Today's Gospel reading reveals that Jesus' 12 disciples, who knew him intimately, as well as the crowds who followed him, expressed different opinions about who the historic Jesus of Nazareth was. Matthew 16:13-14 declares, 'When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
In Matthew 16:15-17 we read this additional account. "Then he asked them, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being". Some bible translations state that Peter declared Jesus was the Christ. Matthew 16:20 states that the historic Jesus called himself the Son of Man as he cautioned his disciples to tell no man that he was the Messiah, the Son of the living God and the Christ.
The bible declares in John 1:1-5 and Hebrews 13:20, that God's eternal covenant relationship with all humankind is established in the eternal Christ of faith [Logos, the Word], who became fully incarnate and fully manifested in the historic Jesus of Nazareth. Here and in John 10:1-18, the historic Jesus described himself as the great shepherd of the sheep. In John 14:1-14, the historic Jesus described himself as the way, the truth and the life and assures us that no man can come to the Father except through him.
Is it possible that the blood [life] of God's eternal covenant with the Son actually refers to the eternal presence of the Christ of Faith, God's image and likeness, as the individualized Logos, in the spiritual body of the historic Jesus and every person [Genesis 1:26-27, Hebrews 13:20]?
Like most Christians, I believe that the historic Jesus, the Son of Mary, was uniquely aware of the character of God and his own personal dependence on and eternal intimate relationship with God as Abba Father [John 5:19, 30; 10:30]. I believe the historic Jesus of Nazareth was fully dependent on and uniquely empowered by the Holy Spirit to teach and fully model God's eternal plan for kingdom living, by incarnate human beings, while here on earth [Genesis 1:28-31]. Like the apostle Paul, I also call Jesus the Christ, because of his person, character and work as the Son of Man. To me the historic Jesus is the incarnate, visible head of the body of Christ.
The historic Jesus is the first born of spiritually awake human beings, who were previously spiritually unaware of the indwelling Christ of faith, before Jesus' incarnation. I do believe that the fullness of the Godhead as the Trinity became fully incarnate in the historic Jesus of Nazareth. I believe that God is pleased to reconcile to himself all things whether in earth or heaven, by making peace through the blood of the cross, the Christ of faith, within all persons [Colossians 1:15-20].
I now recognize that the historic Jesus and all persons are divine, eternal spiritual beings, the image and likeness of God, and sons and daughters of the living God, going through temporary incarnate human experiences. I believe that Jesus and Paul were called by God to make the Word of God [Logos] more fully know the mystery, which has been hidden down through the ages and generations, but now has been revealed to the saints.
I believe the historic Jesus actually lived and revealed the Paschal Mystery. He revealed the eternal liberated, transformed, spiritually awake human being, living under the reign of the Christ of faith [Logos]. The Christ of faith as the image of God dwells in the spiritual body of all people. The bible states that the Christ of faith in you, in me and in all people, is mankind's universal and eternal hope of glory [Colossians 1:23-27].
Do you sincerely desire to be delivered from slavery to sin, pass over into the freedom of God love in and through the Christ of faith [Logos]? Do you desire to be empowered by the Holy Spirit as the historic Jesus was? Do you believe all people are called by God to be guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit to lift up their own indwelling Christ of faith and follow the historic Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery [Matthew 16:24-26]? Do you believe through repentance, humility, faith and obedience, all people can more fully establish the invisible and visible kingdom of heaven here on earth, within us and in our midst [Matthew 6:9-10]? Who do you believe the historic Jesus is?
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