Who Do You Say That I Am? (Matt 16)

(15; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20): Christology in the Synoptic Gospels

Bibliographic Data

ID3437593
AuthorsBrian Meldrum (0009-0004-8538-5321, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume16
Issue2
Pages170
Publication date2025-02-02
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel16020170
OpenAlexW4407104980
LanguageEN
References cited6

This article investigates Jesus's identity in the Synoptic Gospels by examining the Gospels' literary features. I take a narrative approach to determine how the evangelists, in unique and shared ways, reveal to their audiences who Jesus is. Certain literary features in the evangelists' texts provide an answer to Jesus's question, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matt 16:15; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20). For Mark, Jesus is "Christ" and "Son of God" (Mark 1:1); as the plot unfolds, these terms become guideposts suggesting that characters in the Gospel (and by extension the audience, too) come to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. For Matthew, the good news of Jesus commences with the relationship between Jesus and Israel's past through figures like David and Abraham. By observing how Matthew characterizes Jesus in the Gospel, the audience learns that Jesus stands in continuity with Israel. Finally, Luke starts his account with a focus not on figures from Israel's history, but rather on its institutions, like the temple and the priesthood (see Luke 1:5, 9). Luke's audience learns who Jesus is by paying attention to Luke's use of settings and themes. Thus, the particular literary artistry of each synoptic evangelist provides a way for a contemporary audience to know Jesus

Christology · Gospel · Synoptic Gospels · Theology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Development, Ethics, and Society · History · Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies · Philosophy

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