In Our Own Image

Mark 8:27-32 (NIV)
²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
²⁸ They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."
²⁹ "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Peter tells Jesus that He is the Christ. On the surface this appears to indicate that the disciples have fully understood His teaching and purpose. We might rejoice in this breakthrough except the next verses bring us to the realization that their understanding is only partial. Peter used the right word for his answer but he does not rightly understand what it means.

Jesus begins to teach them the true meaning which does not match their idea or expectation of the Christ. Peter, in his bold fashion, pulls Jesus to the side to tell Him He has it all wrong. He doesn’t want to embarrass Jesus, but Jesus is not making sense. He wants to set Him straight. We know that Peter’s intentions were good but this didn’t make him right. No wonder Jesus did not want them to tell anyone about him. Their understanding of him was incomplete.

I wonder if the same thing might happen today. If one person were to ask another if they are a Christian, the answer given may be yes, but without knowing or being in agreement with what it means to be a Christian nothing is gained by the question or answer.

Our understanding of what it means to be a Christian should be based on the life, teachings, and revelation of God as revealed in His Word. It is not based on what works best for us or how it might fit into our plans, but how we fit into the plan of God. We are to put on Christ, not mold Him into our own image.