THIS was Peter's answer to the question that Jesus proposed to his disciples. At first Jesus asked his disciples what other people were saying about him, and who he was. They reported the different guesses of other people. Then Jesus asks his disciples the question 'Who do you say that I am'. Peter immediately responds with the correct answer - 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'.

This answer was absolutely true and Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that this was not that Peter had received it from a human source, but that he had received it directly from God. In other words while all the other answers were people speculating by human percepption or wisdom, God had made it known directly to Peter.

The truth about Jesus cannot be obtained by human reason. Human reason is impotent to understand divine truth. It has to be given graciously by God himself to the ones he wishes to make it known. Human beings have been in darkness to divine truth ever since Adam chose to believe Satan rather than God. It is only by divine revelation that it can be known. Wonderfully God has made his truth known in the Bible which is his infallible inspired truth.

If a person is given grace to see the truth in the Bible, like Peter it will be revealed to them. But if people say that the Bible is only containing divine truth they will go wrong. This is because human reason is in darkness to divine truth unless they are humble and submit to the understanding that they are in darkness, and humbly are prepared to seek divine understanding.

This is what Peter had been given the grace to do, and so God revealed the truth to him. And what wonderful truth it is. Peter was enabled by God to identify Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Christ promised throughout the Old Testament, and further to realise that the promised Messiah was not simply a human being, but was God's eternal Son.

When this blessed is given to the humble soul, then like Peter that person will see Jesus in all his saving grace and power, and receive faith to beleive in him as the Saviour of their soul bestowing the gift of eternal life.

Are we people ready to realise our darkness, and in deep humility look to God alone for light and understanding?