“Soliciting Opinions” Luke 9:18-19

     In this incident, the Lord desired to hear an honest opinion of how His contemporary fellow Jews view Him as a person.

     As he was praying alone, the disciples were near him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” They answered, “ ‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again” (Luke 9:18-19).

The Opinion Seeker: Jesus 

     1. The time He chose to ask

     As he was praying alone, the disciples were near him (18a).

     Here, the Lord showed an example as His Father's Servant that it may have to take a servant of God to stop and have a serious communion with God and emptying of himself to prepare himself to receive and evaluate information that may affect his manner of going abouts as a servant of God. Spiritual matters deserve spiritual backing. We cannot take the things of God lightly. How do the people of the world view a servant of God's going abouts? Can they see him bearing the fruit of the Spirit? Does it affect them for good?

     Moreover, the Lord here also wanted to just have a light-hearted conversation with His disciples about a serious topic in a prayerful atmosphere about an important subject so that the latter could articulate their thoughts freely and perhaps yield a most honest and accurate answer.

     2. His earnestness in asking

     And he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” (18b)

     We can hear a tone of earnestness in the Lord's voice as He said these words. He cares about His countrymen's opinion, and He was dying to hear about it. He hoped they'd already get to know who He really was and what He was about. So far, have they already? From His disciples' answer would He base His future course of action as He went about doing His Father's works to give His countrymen a chance to put their faith in Him and accept Him as their Messiah. Jesus said at another time that the reason He came down on earth was to first reach out to His countrymen.

     3. The faith He was seeking 

     And he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” (18b)

     The question posed was "Who?" The Lord was seeking from earthly minds a representation. Jesus knew exactly who He was; but He rather preferred to surround it in obscurity so that His countrymen, as people created in God's image, could exercise their free will and get to see Him for who He was based on whatever understanding of Torah they had. He wanted them to have faith on their own. He did not reveal Himself outright but presented Himself as an ordinary man instead of a glowing Messiah. To non-Jews like Samaritans, he never hesitated to reveal Himself as the Messiah; and they put their faith in Him.

     Fortunately, ordinary Jewish people saw Jesus as one of them: a simple man who happened to have some amazing abilities that ministered rightly to them. Their childlike faith saw God in His works despite His being poor and itenerant.

     On the other hand, others who thought they were smarter than the masses thought Jesus was not a proper Messiah but a dividing figure.

The Opinion Givers

     1. The disciples honest and straightforward answer

     They answered, “ ‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again” (19).

     The disciples answered the question 'Who?' accurately. They relayed exactly what the people thought. So far, the people had been seeing Jesus as a religious figure, not anything else, not even as a genius builder who made incredible builds using either wood or concrete and not a mere DIYer. As a former apprentice of his stepfather Joseph, Jesus had a proper knowledge of carpentry and became a master carpenter Himself. But to the people, He was one of the leading figures of Judaism. Sad but they were getting there. They were getting close to knowing their Messiah, particularly the one who is a humble and suffering Servant, the Son of Man. Because He needed to reconcile His people to God first and give them everlasting life through faith in Him.

     But the wiser people were expecting a Messiah who is a conqueror who would free the nation from its hundreds of years of subjugation by the world's mighty empires and restore the kingdom of Israel. But the time wasn't yet for it. Therefore, when Jesus didn't meet that criteria, the wiser people couldn't put their faith in Him.

     When Pontius Pilate asked Jesus if He was a king, Jesus answered that His kingdom was not of this world. Otherwise, He wouldn't be in a situation He was in. But the Lord didn't include the world "yet". His kingdom was not of this world yet during the time of speaking. He needed to be this kind of Messiah first for His people and for the whole world. The other kind of Messiah who was the most expected one is yet set to return in the future when, as a conqueror, He will literally take His rightful throne in Jerusalem to, from there, rule not only His nation but the entire universe. Yes, universe. That means intergalactic travels would be commonplace among the King's co-administrators composing of His very faithful disciples who may not have had a good life on earth but now will reign with Him in their glorified bodies that know no limits of time and space to oversee the affairs of mankind.

     2. The Jews equating Jesus to God's prophets

     They answered, “ ‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again” (19).

