Key Scriptures: [Jesus] asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 

—Matthew 16:13-15 

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” 

—Matthew 16:16-17 

The Big Idea: Jesus is the epicenter of everything. He literally split the timeline of history, but, even though no single person has impacted the history of the world like Jesus, people still have divided labels for Him. Sometimes we place labels on Him that don’t line up with the truth. When we label Jesus with what the Bible really says about Him, we can relate to Him in a deeper way. 

Discussion Question: Who is Jesus to you? What are some labels you place on Jesus? Main Points: 

1. Relating Jesus to Love 
   1. The Bible says that God is love. We must believe He is loving in order to know Him for Who He truly is. 
   2. We all have labels for Jesus. These labels matter, and we must be aware of the ones we place on Him. Labeling and knowing Him as loving is life-changing. 
      
      Discussion Question: Do you believe Jesus is loving? Do you believe He loves you? Share a life experience that may have influenced your belief about Jesus as He relates to love.
2. Relating Jesus to the Truth 
   1. Jesus made some outrageous claims about Himself: He said He was the light of the world, He said no one can get to the Father except through Him, He said He has all authority.
   2. If we believe Jesus is Who He says He is, it is only reasonable that we listen to Him and take His words seriously. 
   3. Our labels affect whether Jesus is first in our lives. If we do not believe He is King, Messiah, and God, we will not obey His truth. 
      
      Discussion Question: Do you believe Jesus is who He says He is? How can we know that the claims Jesus makes about Himself are true?  Challenge: God the Father will reveal the real Jesus to you if you ask Him. In the passage, Jesus says this is why Peter understood who He was. Ask the Lord to reveal the real Jesus to you.

Challenge: God the Father will reveal the real Jesus to you if you ask Him. In the passage, Jesus says this is why Peter understood who He was. Ask the Lord to reveal the real Jesus to you.