“Who Do You Say I Am?”
Matthew 16:13-19
January 18, 2003
Three people have been in the news quite a bit recently. Tell me, what do you think of these folks?
What do you think about the new Nebraska coach, Bill Callahan? Is he the best man for the job? Who do you say he is? Is he a bumbling head coach who last year went 4-12 as coach of the Raiders? Or is he a brilliant offensive mind with plenty of recruiting power, who will raise Husker football back to its former glory?
What do you think about Martha Stewart? Do you buy her products anymore? Who do you say she is? Is she a crooked liar who got caught in an inside-trading scandal? Or is she a wonderful lady with great homemaking ideas who involved in a huge misunderstanding?
What do you think about Pete Rose? Should he be reinstated to baseball? Who do you say he is? Is he a no-good bum who knowingly bet on baseball and should be barred from the sport for life? Or is he sorry for what he has done, and now fully deserves admission into the Hall of Fame?
Everybody seems to have their own opinion about these people. Different people believe different things about them. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. And while we are entitled to our opinions, that fact remains, that’s all they are…opinions. Some opinions may be closer to the truth, some may be completely false, and still others can have a good mix of both. But opinions do not determine the objective reality of who a person is, or what they may or may not have done.
In today’s Gospel lesson Jesus asks his disciples what the people are saying about Him. They report the many different opinions people have concerning who Jesus is. This is the first Biblical “opinion poll”. Jesus asks this question, not out of mere curiosity but because the answer is SO very important. This is not a matter of opinion, but of objective reality. This is an issue of faith, faith (or lack thereof) in the Messiah whom God had sent into the world. The answer to this question is just as important today as it was 2,000 years ago, “Who do you say He is?”
Jesus turns to his disciples that day on the dusty road to Caesarea Phillipi, and asks, “Who do men say that I am?” Jesus is referring to the massive crowds that had been following him. The disciples tell him what had reached their ears.
“Some say you are Elijah.” It was the belief of the day that God would send the prophet Elijah back to Israel to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. This is based on the prophecy of Malachi 4:5. (We know the fulfillment of this prophecy to be John the Baptist.) Their answer indicated the high regard they had for Jesus, He was thought of as a great prophet! But He must be the forerunner of the Messiah because He doesn’t quite “fit the bill” of who they expected the Messiah to be.
“Others say John the Baptist.” No doubt these people knew about John. If they hadn’t heard his preaching directly, then they had certainly heard of him. The manner of his death, how Herod had beheaded him, was no secret. Yet, here was another man who preached a message that was hauntingly familiar. So familiar in fact, that many of them believed that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead! This certainly seemed to be the view of Herod and his house, as evidenced in Mark 6:14. Talk about your sins coming back to haunt you!
“Still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Like Jeremiah, Jesus was a man who preached God’s Word in all of its truth and authority. Both spoke the Word unashamedly and suffered because of it. Once again we see a positive view of Jesus’ ministry here. But once again, He isn’t thought of as the Messiah who saves. For the third time, the answer of the people falls short of the Truth.
Now you might feel bad for these folks who just don’t seem to get it. You might wonder how they could miss what is right in front of their eyes. How in the world could they not recognize who Jesus was???
The answer to that question will come later, first we need to understand that this phenomenon continues in our day. Many people have a positive regard for Jesus, but they miss the mark altogether. You can speak of Jesus as a prophet, a holy man, teacher or spiritual leader, and few will object. But speak of Him as the Son of God, Savior from sin, the only way to Heaven, and multitudes of people will line up to voice their disapproval.
A billion Muslims will say: “Prophet, yes. God, no!” Jews scattered across the world will say: “Teacher, yes. Messiah, no!” Liberal “theologians” and other humanists will exclaim: “Exemplary man, yes! Great example, yes! Divine Son of God, Savior from Sin? No Way!!”
Saying Jesus is a prophet, teacher, or a good example are all nice things to say about Him. They are all positive remarks. But if that is the extent of their answer then the answer is wrong. The people of Jesus time got it wrong. The people of our day get it wrong. They do not understand, nor do they confess who Jesus really is. So, what is the correct answer? Who is this man Jesus?
We find the answer in today’s text. Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” This is where the rubber hits the road folks! Who you say Jesus is makes all the difference! A correct confession of faith in Christ is of paramount importance to your salvation! And Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter (as he often does) speaks up, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!”
Finally, someone gets it right!!! Way to go Peter! For all the times he messes stuff up and says the wrong thing, Peter nails it here. As one of my seminary professors is fond of saying, “I believe the only reason he ever opens his mouth is to switch feet!” But today what is in Peter’s mouth isn’t his foot or a foolish word, but a pure and true confession of Jesus Christ as his Savior and his God. What sweet words, what a glorious confession of his Lord!
What is the response of Jesus to Peter? He doesn’t praise Peter for coming up with the right answer. He doesn’t congratulate him on figuring out what so many people missed. No, Jesus simply states the truth. He points Peter to the source of his confession. He says, “Blessed are son Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but from my Father in heaven.”
