Devotionals for the Heart: When Jesus Christ asks you the eternal question

The Eternal Question
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

—Matthew 16:15 (NIV)

Questions come at us all the time. How are you? How’s work? Are you dating anyone? How’s the spouse? What are you cooking for supper tonight?

Those are the generic, everyday questions we always hear. Then there are the seasonal questions: Where do you spend your holidays? Do you have any seasonal traditions? Do you travel during the winter or summer? Where do you like to go?

And there are also those very personal questions that we don’t share with just anyone. Do you love me? Do I love you? Will you marry me? Do I want a ring on my finger? Can I commit to marriage? Do you want to have children? Where do we want to live?

These are important questions that we all must answer sometime in life, and they change the direction of our careers, our spouses, and our families.

But there is another question that holds even greater importance. It changes the trajectory of our lives here on earth, and the rewards or consequences of our answers will be ours for all eternity. This momentous question sounds like a simple one: Who is Jesus Christ to you?

Ah, there it is. Who is Jesus? People have myriads of answers. He was a good man, a good teacher. Some might think He was a prophet, or somebody in the Bible they’ve heard about. In some hearts, Jesus is the one who makes us feel guilty when we hurt other people, or who makes us angry when we meet someone from church wo has an oh-so-righteous-holier-than-thou attitude. His name might be one we’ve only heard when someone is cursing. Some might say that Jesus doesn’t even exist. He’s just a fairy tale within the pages of the Bible.

Throughout my lifetime, I’ve heard all these answers, but my skeptical heart couldn’t really buy any of them. For me, it took years of digging into the Scripture and asking what seemed like thousands of questions before my real question about Jesus was answered.

Jesus is exactly who the Bible says He is. He is the long-awaited Messiah of the nation of Israel. He is the Savior of the world. He is the Prince of Peace. And there’s more! Jesus is the lover of my soul. He lifts my weary head. He forgives my sins. He is the Lord of my life. Jesus is God’s Son, and because I have believed that Jesus died for my sins and I have asked Him to forgive and save me from those sins, I’m also considered a member of the family of God.

There’s even more than all that! When Jesus Christ returns to earth to take His faithful followers home, I will be welcomed into God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom to live forever. My death won’t change anything but my address because the life I am living now is centered on Jesus. And that’s exactly what eternity promises.

There’s nothing in my life that has earned God’s favor. Just the opposite is true. I was sinful and rebellious toward God. Nothing could convince me that He is real and that all His promises are true until He opened my eyes to read the Bible and He gave me the ability to trust Him. His first gift to me was belief in Jesus. His second gift was His forgiveness of every sin. His third and lasting gift is His abundant life in Jesus Christ, right here on earth for now, and then forever in Heaven with Him.

So, each of us is faced with the question, “Who do you say Jesus is?”

Your eternity hinges on your answer. Which will you choose? Eternal salvation in Heaven with the Lord who loves you, or eternal damnation in hell without Jesus? Remember, dear one, eternity is just as real as Jesus is, and what we choose now determines either eternal life or eternal death.

Choose Life, Beloved. Choose Jesus.

Let’s Pray: Dear Jesus, I trust You, and I believe that You are the only way to be saved in your Kingdom. Please forgive my sins and accept me into Your family forever. Thank You, Lord. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Choose Life” by Big Tent Revival. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Karen Marstaller is a retired high school teacher who spent most of her career challenging creative students to write. Her heart is for her readers. 

She writes to encourage them, to make them laugh, to show them that life is a beautiful journey, and regardless of their past, to show them that there is joy ahead if they will just keep looking.

Karen and her husband live in central Texas in a sweet little home that they completely remodeled. They enjoy spending time with their family, which includes seven precious grandchildren.

Most of all, Karen writes in obedience to the command to love your neighbor, to offer a cup of water to those who are dying of thirst, and to comfort others with the comfort she has received.

You can reach Karen by emailing her at this address: klmarstaller@gmail.com