Can answers from other people replace your own?
Welcome to Day 4 of our journey with Jesus. Today, we consider what Jesus calls us to question in our beliefs or lives. The main truth for today is this: What others say about Jesus cannot replace examining who he is for ourselves. Let’s begin.
Current details of the journeyView the calendar, Episode and passage
Jesus in Action
Matthew 16:13–17
Step 4 of 5
Examine what Jesus calls us to question in our beliefs or lives.
Matthew 16:13–17 records a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. Jesus asked two questions. The first was about other people. The second was about the disciples themselves.
Watch: Why Secondhand Answers Are Not Enough.
Watch the companion video, then continue reading to examine the biblical testimony in its full context.
An Idea This Passage Challenges.
One common idea is that knowing what other people say about Jesus is enough. A person can repeat the opinions of friends, family, or teachers. That person may treat those opinions as an answer. This passage invites the reader to examine whether that is enough.
What the Disciples Reported.
Jesus asked, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” “Son of Man” is a title Jesus often used for himself. The disciples reported what they had heard. Some people said John the Baptist. Others said Elijah. Others said Jeremiah or another prophet. Each answer named a man from Israel’s past. The answers were respectful. The answers did not agree.
The Second Question.
Jesus asked a second question. He said, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” The first question was about other people. The second question was about the disciples. The word “you” made the question personal. Jesus asked the disciples to say what they believed.
Peter’s Answer.
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” The other answers called Jesus a prophet. Peter called Jesus the Messiah and God’s Son. Jesus said the Father in heaven had shown this to Peter. Jesus said the answer did not come from “flesh and blood.” This means a human source. Peter did not learn who Jesus is from other people. God showed him.
The Question to Answer for Yourself.
The passage shows a difference between knowing what others say about Jesus and answering the question personally. The disciples’ answers about other people were correct reports. They were not wrong. But they were not the same as a personal answer. You may have heard many things about Jesus. Consider whether those things have become your own answer.
Jesus said the Father in heaven had shown Peter the truth. This is the Question step in the Jesus365 Journey. The next step, the Respond step, asks what response Jesus’ words call for.
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Are you rejecting or accepting Jesus Himself—or only reacting to a version of Him supplied by someone else?
Examine your assumptions
Separate Jesus from the people and institutions that may have represented Him poorly. Commit to examining the Gospel witness directly.
What This Means for Your Life.
Jesus does not let you live forever on secondhand opinions. In the Gospel scene behind this article, people had plenty of labels for Him, but Jesus pressed the deeper question: Who do you say He is? That question still matters whether your background is Christian, Jewish, African traditionalist, Hindu, Muslim, Ancestor/Nature Worshiper, another faith, or none at all. You can inherit admiration, suspicion, or indifference, but none of those answer Jesus for you.
The practical issue is not just what others have said about Him, but whether you are willing to examine His own words and claims. If past experiences with religious people have made you cautious, that caution is understandable. But it should not keep you from listening directly to Jesus in the Gospels and comparing what He says with the images you have received from others.
One way to respond today is to read a Gospel passage slowly and ask, “What kind of person is Jesus presenting Himself to be here?” Then write down one thing you find convincing, one thing that raises a question, and one response you may need to make—whether that is further investigation, repentance, trust, or simple honesty before God.
Reflection question: Am I reacting to Jesus Himself, or to a version of Him handed to me by other people?
