Who Do You Say Jesus Is? based on Matthew 16:13-20

I. Questions are important.

II. In our Gospel lesson from Matthew 16 Jesus asked His disciples or students a very important question. In referring to Himself in Matthew 16:13, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Jesus was given a number of different answers to His question. Matthew 16:14 tells us, “And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’”

III. If Jesus asked you who people thought He was today, then how would you answer?

IV. In Matthew 16:15-19 Jesus made His question even more personal, [He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”]

V. There are different interpretations about the words of Jesus saying that Simon Peter is the rock that the Christian Church is built on.

VI. The keys of the kingdom of heaven are for all Christians to use.

VII. Later in Matthew’s Gospel, in Matthew 18:18-19, Jesus tells all of His disciples and not only Simon Peter, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

VIII. Matthew 16:20 tells us, “Then He strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”

IX. The important question for each of us still today is: “Who do you and I say that Jesus Christ is.” Is He simply a prophet or only a good example to follow? Or is He the Christ, the Son of the living God? When we confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, then we believe that all our sins are forgiven thanks to Jesus’ life, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension to heaven, and promised return on the Last Day. Jesus came to turn us away from the false gods and false idols of this world to the only true and living God. Thanks to God we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, our only true Lord and Savior. Thanks to God we are delivered from our sins by Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God. Thanks to God we are given the faith, hope, and love of God to trust in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God, and to one day have eternal life in heaven – all as a free gift. Amen.