Once Jesus asked the question of His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Up to this point they had been telling Jesus who others thought that He was. But now the question was personal, and personal questions demand a personal answer. He wanted to know, “Who do you say that I am?” He still asks that question of you and me, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” He is not asking you what the church thinks or what your professor says in a religious class at college or what your preacher says, your momma, your daddy, or your grandmomma? The faith of others cannot sustain you, save you, or see you through. It has to be your faith. Who do you say that Jesus is? Your faith has little power until it is personal. You can encounter Jesus on many levels. You can know about Him generally, through what you read in a book, or what someone else tells you. You can know Him as Messiah, the Christ, as the anointed one of God. But I am convinced that when you encounter Jesus personally as a friend, you live with Him and talk with Him and share life with Him, you will become more alive than ever before and God will become real to you. Jesus wants to be in a relationship with you. Faith is powerless until it becomes personal.
– Dr. Tim Thompson