Who do you say He is?

intro:

Good morning church! as previously mentioned My name is Zach Honnen and i am a second year student at the river churches pastors academy, and also the student director for the River Church Davison.

I am so exited to be here with you today!

Several months ago my Teacher Randy Johnson reached out to me with the opportunity to speak today and i was honored to be able to except.

And for several months I've been praying and seeking the Lord on what to preach on and after much consideration the I landed on Matthew 16:13-17 which we just previously read

Text: so if you have your bibles with you go ahead and turn to Matthew 16:13-17

If you don’t have a bible today i want to invite you to pull our your phone and downloaded a bible app.

the Bible is the most impotent book ever written and i don't want any of us to miss what God has for us today.

and if you are new to the bible you will find a table of context on the left side of the bible

this text is about question that we all must answer today.

Who is jesus?

after we come to this questions we will spend the majority of our time on who Jesus said He was

then we will return to where we started

with that Matthew 16:13-17

Matthew 16:13–17 (ESV)

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 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.

Prayer: Please Join me in prayer…

Dear Heavenly father, help us today. help me today. Each of us have walked into this place with things on our mind. pain, heartache, stress, anxiety, distractions. For some of us unbelief, for others spiritual pride and legalism or even self-righteousness. Lord you know who we are and what we have been. but most of all you know what we need. so Lord i ask that you provide it. we love you and seek you egerly… (look up take in it in) AMEN...

sub intro:

today as we go through this text we're gonna look at several different points

you will look at the question

The confrontation

The confession

The confirmation

And once we have looked at all four points in this text we will be pivoting from who Peter says jesus is

to Who Jesus says He is in the book of john

Context:

BUT before we can get into any of that we need to look at the context.

YOU SEE

Jesus has Just departed from the Pharisees… He had got onto a boat and sailed to the area of Cesaria Philippi.

Cesare Philippi was a place full of idolatry.

In this area there was a place with a temple dedicated to greek god Pan

Jesus Wasn't in a place of true worship but a place of idolitry.

and this brings us to verse 13…

1. THE Question

Matthew 16:13 ESV

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Jesus said “SON OF MAN ” referring to himself

“son of man” was the name used for Ezekiel

BUT Jesus was not referring to Ezekiel he was to a prophecy we see in…

Daniel 7:13–14 ESV

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Jesus was referring to Himself as the one in Daniel… Jesus was asking who do people… Who do other say the son of man is?

who do people say that I am?

to clarify MANY WERE discussing JESUS

Because Jesus had done many things at this point in His ministry

That gained himself atention

He healed a parallelized man on the sabbath a day of rest. (John 5:1-17)

Jesus had feed 5,000 people and 4,000 people with only a few fish and a couple loaves of bread…

He had also heal many meany more then we have recorded…

He had also claimed many things as well

He had claimed to be the son of God we see this in

John 5:17 ESV

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

this is one example of many in scripture.

Jesus also claimed the ability to forgive sins which would make Him equal with God

He has spoken out agents the religious teachings of the day otherwise know as the Pharisees who we’re the religious leaders of that time.

latter in the book of Matthew He called them “white washed tombs” who look good on the outside but on the inside are full of dead mans bones. (Matthew 23:27)

and theses things got people talking

Just to hit the point home i’m gonna read a portion of John 7, feel free to jot it down in your notes no need to turn there

John 7:11–13 ESV

11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

people were talking and and meany were divided when it came to the idea of who Jesus was

so the disciples do there best to answer jesus’ question of “ who do people say I am?”

as we see in verse 14.

Matthew 16:14 ESV

14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

lets teak a seconded to brake this down.

some say jesus is...

John the baptist

John the baptist is the man we see who Baptists jesus at the beginning of His Ministry.

Ge was acutely Jesus cosign and he preached and tought with power

some had thought that we was like John he was preparing the way for the Messiah…

Some had thought that Jesus was John the baptist resareceted after John had been beheaded.

others thought Elijah

Elijah was an old testament prophet who did mighty things for the Lord

some

Jerimiah

or a different prophet

So what are the Jews saying about Jesus here?

