Many years ago, in my seminary days, our first course in Systematic Theology dealt with basically the same question as that which the Lord posed here to his disciples. Our professor described Jesus as "the proleptic, salvific, hidden appearance of the eschatological kingdom of God." Did you get that? "The proleptic, salvific, hidden appearance of the eschatological kingdom of God." On our way out of class that morning, we chuckled at the whole thing: "Jesus said to them, `Who do YOU say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, `You are the proleptic, salvific, hidden appearance of the eschatological kingdom of God.' Jesus answered and said unto him, `What???'"

The definitions of theology professors notwithstanding, one would think that after almost 2,000 years, the question of who or what is Jesu…