Gospel: Lk 9:18-22
ONCE when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples
were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ ” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
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Every disciple of Christ must answer this question personally. For his part, Peter responds, “You are the Christ of God.” The “anointed one” or “the chosen one” is translated in Greek: Christos; in Hebrew: מָשִׁיחַ (Mashiyach); in English: Messiah.
Jesus is distinguished from John the Baptist, who was a moral reformer. Neither is Jesus one of the prophets in the mold of Elijah, who was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire and who will come back in the same chariot at the end of time. Rather,
Jesus is the Savior Messiah, who will lay down his life to redeem
mankind from sinfulness and will open the glory of God’s Kingdom with his death on the cross. Through his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Jesus will fulfill the Mosaic Law and the Prophets.
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
