Ready:
"While he was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ They answered, ‘John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.’ ‘But you,’ he asked them, ‘who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘God’s Messiah.’” —Lucas 9:18-20
Set:
Sometimes crowds have a perception of a coach that doesn’t always match who that coach actually is. There is the crowd’s perception and the team’s perception. It’s understandable that the team knows the coach better than the crowd does. The crowd only sees the coach for about an hour and thirty minutes during competition, and even then it’s at a distance. The team sees the coach every day for hours of practice and competition. The team has conversations with the coach and lessons to improve their skills. The team sees the coach at home and away. Sometimes, the team knows the coach’s spouse and children. The team knows the coach better than the crowd because of proximity.
The crowds said Jesus was John the Baptist (who had been killed), probably because of His message of repentance. They said Elijah because of the miracles He was performing. They said one of the prophets because of His great wisdom of Scripture. But Jesus was none of these people. Most of the ones in the crowd didn’t know because they were just that — in the crowd.
There was a huge distinction between being in the crowed and being a disciple of Jesus. When He asked the disciples who they said He was, Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” Not man’s Messiah but God’s. The crowds had made Jesus out to be something they already knew because Jesus didn’t match up with their expectations of Him.
The crowd often doesn’t take time to truly get to know the coach. They hear one bad thing about a coach and all of sudden they’re driving the negative bandwagon and they invite the rest of the community to hop on. Peter knew who Jesus was because of his closeness to Jesus. Proximity is what transitions a person from being a crowd member to being a team member. The good news is that Jesus invites us all to leave the crowd and join the team.
Go:
Are you in the crowd or are you on the team? In order to determine your answer to this, answer Jesus’ question to the disciples for yourself: Who do you say that He is?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my tendency to join the crowds and their opinion of You instead of standing by You in my allegiance to You and Your word. I want to grow in the grace and knowledge of You. Please pull me close and teach me. Amen.”