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Last week we dove into the name that God gives for himself. I showed how the name is not an index among deities, but an ontological statement of “existence” itself through which God exists in, as, and beyond all that exists. It’s another way of saying that we are absolutely nothing apart from God. Since we are something, and we do exist, God is necessarily donating our existence as the source of all that exists. That’s “I AM who I AM.”

“And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.” (Mark 8:27-29)

This question of Jesus to his disciples occurred on a 25 mile, 2-day journey when they had a lot of time to reflect and discuss things. By this point in Marks gospel, there have been no less than 12 recorded miracles performed by Jesus. He healed many blind and broken bodies, delivered many from demonic possession and psycho-emotional brokenness, and he’s performed miraculous feedings of thousands of people on two different occasions. The crowds that are seeking and following Jesus are so big they are disrupting the region’s power structures of religion and State. This is why Jesus told his disciples in (v.14):

“Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” (religion & state)

I’ve taught before on these two questions of Jesus in the past, but today we’ll explore the ontological nuances.

“Who do the people say that I am?” Thousands of people have witnessed miracles of Jesus within this recorded history. “The people” were traveling the region to see and hear Jesus for themselves. This migration breaks up the usual flow of life, commerce and religion. The disciples report to Jesus that the “people” see him as John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets.

1. John the Baptist: It’s estimated that the feeding of the 4000 took place in the Passover of AD29. This meant that John the Baptist was likely already killed by Herod, though the news may not have reached all the region. I think these represent people who are like modern skeptics or podcasters. While miracles from God would have been culturally acceptable, these have a “conception” about God but question everything.
2. Elijah: Those who grew up in the Jewish tradition would be familiar with the stories of Elijah. Since Elijah didn’t die, but was taken by God, then this helps us see that tradition has shaped these peoples “conception” of God. Similar to the culturally religious people today who prioritize tradition and history.
3. One of the prophets: The most religious people have the greatest familiarity with Hebrew scripture and history. These have a well informed “conception” of God and much knowledge about the prophetic voice in the world. A modern equivalent would be religiously active people who believe anything is possible, but are over-identified with their religious system.

Each of these assumptions about Jesus is like a concentric circle of “Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria” (Matthew 28) to whom the disciples will later be sent to make disciples (students). They each represent a “conception of God” through which they observe the ministry of Jesus. This remains true for everyone today. We each have a “conception” of God that we have derived from our tradition, texts, & culture.

Can you describe how you conceive of God and what has informed it?

This leaves the disciples (and us) to answer the second question: “Who do YOU say that I am?”

While Peter gets credit for his confession of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scripture’s Messiah, in all fairness, Jesus already made this claim at the beginning of his ministry prior to calling his disciples (Luke 4:18). After a few years of life with Jesus, they all knew very well that Jesus is the Christ of God and the difference between them and the “people” is proximity and experience.

It is their experience that turns their “conceptions” of God into faith.

This is the heart of Jesus’ soul searching question: “Who do YOU say that I AM?” is asking if we have moved from an objective concept, assumption, theology, doctrine, or religious practice, to an actual subjective experience with God, through following Christ.

I want to be clear that I’m not saying that the subjective is all we need, that would be an adulterated form of mysticism. The objective knowledge and facts of history, tradition, and practice are integral to our understanding, and God has providentially provided his Word permanently inscribed in scripture. This is vital to our faith… but if it’s not combined with subjective experience, it is a dead religion, a formula of behavior modification, that doesn’t transform the human heart.

C.S. Lewis illustrates this as an objective map of the beach, compared to the subjective experience of feet in the sand. We need both. Each informs the other. Like breathing we flow between the objective and subjective. That is how we know we are truly following Christ. We train ourselves in the objective and it helps us experience Christ in the subjective.

You can see now why the religious soul is the most lost of all souls in scripture. Religion conflates conversion to the religion as proximity and experience with God. The Bible reveals that the most religious of Jesus day, who lived in the temple, who thought they knew God, couldn’t even recognize their own Messiah when they looked into his eyes.

Regardless of your “conception of God” (and there are many), we are each asked: “Who do YOU say that I am?” The name of Jesus literally means “I AM who I AM who saves.” So if Jesus is not the messiah, the son of the Living God, as He claimes, then who is He to you? And what is your reason for your unbelief?

Experiencing Christ is easier than you might think. There is no where we have to go. There is actually nothing we have to say (it would only be a veiled self-pity or excuse anyway). If Christ, who brings all comers to God, is the “I AM who I AM who saves”, and God’s name is existence existing in and as your existence, then experiencing Christ is as proximate as our ability to sit still, quiet, and just be.

Contemplation (wordless prayer) then is the purest form of subjective experience with God, many call in “naked being” for we are literally existing in God’s own name and existence, through Christ, in and as our own existence.