1 They are acknowledging Jesus's power and miracles

By comparing Jesus to an Old Testament prophet acknowledges his power and his authority given by God

2 they saw him as a prophet BUT Jesus wasn’t just a prophet He was and is far more.

but now in verse 15 Jesus confronts His disciples with the same question

He brings them into it and challenges them on there beliefs opinion of Him.

This brings us to our 2nd point…

The Confrontation

Matthew 16:15 ESV

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

Jesus confronts his disciples with the obvious question

who do you say that I am ?

Jesus is saying:

“The people around me don't know me they know of me “

“The people around me don't eat with me don't sit with me don't live with me don't Don't follow me wherever I go “

“So I'm asking you my close friends my disciples my brothers who do you say that I am ?”

And as we look at the response of the disciples i want you to ask yourself

“Who do you say that Jesus is?”

you may have grown up in church/ no church

you may be a believer/unbeliver

you may have read the bible/ never read it

Keep it in you mind as we look at verse 16 our 3rd point

The confession:

Matthew 16:16 (ESV)

16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Here we see two claims by peter,

we see two confessions

Jesus Is the Christ

so what dose christ mean.

today i’m sure many people actually consider christ to be the last name of jesus which isn’t the case

one bible dictionary described the meaning this way.

CHRIST (anointed one) — a name for Jesus that showed that He was the long-awaited king and deliverer. For centuries the Jewish people had looked for a prophesied Messiah, a deliverer who would usher in a kingdom of peace and prosperity

Peter Had confessed that he believed Jesus the be the savior who was prophesied hundreds and thousands of years before hand

Prophecies like

Micah 5:2 ESV

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

This prophecy was written 700 years before Jesus

and was fulfilled by Christ's birth which you can find in the first few chapters of Matthew

Peter is claiming that Jesus was the Christ

the one to save His people and the one who would be the everlasting King of Isreal

SO PETER claims Jesus to be the christ the mesight the savior but his second

and peters second confection was that Jesus was the SON of the living God.

He wasn’t Just a prophet

he wasn’t just a good man

He wasn’t just a good teacher

He was the son of God!

Peter is making a bold confection that obviously wasn’t the popular opinion among the rest of society

and Jesus confirms this confessions and it brings us to our 4th point…

The Confirmation:

Matthew 16:17 ESV

17 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.

Peter wasn’t just pulling this out of thin air

It wasn’t him just saying what those around him had thought

HE was reviled this by God Himself

God Provided that which he needed to understand who Jesus was.

and God has done the same thing for you and me.

the bible was written for man to understand who God is and help us to have a relationship with Him.

from Geneses to revelation we see a picture of who God is and who the messiah will be

the bible shows us our need for a savior and Reveals who that savior is.

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

this is the point of the bible that we may know Jesus.

Not just from a distance but personalty

we are offered the chance to be His friend and no longer his enemy

like i mentions at the beginning NOW i want to pivot from who peter says jesus to who Jesus says He is.

In the Gospel of John we see 7 I AM Statement made by Jesus

and over the remainder of our time we will look at each one

Jesus has confirmed that He is the christ

And i believe the 7 I AM statement help us to truly grasp what that means.

each Year we need to take a moment refocus on what we live for

and if we are Christians we live for Jesus, but i want us to go into 2024 with a clear picture of who He is

and if you don't know Him as your savior i hope you come to know Him today.

Lets dive into John with our first I AM statement

#1 I Am the Bread of life

John 6:35 ESV

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Jesus here is pointing out the people need for spiritual food

he had just feed thousands and the people wanted Him to be king for His ability to feed them.

they were focused on the temperate but jesus was focused on he eternal.

He was saying that you are spiritually starving and I will sustainy you forever if you believe in me and follow me.

In the Old Testament. to save the Israelites from starvation, God sent Manna from heaven. which was the bread of the Angels.

