Jesus took what today might be called a public opinion poll. He wanted to know who the crowd said he was.
Matthew records the moment in the 16th Chapter of his Gospel, beginning at verse 13: "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.'"
Today, we would say certain percentages of the crowd divided along their chosen lines, much as we do in determining the popularity of a presidential candidate.
But then Jesus gets personal. He turns to Peter and asks him, "'But what about you. Who do you say I am?'
"Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.'"
To this Jesus responded, "'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."
So faith is a gift, not the result of intellectual persuasion, or practiced debate. How each of us answers the question put to Peter determines our relationship with the God, now and into eternity. This is real faith. This is the real meaning of Christmas.
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