This bold confession of Peter, this bold faith of Peter, did not come from Peter!! He did not come up with it on his own! It was a gift from God! No human being can come to saving faith on their own, it is always a gift from God Himself.
Jesus then renames Simon and calls him Peter. The word in Greek is petros which means rock. And Jesus says, “Upon this rock I will build my Church.” Many people have mistaken this to mean that Peter is the rock upon whom the church is built. Nothing could be farther from the truth! The grammar of the sentence makes it very clear that the rock upon which the church shall be built is not Peter, but the confession and faith that God had given to Peter. It is upon faith in Christ, that the Church shall always be built! Faith that recognizes Jesus; as Savior from sin, and Son of God. Faith in the One who is The Rock. Like our choir sang this morning, “He is the Rock!” Very true words, very appropriate song for this morning. In our Epistle lesson today (1Corinthians 10:1-5) Paul talks about Jesus as the Rock of the Old and New Testaments! And against faith in this Rock, the God-man Jesus Christ; no sin, no death, nor any other power of Satan, shall ever prevail. What an awesome section of Scripture! What a great comfort!
What about you and me today? Jesus didn’t just ask this question to the disciples of his day, He asks it to the disciples of this day. The question rings down through the ages and echoes in our ears this morning…”Who do you say I am?” I would guess that almost everyone here, and almost everyone listening on the radio or internet, would confess with Peter, that Jesus is their Savior and the Son of the Living God. This faith is not from yourselves, you didn’t cook it up on your own. This faith is a gift to you from God Himself. Jesus has called you by name as well. In the waters of your Baptism, either as an adult or child, God has called you by name to be a part of His eternal family. You were given faith in Him and against your God-given faith and salvation, even the gates of hell will not prevail! What an awesome Promise! What a great comfort!
The promise given to Peter has been given to you. Thanks be to God that His promises are certain even when we as sinful human beings stumble and falter. The reason I bring that up is because of what comes next in this Gospel. Peter, after this wonderful confession of faith in Christ, and after receiving the promises of God, goes right back to his sinful and errant ways.
The very next paragraph on the page tells how Jesus began to explain what He must go through to fulfill His role as our Savior. Jesus teaches them the heart of the Gospel, that He must be betrayed, handed over to the authorities, beaten, crucified, and rise from the dead three days later. This is how the Messiah was going to save the world.
Peter was stunned. He would have no part of it. He was so upset and so stubborn on this issue that he even interrupted Jesus, took him aside and began to rebuke him. The reply of Jesus cuts to the heart, “Get behind me Satan!” Jesus had heard this line before. In His temptation in the desert, someone else (namely Satan) tried to dissuade Him from His appointment with the cross. To deny the cross as the only way of salvation is to join into this sinful scheme authored by Satan himself. By Peter’s reliance on his own understanding, he denies the necessity of the cross, and commits the sin of denying the very faith he just professed.
We are guilty of the same sin. As stated before, by grace, we have a God-given, saving faith in Christ. But like Peter, when we rely on ourselves rather than God, we fall into this deadly trap of sin. When we say that Jesus is our Lord, (Lord means; boss, master, God) and then live our lives on our own terms and by our own rules, we deny our faith. When we say that Jesus is our Savior, and then harbor the belief that our good works have earned God’s grace and that we somehow deserve His favor, we wipe our feet on what He has done for us. When we claim that Jesus is the Son of God, and then keep silent about Him so that we do not offend anyone, we have committed the same sin Peter did when he denied Christ 3 times the night He was betrayed.
If our salvation depended upon us, we would be in a hopeless situation. We would be lost forever. Thanks be to God that His promises do not depend on our efforts! His gift of grace is given freely, even to those who are ungrateful at times. He is the Rock, an unmovable foundation, and our sin is not going to shake His love!!!
Peter, you, me--we are all in the same boat. We have been given God’s gift of faith. God’s promises are real in our lives. We have the hope of life everlasting. And even when we mess it up, get it wrong, and utterly fail—our loving God is there with His arms wide open. Arms that were once pinned to a cross, now reach out in a loving embrace to forgive and restore fallen sinners like us. For all the times we get it wrong, Jesus got it right. For all the times we utterly fail, Jesus succeeded. For all the times we completely mess it up, Jesus completely fixed it (point at the cross), once (hold up one finger) and for all (point at the entirety of the congregation).
This sacrificial love of God’s Son is the foundation upon which the church has been built. It is on this rock, that our salvation rests. By faith, it is here that we stand, now and for all eternity. Folks, that’s not an opinion, it’s a fact!
Who do you say Bill Callahan is? I don’t really care, it doesn’t matter.
Who do you say Martha Stewart is? I don’t really care, it doesn’t matter.
Who do you say Pete Rose is? I don’t really care, it doesn’t matter.
Who do you say Jesus Christ is? I really care, that really matters. It makes all the difference in this life, and thanks be to God, because of what He has done, it will make all the difference in the next! Amen.
**Special thanks to the efforts of Charles Lindquis whose sermon "Who do you say Jesus is?" was an invaluable help in the formation of parts of this sermon. Soli Deo Gloria! (To God be the Glory)**
