And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he charged them to tell no one about him.
Mark 8:27–30 (RSV)
Jesus is not a creature of our imaginations. We did not conjure Him out of thin air or invent Him like a character in a drama. Nor did we petition God to send a Savior, then dictate how that Savior would come into the world. Jesus is 'True God, Son of the Father from eternity, and true Man, born of the Virgin Mary.'
Jesus' question of His disciples is also put to us: "But who do you say that I am?" The answer St. Peter gives is the only answer possible. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, whom God the Father has promised from all eternity.
We cannot do anything other than confess Him as our Lord. He is the Chosen One of God, the Messiah, who has come to save and redeem the world. We, like St. Peter, may not fully grasp the depth of meaning in this truth. We may struggle to live out our confession.
The Good News remains that Jesus is whom God has sent Him to be. Though we may attempt to twist and bend Jesus to our definition of who He is, the fact remains, 'You are the Christ!'