And now Jesus is saying he is the true bread from heaven that gives eternal life, not momentary satisfaction.

we all seek satisfaction and we are offered fulfilment forever in christ

Jesus next I am statement was…

#2 I Am the light of the world

John 8:12 ESV

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

In this statement we see jesus once again claiming to be God but also claiming to be the light by which we can understand all things.

Psalm 27:1 ESV

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Jesus is once again comparing Himself to God Yewhy

we also see Jesus being the light at the beginning of John

John 1:1–5 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

jesus was with God in the beginning and he was the light and he is the light by which man can see and understand anything.

The exalting Jesus commentary put it this way.

Exalting Jesus in John (Jesus Claims Authority (John 8:12))

C. S. Lewis wrote, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else” (“Is Theology Poetry?,” 141). By claiming to be the light of the world, Jesus is saying, “Only by me can you see and understand everything else. Only by me can you see and understand this world.”

Apart from Jesus, this world is simply unknowable. The parts only make sense because of Jesus. Your life will only make sense as you submit to Jesus. Until the light of the world illuminates your world, you’ll never make sense of the world.

The imagery here is pretty simple—if our world didn’t have the sun, not only would we not know the sun, but we wouldn’t see to understand our world. Jesus is like the sun. We can’t make sense of a world that has so much evil and so much good without Jesus. Jesus helps us see it. He helps us understand it. In Jesus’s light we can embrace the reality that this world is broken because of sin, but we can do so with hope, for Jesus has promised to fix it.

Our hope isn’t a fool’s dream. It’s rooted in the reality of the resurrection. Jesus already defeated death, so we have confidence he will one day banish death forever. Jesus is the light of the world, and only by following him can we see

life is dark, pain lose good bad

he gives it all menainig

He is the light that shows us our sin and our need for salvation

When the Israelites were rescued out of Egypt, they followed a pillar of fire a pillar of light. to guide them through the wilderness.

and in the same way Jesus is the light that will guide us to the father. He is the light that will guide us. to salvation to heaven.

the next I AM Statement we see in John is

#3 Before Abraham was I AM (?)

John 8:58–59 ESV

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

This was significant to the Jewish culture in the Old Testament, when God was asked who he was, he said,

I AM THAT I AM

so to clam I am in and of its self was a claim to deity

Abraham lived thousands of years before Christ.

And Jesus is claiming that before Abraham was, he was.

And this is why we can't believe Jesus was a created being.

Because, as we've already stated, Jesus was with the god in the beginning. And by him, all things were created.

Jesus is claiming Deity. Jesus is claiming to be God.

And the next I am statement reveals the character of Jesus.

#4 I Am the good shepherded

John 10:14–18 ESV

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

What is a shepherd?

A Shepherd is someone who cares for and protects and leads his sheep.

In the Old Testament, King David was a shepherd before he became king.

And he defended his sheep from a lion and a bear.

A Good Shepherd is willing to lay down his life for even one sheep.

And Jesus is the ultimate Shepherd. He calls to his flock. starting with the Israelites. and has now moved to bring others into his fold. being us, the Gentiles.

There are those of us today who are a part of his flock, and there are those of us today who are not.

There are those of us who believe in Jesus, and those of us who do not. And he is calling us. He's calling you. If you don't know the Lord to come to know him and believe in him.

He wants to lead you, protect you, and he wants you to believe that he laid his life down for you.

Jesus, The Shepherd has the power to lay down his life and take it up again.

And this brings us to His next I am statement being the resurrection and the life.

#5 I Am the Resurrection and the life

John 11:25–26 ESV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Here Jesus claims to not only be God, but have power over death and life.

Anyone who puts his full trust and salvation in Jesus will not die, but will live forever.

Each and every one of us will enter. physical death. But those who believe in Jesus and put their trust in Jesus will live forever with him. and be given a resurrection after death.

And each one of us who did not will. entered the second death called Hell.

Jesus proves his power over death several verses later.

