On this particular night they were gathered to sup before they retired for the day. The air was cool and crisp and the aroma of roasted quail caused his stomach to rumble with hunger. They shared their meal under the open skies as they often did atop Yochan’s home. It had been two years since Nathanael had decided to follow the Rabbi. Nathanael had seen the great things that Yeshua had promised him he would see. Yeshua had healed the sick. Yeshua had restored sight and caused the lame to walk again. Yeshua had brought the dead to life; Nathaniel smiled as a memory of Lazarus walking out of the grave crossed his mind. Even the winds in the storm had cowered at His command; Yeshua walked on water. He turned to his left and saw Shimon son of Jonah bite into a piece of bread and he shook his head in amazement, even Shimon had walked on that water with the Rabbi. Nathanael considered all these things as he tried to speak out the answer to the question that Yeshua had just asked them. He knew the answer, it was embedded in his heart; he just could not bring himself to speak it.
‘Who do you say that I am?’ the rabbi asked again, his piercing eyes looking straight into each and every one of them.
That’s the question; the question that every single person on this planet is going to have to answer at some point. It is the question that determines whether you will experience the wonder working power of Jesus in your life. It is the question that will determine whether you will give up your life for him; the answer to which will determine whether God is going to use you to fulfil his purposes on this earth. It is the question that will determine whether you will spend eternity with the Holy Father or with the Father of lies.
Throughout their history the Jews, beginning with the patriarchs, have sought to find a name that is befitting God and have come up numerous names describing the many things they have seen God do as a nation. Yet, when Moses, staring at the burning bush asked who was sending him the answer he received was simply I AM. You see, Moses needed an answer. Moses needed to know who was going to order his steps and who was asking him to believe. The many people that God used had to have this understanding before they believed that God was able to do through them what He wanted done.
Step in Jesus Christ and the question remained the same; from the people who saw and received his miracles to those who wanted to kill him, even his own disciples struggled with the answer to this question.
‘Who are you?’ The Jews who followed him asked1
‘Don’t you know me Phillip?’Jesus asked his disciple2
‘Are you the Son of God then?’ Asked the teachers of the law3
‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Pilate asked4
‘Who is this Son of Man?’5
‘Who are you Lord?’ Saul asked on the Damascus road6
‘Who is he that I might believe?’ Asked the man who had been given back his sight7
I could go on. The point is this; the answer to these questions marked the turning point for those who believed Him to be the son of God. Many were confused about him, many had doubts, many did not want to believe, many were too proud to admit what they knew to be the truth and many more believed and followed him. To who was the Lord revealed8 and what was their response?
He is a Prophet!9
He is a Samaritan and is demon possessed!10
If you are the Christ, tell us!11
He is demon possessed12
He is out of his mind!13
Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God!14
But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” 26
Yet, there was a great multitude that got the revelation of who Yeshua was and they believed.
He truly was the Son of God15
Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!16
Rabbi! You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!17
You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God!18
You are the Son of God!19 even the demons recognized him
Has this question been posed to you? How have you responded? Who do say that he is?
Is it possible that you believe in God because you have heard others talk about Him and because you have experienced Him personally? If Jesus showed up today would he ask you what he asked Pilate! Is that your own idea or have others spoken to you about me?20 Do you have a relationship with God that is beyond that which you have heard you mum talk about? Your friends talk about? Your pastors talk about? Do you know Jesus Christ for yourself?
Is it possible that you have walked with Jesus all this time and still do not have a revelation of who He is? If He came to you today would he ask you what he asked Phillip who was one of the very first disciples to follow him? Don’t you know me, even after I have been among you such a long time?This is pertinent for me who claims to be born again. It is this revelation of Jesus that separates a Christian who is so by form and name and one who actually walks in power!!!
Are you a believer who knows that God wants to use you in a specific way to affect your generation dramatically? You need a revelation of who the Great I AM really is. It is after receiving this revelation that Moses was able to go and deliver the Israelites out of bondage. It was after receiving this revelation that Peter got his commission to be the Rock upon which the church would be built. It is after receiving this revelation that Saul – the Pharisee of Pharisees was able to go out into the entire world proclaiming the great news and becoming the most celebrated missionary in the history of the church. What about you? What is God calling you to do? Do you have a revelation of the God that has called you?
One of the counter arguments that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees had against Jesus was the question of a witness who would testify to who He claimed to be. Jesus did not need the testimony of men because he himself knew the hearts of all men21, but he did quote the testimony of John the Baptist whom many of the Jews had held in high esteem. He did not need a man to testify about him because the Holy God of Israel had already testified about him in the presence of his disciples.26
Jesus also said the scriptures themselves testified about him, the scriptures that the Jews believed held eternal life for them are the very same ones that talked about him.22
His works testified about him23, for no one could do the things he did unless he came from God. Jesus told the Pharisees that if they could not believe what he said about himself, at the very least they ought to have believed the works he did. For the works proved that He had been sent by the Father.
Lastly, for us who walk on this earth today. The Spirit of God testifies about the Son of God.24,25.
Today if you hear the tugging of the Holy Spirit, telling you that in Jesus you will find freedom from condemnation, testifying that Jesus is the Son of God do not harden your heart because ultimately at the very end of time you will have to answer that very same question.
Who do you say that I am? Who do you say that He is? That’s where it will begin for you OR that is where it will end for you.
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they
picked up stones to stone him...
1. John 8:25
2. John 14:9
3. Luke 22:67
4. Luke 23:3
5. John 12:34
6. Acts 9:5
7. John 9:36
8. John 12:38
9. John 9:17
10.John 8:48
11. Luke 22:67
12. John 10:20
13. Mark 3:21
14. John 3:2
15. Mathew 27:54
16. John 1:35
17. John 1:49
18. Mathew 16:16
19. Mark 3:11
20. John 18:34
21. John 2:24
22. John 5:39
23. John 5:36
24 Romans 8:12
25 1 John 5:6
26. Luke 3:22
