You Can Name Jesus Correctly and Still Miss Him

Peter gave one of the greatest confessions in the Bible: “You are the Christ of God.” He used exactly the right words. He recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah sent by God.

Yet Jesus did not simply affirm him and move on. Instead, He immediately began to correct Peter’s understanding. Peter had the right title, but he did not yet understand what that title required. He wanted a Messiah who would bring political deliverance and national glory. He was not ready for a Messiah who would suffer, be rejected, and die.

This is a warning that still applies today. It is possible to say all the right things about Jesus, to affirm sound doctrine, and still resist the central reality of who He is and what He came to do. We can claim to follow Christ while quietly wanting a version of Him that avoids the cross.

Jesus will not let us keep a cross-less Christ. Having the right words is not enough. We must also accept the meaning He gives to those words.

What version of Jesus are you most tempted to follow?