God to Moses, Jesus to Us: I Am

As Jesus ended his second year of ministry, everyone seemed confused about his identity. The Pharisees thought he was demon-possessed (Matt. 12:22). His kinfolk thought he was nuts (Mark 3:22). His neighborhood seemed to think he was a fraud (Matt. 13:53–58). Herod thought he was John the Baptist reincarnate (Matt. 14:2).

Jesus handled these mistaken identities by shaking the dust off his sandals. The moment of truth came when the disciples mistook him for a ghost as he came to their rescue on the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 14:26). To their confusion, Jesus responded with magnificent clarity, "Take courage, it is I, don't be afraid" (Matt. 14:27). When Jesus stood on the water and declared, "It is I," he was repeating in Greek God's "I am" disclosure to Moses.

Sometimes arrogantly, sometimes unwittingly, we all tinker with Jesus' identity. How dangerous! In humble worship, we must let Jesus be Jesus. We must follow "I am," rather than a Jesus tailored to accommodate our social, political, and cultural tastes. Our greatest calling in life is to see the real Jesus. And when we do, we will join those fearful disciples who stood in the boat and declared, "Truly, this is the Son of God."