Jesus makes the road by walking with his disciples right into the heart of Roman territory. Standing with his disciples in front of this rock face with its ancient niches to the gods, and now the centre of Caesar-ville, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is? I can’t quite imagine the state of the disciples’ minds. Is it a trick question? The question asked in this location is certainly not lost on Jesus’ followers. They take a stab at it. Well, some say John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus sharpens the question, “But who do YOU say that I am?” Aye yai yai!
Let’s hit the pause button for a moment. Let’s recall that Jesus asks the first question about who people say the son of man is. This is a charged political question. We need to remember we’re in Caesar-ville and that Caesars over the course of the Roman Empire referred to themselves as sons of the gods.