves. And He knows how he wants to use us, just like He knew how He would use Peter. So knowing Jesus is sort of an indirect way to knowing ourselves. And doesn't everyone want to know who they are and what they're here for? Who better to get that answer from than the God who made us?
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