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在完成了半个学期的课程后，学生们要做一个测验，让老师评估一下他们学会了什么，耶稣所提出的问题，就有点像这样的期中考试。祂问门徒他们听到别人说祂是谁，然后耶稣便提出祂心里真正的问题：“你们说我是谁？”

彼得不加思索便说：“祢是基督。”他的答案是完全正确的，这是第一次——除了污鬼外——有人正式地、清楚地确认耶稣的身份。彼得的答案得到高分点赞，然而，身为使徒比做对答案要复杂得多。

遗憾的是，彼得也会从这个光荣告白的时刻退缩下来；到了后来，当跟从耶稣令他陷入险境时，彼得便否认了耶稣，他说：“我不认得你们说的这个人。”（参可 14:71）

有时候，我们很清楚耶稣是谁，我们可以满有信心地宣称自己信奉祂的名，这些都是风和日丽的日子，是值得我们庆祝的时刻。然而，在其他的日子，我们可能会在信仰见证上作出妥协，这些选择往往带来痛苦的后果。

感恩的是，尽管彼得对考试成绩胸有成竹，然而耶稣没有停止在他身上作工，而耶稣也尚未完成在我们每一个人身上所作的工。还有很多关于弥赛亚的事情，等着我们去学习呢！

Jesus＇ question is kind of like a midterm exam, when a test is given halfway through the course to see how far the students have come. After asking his disciples what they have been hearing from other people about who he is, Jesus gets to the real question: ＂Who do you say I am?＂

Peter blurts out, ＂You are the Messiah＂, and he is gloriously correct. This is the first time anyone—other than evil spirits—have properly and clearly identified Jesus. Peter gets high marks for this statement, but there is more to being a disciple than getting an answer right on a test.

There will also be times when Peter tragically backs down from this shining moment. Sadly, he will later deny Jesus when it becomes dangerous to follow him: ＂I don＇t know this man you＇re talking about.＂ Peter says (Mark 14:71).

Some days we can see clearly who Jesus is, and we are able to confidently confess his name. These are wonderful moments, and we should celebrate them. But on other days we can compromise our testimony, and those times can turn out to be quite painful.

Thankfully Jesus isn＇t finished working with Peter, even though he passes this test with flying colors. Jesus isn＇t done with any of us yet either. There is still much to learn about Jesus, the Messiah!