Day 5: Receiving the Eternal Son

Let us look now at the opposite reaction. Those who received Him recognized the disguise and realised who He really was.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples:

“'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied: 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' He asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered: 'You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied: 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven.'” (Matthew 16:13 17)

Here was a man who received the revelation of the Father concerning Jesus, a man who looked beyond the superficialities, beyond what was not really important. By the grace of God and the Spirit of God, Peter discerned the true, eternal Son of God, the Messiah, the One for whom the Israelites had been waiting, but whom they failed, as a whole,  to recognize.

We still have those two alternatives today. We can react in one way or the other, just as the Israelites could. We need to be mindful of these words from the first chapter of John's gospel:

“He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11 13)

What are you going to do about Jesus? Are you going to reject Him? Or are you going to receive Him? Are you going to look beneath the disguise and see the eternal Son of God? Are you going to worship Him and welcome Him into your life? I pray that you may do this.