Later this month our tour group will visit Caesarea Philippi, known to be the place where Jesus asked His followers a very important question:

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” ¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

~Matthew 16:13-16

But who is Christ, and what does that mean? Is “Christ” Jesus’ family name? Is it a title? Is it just a respectable name that was tagged to Jesus?

“Christ” originates from the Greek word Christos, quite literally meaning “Messiah” or “Anointed One.” In general, Jews view Jesus as just a man, perhaps anointed for a task, similar to Cyrus (a Persian king who allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple).

Old Testament prophets attributed divine attributes to the Messiah, though, which is a significant hindrance to Jewish people. Divine attributes given to a common man just don’t pass muster.

Interestingly, when Jesus asked the question, it was addressed to His disciples…who were Jewish! He demonstrated divine attributes and Peter knew He was the Christ…the Messiah!

So, what happened? Why do Jews no longer recognize Jesus as the Christ?

There are probably many factors, including the fact that faith in what is not seen became a foundational pillar in Christianity. Another significant factor was likely the dispersion of Jews around the world and increased emphasis of Rabbinic Judaism following the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.

Because there was no way to continue Temple activities since the Temple was destroyed and the people dispersed, rabbis became the plumbline of Judaism. Each rabbi interpreted the Holy Scriptures differently, and other works took the place of Temple services.

When man’s ideas mix with God’s truth, truth is watered down and sometimes totally changed. Though plenty of Jews during Jesus’ time rejected Him as Messiah, it has grown exponentially since the dispersion of Jews.

The veil that covers the eyes of Jewish people is real. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can reveal the truth of the Messiah to Jewish hearts and minds. As they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, which points clearly to the Messiah, pray our Jewish friends will recognize Jesus as the Christ, just as Peter did at Caesarea Philippi!

BTW – why not join us as we visit Caesarea Philippi and other Biblical sites in Israel on our February 2024 EXPERIENCE ISRAEL Tour. Visiting places such as Caesarea Philippi makes your Bible come alive, and you will never read it the same again.