There are people who tell me the Bible is hopelessly interpreted, that it’s just too confusing or divisive to grasp on our own. Others insist we need some magisterial authority to tell us what it really says, as if the essentials of the faith are locked behind a door we can’t open. But that’s simply not true.
The Reformers called this the perspicuity of Scripture, meaning the Bible’s core truths—especially about salvation—are clear. Sure, there are parts of the Bible that are challenging and worth wrestling with. But when it comes to the essentials, like who Christ is and what He has done, the message is simple and accessible. The Gospel of John is a perfect example: again and again, it calls us to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the one who saves.
This brings me to the most important elevator ride of my life—not one I personally took, but one I see played out in Matthew 16. Here, Jesus asked His disciples the most essential question anyone will ever face: “Who do you say that I am?” It wasn’t an abstract question then, and it isn’t now. People had already gotten it wrong in His day. Some thought He was John the Baptist, others Elijah or Jeremiah, or just another prophet. But Peter got it right: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus affirmed Peter’s answer, calling it a revelation from the Father Himself. This question is the springboard for everything else. How we answer it shapes everything about who we are, what we believe, and where we place our trust.
This question also brings us to the work of the Spirit in revealing Christ to us. As 1 Corinthians 12:3 says, no one can declare, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Spirit of God. Similarly, 1 John 4:2 tells us that anyone who confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh does so by the Spirit of God. These two truths—recognizing Jesus as Lord and as the incarnate Son of God—are empowered by the Spirit and essential to our faith. Without the Spirit’s work, we cannot grasp the true identity of Christ. And we cannot recognize our need for Him. He is the God-Man who died for my sins and rose from the dead.
I remember sitting under a man I respected very much. His name was Larry Moyer, and in 2000, he was training me to present the gospel. I still respect him deeply to this day. He taught me all the verses to memorize, all the methods to open conversations, and how to guide people to Christ. But one thing stuck with me most. I remember asking him, “What if I only have the time it takes for a one-story elevator ride? What do I say about Jesus in that moment?”
Larry thought for a moment and said, “Michael, all I know is that I’m a sinner, I have a deep need, and somehow the death of this man—the Son of God, Christ—saves me from my sins. I don’t know exactly how it works, but that’s where I place my trust.”
That simple answer has guided me ever since. It’s what I see echoed in Scripture over and over. Yes, there are theological details we can discuss—how exactly Christ’s death accomplished our salvation, whether it satisfied God’s wrath, defeated the powers of evil, or fulfilled the law. These are important conversations, but they all pale in comparison to this one foundational truth: we are sinners in need of a Savior, and only Christ can fill that need.
This Christmas season, let’s make it personal. Let’s focus on the most important elevator ride: the one where we ask and answer the most essential question, “Who do you say that Christ is what do you say that He did?” There is nothing more rewarding than getting this question right, and nothing more detrimental than getting it wrong. To get it wrong is to trust deeply in something or someone other than the only one who can save.
So, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, let’s reflect on this question ourselves: Who do I say that He is? And then let’s ask it of others—our friends, our family, our neighbors: Who do you say that He is? Because how we answer that question changes everything. It defines us, unites us as believers, and offers the only hope we’ll ever truly need.
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