June 24, 2007

Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ – and Jesus's response – tell us so much about Jesus and his role. We see that he is the Son of Man and the Lord of all, but also the suffering servant. We see the miracle of the incarnation—God become flesh. We see his work as our redeemer, humbling himself in suffering, sacrifice, and death so that he might bring about our life and glorification. The only appropriate response, then, is for us to worship and obey him, not so that we might earn his favor, for he has done perfectly for us what we could never accomplish. Rather, we submit ourselves to him in faith, joy, and gratitude for who he is and what he has done for us. We are thus called to follow him by denying ourselves and dying to sin.