But what about you? Who do you say I am?
Jesus asks Peter a question in Mark Chapter 8:29
“But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
Peter replies with four words
Though a small reply to Jesus’ question, the words are power -packed
“You
Are
The
Christ”
Christmas is one of those times of the year where the expectations can become super high
We scroll through the Face Book posts, watching everyone’s ‘highlight reel’ as they decorate an enormous pine tree, make cookies and fruit cakes to die for and seem to have endless piles of presents stacked under the Christmas tree.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if everyone’s Christmas was like that?
Let’s rewind for a moment to the first Christmas
The scene is a town called Bethlehem and a heavily pregnant girl is riding on a donkey, led by her husband, Joseph.
Wait
Firstly, riding on a donkey while your waters are about to break is not my ideal Christmas
My daughter is a Christmas baby (20th Dec) and it was uncomfortable enough for me sitting in a car going to the hospital when my waters broke, let alone sitting side saddle on a donkey!
Anyway, the scene is set.
Mary’s expectations of giving birth to the Saviour of the World in a nice, cosy room at a Bethlehem Inn would soon be dashed.
After, ‘no room at the Inn’ Mary gives birth to her baby…
In a dirty old stable
Where the animals slept
The only ‘bedding’ available is a feeding trough, that Joseph probably had to clean out and put some straw in so Jesus could lay in it without being nibbled on by a cow or a goat.
Maybe Mary had dreams of giving birth to her baby in the presidential suite of the Bethlehem Hilton
But this?
Joseph, put that Smartphone down. They’ll be no FB posts of this Christmas Day!
I don’t think Mary was that shallow
I think Mary was given the same question in that stable as Peter
“But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
Mary probably looked tenderly at her new born son and whispered
“You are the Christ”
Whatever your Christmas looks like this year
Whether it’s in the surroundings of the Bethlehem Hilton
Or the humble setting of a dirty old stable
Know this…
Jesus came to earth for ALL
And He’s asking you the same question my friend
“But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
Happy Christmas
Wendy xo
