If we had to introduce Jesus to somebody, would we be able to? How would we identify Him? This reflection asks us who we think Jesus is.
Give the youth pencils and paper.
Imagine Jesus is standing next to you and you are introducing Jesus to a friend at school. Take a few minutes and write out an introduction of a paragraph or two. Describe Jesus and his relationship to you.
Have any youth who are willing stand up and give their introduction of Jesus.
Then read this passage from the Gospel of Matthew:
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Matthew 16:13-20
Peter did a really good job saying who Jesus is. Anyone talking to him would understand his relationship with Jesus and his confidence in it.
Now imagine your friend’s reaction to your introduction of Jesus.
- Would they be surprised?
- Would they be confused?
- Would they say, I knew that about you and Jesus?
- Would they want more information?
What does the Church tell us about who Jesus is?
Jesus is everything that God would like to tell us. The entire Old Testament prepares for the Incarnation of God’s Son. All of God’s promises find their fulfillment in Jesus. To be a Christian means to unite oneself ever more deeply with the life of Christ.
YouCat – The Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church (18)
So to get to know somebody, you have to spend some time with them. This is especially important in our relationship with Jesus, because
- What are your favorite ways to spend time with Jesus?
- How do these help you grow closer to Him?
Your challenge for this week is to introduce Jesus to somebody, either by your words or actions.