Jesus opens the conversation with his disciples by asking, “Who do they say is the Son of Man?” They answer with lots of names and ideas. He then asks, “Who do you say I am?” How are these two questions connected? Is Jesus suggesting that he is not the Son of Man but the Son of God? Or is he somehow needing the disciples to ground their understanding of His identity in prophetic references to the “Son of Man.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary suggests this particular reference was to Daniel.
In Robert Alter’s translation of the book of Daniel, he avoids the term Son of Man, and writes instead, “-with clouds of the heavens one like a human being was coming, and he reached the Ancient of Days, and they had him approach before Him. And to him were given dominion and honor and kingship…” Alter suggests in his footnotes that Daniel is referring perhaps to an angel. Daniel continues to explain that then comes a ruler who is different than all the rest. “-ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them, and he shall be different from those before him…”
Whether or not we use the term ‘Son of Man,’ the reference Jesus was making was certainly clear to the disciples. By referencing this prophecy, Jesus is suggesting that the context that his leadership is both different from what has come before and what is expected or assumed.
But he doesn’t stop there. This passage is not about Jesus’ identity, as it is about the identity of those who know him. Once one knows Jesus, one is invited to interact with the world differently. It is interesting that many of the world’s major faith tradition advance the same sort of ideas about treating others with kindness, compassion. Being empathetic.
By grounding the conversation about Jesus’ identity with the disciples to Daniel’s prophecy, and then pivoting to Peter’s role as the Rock of a new way, Jesus is drawing a line to connect the previous to the present and to the yet to be. He is also suggesting that he is that connecting line, that bridge or thread connecting it all. This is true for our own, personal timelines as well. The Lord, Jesus specifically, regardless of all the others in our lives, has been there before, during and after. And like Peter, simply understanding that reality, requires us to respond, or is at the very least an invitation.
Journal Reflection
How has the Lord been present throughout your life? Although difficult, try to articulate your perception and intuition of the character of His presence and how it has changed.
Writing to Pray 