18 As Jesus was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”

19 They answered, “‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again.”

20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

21 But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”

Luke 9:18-22 - World English Bible

In Luke's version of THE Question, “Who do you say I am?” Jesus quizzed his followers in the midst of personal prayer. While the setting might confuse the modern reader (how can Jesus be alone and with others at the same time?), Luke wasn't so concerned with the scene as with the theme; the Lord always important turns in his life while in the presence of the Father. In other words, prayer, not the need to know one's place, initiated the question of identity.

Like Mark and Matthew, the disciples responded with the answer of Elijah or one of the prophets who rose again (notice the resurrection reference that Luke used to foreshadow the Lord's own rising in 9:22c). Like the other synoptic gospels, Peter declared, “The Christ of God.” And, in the same manner, Jesus used the title to explain what Messiahship meant to him. He would be the suffering servant, the Christ would die and rise for others.

The dialogue on the identity of Jesus took place in a moment of prayer, a time of communication and revelation. Jesus knew his Father's will and knew when to communicate the Word to others.

What does God tell you in your prayer time today?