     Though it was an honor to be placed in the same level as God's prophets, it was also a little bit disappointing to Jesus' human mind aware of His deity. That's why He asked a second time. But it's okay. The people only need to look a little further, but at least they were getting close to knowing their Messiah. Getting respect is no longer His concern because He was already respected by the people except His enemies, of course, who hated Him without a cause. Actually, there was a cause or an impelling reason: envy, prejudice, and demon possession.

     First, the people equated Jesus to John the Baptizer. It's obvious in the gospel accounts that the religious masses consider John as one of God's prophets, in the same level as those written about in the Scriptures although they may have had been with him recently. Like a typical prophet, John lived his life like the prophets of old and almost in the same fashion as the prophet we will mention next. He too lived a life of seclusion, away from his family and from civilization to devote himself to the work of God.

     Next, the people equated Jesus to Elijah. Elijah was a prophet who lived in the eighth century B.C. and did most of his work in the northern kingdom of Israel, not Judah in the south. His story can be read in the book of I Kings chapter 17 onwards. A native of a town in Gilead, Elijah lived as a wandering hermit, totally devoted to God and God's work. He wore a furry, bear-skin-like gament as a fashion statement and aided his endless wanderings with a large staff in his hand. Aware of his calling and totally obedient to God, he would dauntlessly and confidently rebuke to his face Ahab the king for the national apostasy and misery his wicked rule was causing. Because of Baal worship, the country was plagued with drought and famine. Sometimes, Elijah would put up with this ignoble king by helping him address a situation or crisis the kingdom was facing by relaying the message of God about it. Elijah went everywhere, healing and prophesying, in whatever instance God wanted to make a point. His devotion was so steadfast and the impact of his ministry so earth-shaking that God did not allow him to experience death but instead took him to heaven by a chariot of fire.

     Finally, the people equated Jesus to all the other prophets in the Bible, particularly Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a literary prophet who both prophesied and wrote his prophecies, story, and feelings in his book. Some say that Jeremiah may have written the book of Kings and therefore the story of Elijah, thus giving the latter a legendary reputation. Or he may have just contributed to it especially the last chapter which spoke about him.

     One thing in common in these prophets whom the Jews equated Jesus to is that they were all a prototype of a humble, suffering Servant who is the Messiah. So in equating Jesus to these prophets, the people were indeed getting close to knowing their Messiah. These prophets lived a life of holiness, modesty, and selflessness. They didn't have a life, so to speak, except one that was totally devoted to God. Their minds were detached from the world they lived in. They weathered physical, mental, and emotional agonies and wrestled in the spirit with God for their lot, thus becoming the prototype of the suffering Messiah.

     3. The belief/superstition about reincarnation

     They answered, “ ‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again” (19).

     The thing about the prophets the Jews equated Jesus to is that they were all no longer in this earth at the time of speaking. Elijah did not die but was raptured. Jeremiah died in old age as an old bachelor in the fifth century B.C. John the Baptizer was alive recently but was now dead at this point by the hand of Herod Antipas who him beheaded out of whim. Herod Antipas was the tetrach of Galilee and Perea; so the lives of John, Jesus, and the disciples were affected by the actions of this man since they were all Galileans. The Jews thought that Jesus was the reincarnation of John as they believed John was the reincarnation of Elijah. They also thought that Jesus was the reincarnation of Elijah, Jeremiah, and the other prophets. Maybe it's because of their belief that Elijah will return since he didn't die. John took that mantle to fulfill Malachi's prophecy that Elijah will return to herald the surfacing of the Messiah or to introduce Him to the world. And that was maybe what the Jews also saw, thought, and believed. And after preaching about the kingdom of God, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near," thus paving the way for the Messiah, John decided to disappear from the limelight. Some of his disciples including the brothers James and John became Jesus' disciples.

     4. The following individuals not only give a good of opinion of Jesus but put their faith in Him as the Messiah, Son of God, King of Israel, Savior of the world.

     a. Andrew

     He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ) (John 1:41).

     b. Nathanael

     Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!” (John 1:49)

     c. Samaritan woman at Jacob's well

     “Come, see a man who told me everything that I have done. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:29)

     d. More or almost all of Samaritans of the town

     They said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).

     e. Simon Peter

     “We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69).

Passage by Passage: Random Passages

by: Marven T. Baldo