I don’t believe Jesus is having an identity crisis when he asks the question, ‘Who do people say I am?’ But in presenting this question about himself, he makes us ask the same question of ourselves.

Personal identity is a very modern issue, and people give a different response when asked who they are. It is uncommon for some individuals to describe themselves by their work or profession. It is by saying that they are a doctor or a worker that we can discover all we need to know about them. We can guess their education and their social background. We may be imagining what kind of house they live in and which way they will vote.

Another way in which we name ourselves is by our relationships. The television program, ‘To tell the truth?’ was very popular because we all want to know where we have come from, and someone else’s history will attract an interest in our own story. Nonetheless, the immediate relationships we have are likely more important than ancestors when determining who we are. To say that you are a daughter, a sister and a mother, and a wife, and then to name the relatives, you are in a particular family from which you give and receive life. The family context also allows you to look at the future, particularly through your children.

Certainly, there are many types of relationships that are not only relevant to us in the present and present, but also reflect on the future. The relationship between teacher and child is clear, but there are many others.

In answering Jesus’ questions, his disciples make a number of points about his identity. To suggest that he is John the Baptist is an easy mistake. We discover from the Fourth Gospel that John was preaching at the same time as Jesus, and stories about John would be mixed up with those of Jesus. To say he was Elijah suggests that Jesus is not only a prophet like John, but also a person who is embracing in the end of time because Elijah who went to heaven in a fiery chariot is expected to appear at the end of the world. Just being a prophet also reveals a lot about how God was perceived to be speaking through Jesus. When Peter said that Jesus was the Christ, the anointed one of God, he was claiming more.

It was hoped that the Christ would liberate the Jewish people from the oppression they were suffering under the occupation of the Romans, but Jesus was not a liberator. He began to liberate us from sin and to make us his people; and that is achieved by following him. Following Jesus through thick and thin, living according to his teaching, is not an easy decision.

He promises us everlasting life, but it is only by losing the one that we have will we be able to save our own life. It means being with Christ, and that means rejection by others just as much today as it was in Jesus’ time. By living the Gospel, we will be avoiding current trends, and our values will not be the ones of other people. This means that we will have to stand up for what we believe, and this will provoke a reaction against us. Being a prophet like John the Baptist or Elijah, calling people to see truth in the middle of the all the chaos of the modern world is far from making life easy for yourself, but it is the way to proclaim the kingdom we pray for in the Lord’s prayer. That is what giving up our lives to save it means. However, one thing we can be certain about is who we are. It can be quite exciting, as there should be no identity crisis for Jesus’ followers. No longer will we be searching for the meaning in the dark. We can follow the Christ and know that if we are faithful to him then we have a future that extends beyond this life. We can now define ourselves in a new way. No longer do our profession, job, postcode, and status or salary matter in this life. The values of the world have been turned upside down so that we can see the world the right way, which is with the eyes of Christ.

If anyone asks you who you are, you can say, ‘I am a child of the highest God, the brother or sister of Jesus Christ, and I am heir to eternal life’.

That should clarify any questions about identity for them and for you.