Tell the story of Lazarus… friand of jesus, was dead and bauried for four days. jesus had them open the tomb to much protest and we pick up in verse 43

John 11:43–44 ESV

43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Jesus had demonstrated to all around Him that He was the recreation and the life

But how do we recive this resarection what is the way to God, what is the way to heaven? what is the way to salvation?

jesus answers this in his next statement.

#6 I am the way the truth and the life

John 14:1–6 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus has prepared a place for us.

He desires us to come to Him,

and how do we get there? what is the way?

Jesus is the way. the only way to heaven the only way to God the only way to the father

romans 10:9 say

Romans 10:9 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 16:24–25 (ESV)

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

JESUS is the way

You and I are not perfect, and we cannot pay for our sins.

For all have fallen short of the glory of God.

And what Jesus is saying is that he on the cross. took the punishment for our sins.

And if we confess him as our Lord, our master, our king, and believe that he is able to pay the penalty, and did pay the penalty for our sins, we will be saved.

What Jesus is saying is turn from trying to do it on your own.

turn from truing to do it your way

because he is the way

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus isn't asking us for perfection.

He's saying that. we can't be perfect…

but he is perfect. And if we trust in him, he can save us from our sin.

He is the way the truth and the life.

Some of us in this room have been trying so hard to be perfect. trying so hard to justify ourselves, saying, We are good people. but no one in this room is perfect.

And Jesus is offering you a chance to lay down the burden. and submit to him. and let him carry it for you.

That is the call of the gospel.

This is who Jesus is. This is what Christianity is all about.

this is the savior the messiah

If you don't know the lord today, I want to invite you to believe in Christ for your salvation today

confess him as Lord.

turn away from sin and believe in him today.

This isn't a call to perfection. It's a call to confession. And submission and faith

submission and surrender is the way of a christian

but we do come to the question if i believe how do i live a life that honors Jesus?

how do I turn away from sin and produce good works in my life?

this brings us to the last i am statement of jesus

Finally #7 I Am the true vine

John 15:1–5 ESV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

If we believe and we abide in Christ.

If we are seeking after him daily, reading his word, praying confessing our sin and repenting.

If we are abiding in him, he will produce much fruit through us.

Apart from him, we can do nothing like a branch removed from the vine. We will wither and die if we do not abide in Christ.

For us to do good,

for us to grow in the word

for us to produce good works and good fruit, we must abide in him.

Without him we can do nothing.

So if you're a believer, are you abiding in Christ the way you should?

Is their fruit in your life?

If not returned to your first love return to the basics, just be with Christ.

Read his word pray and seek after him.

And he will produce the fruit in your life.

Our view of Christ will affect how we live for him.

If we think we can do it on our own and have a low view of Jesus,

If we enter 2024 with a low view of jesus we will not see any life change

we will not see any fruit

But if we believe He can do all things, and believe He is the vine, and we are the branches, and we trusted him,

He can do amazing things through us

That was the final I am statement of Jesus. So as we come to a close, i have a few thoughts

conclusion

so is jesus just a good man as some of the Jewish people of Jesus’ time believed?

is he just a good prophet or teacher?

in response tho those things C S Lewis has a incredible quote.

He says “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Today we have be shown that jesus is the “Messiah the son of the living God” as Peter said in Matthew

And we’ve explored what that means according to Jesus with the 7 I AM statements from John.

As we enter the new year I want you to really ask yourself

“who do i say Jesus is?”

PAUSE

Peter believed in who jesus claimed to be.

He believed He was…

the bread of life

the light of the world

the I AM of old

the Good shepherded

the Resurrection and the life

the way the truth and the life

and the true vine

Peters confession in Matthew and his understanding and belief in who Jesus said he was

was the thing that caryed him to a life fully given to Jesus even unto death.

Peter was an ordinary man who oftentimes was a cowered or was consumed by a hot temper and anger.

But His belief in jesus… in who He was changed Him forever.

By the power of the Holy Spirit he lived and died with these beliefs

who we say Jesus is matters… it changes us… and it is what will not only define this next year of our lives it will define our eternity

Let's pray.