Sermon Central
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Who Do You Say I Am?
Contributed by Patrick O'loughlin on Jan 19, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: What difference should it make if Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God?
Title: Who do you say that I am?
Text: Matthew 16:13-19
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples 2 questions.
First of all he asked them the question "Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
Notice they did not reply “Jesus we don’t know who other people say you are”.Instead they told Jesus what they had heard.
They had heard that some say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah; and still others, say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
Now let’s fast forward to our time.
Who do people say the Son of God is?
Would it be fair to say that most people living around us have no idea who Jesus really is?
So why did Jesus even ask his disciples this question?
Doesn’t he know that asking a question like that might make some of his disciples want to give up?
Knowing that most people think differently about who Jesus really is could have a negative affect on us.It can discourage us into thinking that since most people think differently about Jesus then God can’t do anything big around here.
Central Ma has an estimated population of 1,078,971 people.
On an average Sunday morning 2,884 people attend an Assembly of God church in central MA.
That is just .0027% of the population!
By now you kind of wish Jesus never asked the question “who do people say I am!
Why did he ask that question anyway?
He may have asked the question in order to lead into his second question. Who do you say I am?"
Now what real difference does it make who I say Jesus is” …especially when we are so outnumbered by those who think wrongly about Jesus?
Well it turns out that knowing who Jesus really is makes a bigger difference than we might think.
Who do you say I am?" Jesus asked his disciples
Peter replied “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And 2000 years later Jesus asks us the same question; “who do you say and believe I am?
Like Peter do I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God also!
Well it turns out from what Jesus is about to say to Peter that I am really blessed if I know and believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
This is what Jesus said to Peter and to everyone else who believes Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Now just how really blessed am I if I believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God?
1. If I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God –then God revealed it to me.
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. (v18)
If I believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God then I can say I have actually heard from God!
If I believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, then I have heard God speak to me!
