A Study of Matthew: Who Do You Say I Am?

Matthew 16:13–15 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Who is Jesus?

That is the question that mankind has been wrestling with for the last 2000 years.

There is a large number of people who don’t know anything about Jesus. There a possibly millions who have not even heard his name spoken.

For others, Jesus is a word they use as an expletive when they are frustrated, angry, or surprised.

Others see Jesus as a symbol of a religion they view as backward and repressive.

There are those who don’t believe Jesus ever actually existed; he’s just a story.

There are those who believe there was some historical person named Jesus who was probably a religious leader or rabbi, whose followers made up all these stories about miracles, dying and coming back to life.

Others believe that Jesus had supernatural powers, but that the stuff about sin and repentance was added by others who wanted to control Jesus’ followers.

Others believe in a Jesus who is cruel, part of a Godhead that delights in sending people to hell.

Still others believe in an almost hippie-like Jesus who only preaches love and who would never send ANYONE to hell.

Jesus has spent at least a year with his disciples, moving from town to town performing miracles and teaching people about the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do these people say I am?”

He gets a variety of answers in response.

Matthew 16:14 ESV

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

John the Baptist

Some say Jesus is John the Baptist. In other words, they have him confused with another guy who was preaching about the kingdom of Heaven. I guess it makes sense. They are cousins, so maybe there’s a physical similarity. They are preaching the same message. But the thing is, everyone by now should know that Jesus and John the Baptist are two different men, and that John was beheaded by King Herod. So it seems there were a bunch of people who didn’t pay enough attention to know who it was they were listening too.

And there are people today who don’t pay attention to what they hearing. They come into church, sit through the service, and leave without ever really hearing a word of what was spoken. They may latch onto something catchy, getting only a portion of what was said, and leaving with a distorted view of who Jesus is. These folks are too busy doing their own thing to take time to study the word of God. Instead, they latch onto whatever the latest religious trend is, whatever feels good at the moment. They fall into practices that are unbiblical, serving a version of Jesus that is completely false.

Elijah or a Great Prophet

Others thought Jesus must be one of the great prophets of the past come back. They see the miracles, and are happy to have a great prophet. But that’s all they are willing to call Jesus.

There are so many in church who are willing to listen to Jesus’ teaching. They are willing to believe in his ability to do miracles in their lives. They are willing to receive whatever they can from Jesus.

But that’s where it ends. For them, Jesus is provider. He’s healer. He’s comforter. But he is nothing more.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

Matthew 16:15–16 ESV

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.”

Now that the disciples have shared what everybody else thinks regarding who Jesus is, it’s their turn.

The disciples know who they HOPE Jesus is. They have seen that he has authority over sickness. They have heard the authority with which he preaches. They have seen him have authority over nature. He has authority over demons. He even has authority over death. They have seen him fulfill so many things that the Messiah has been prophesied to do, but they are afraid to say it out loud.

Twelve apostles are sitting there, and only one—Peter—speaks. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Man, this took courage for Peter to say. There have been so many false messiahs over the centuries. If he makes this statement, and gets it wrong, he’s sunk.

There comes a time when we have to quit just listening to what everybody else is saying about Jesus and come to a decision. Who do I believe Jesus to be? Even more, what am I willing to declare Jesus to be?

You see, when you declare that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, then you have to decide what you are going to do next. If Jesus is God’s son, what does that then mean? If I truly believe that Jesus is part of the Godhead, the creator of everything that ever has or will exist, that has serious implications for me!

Jesus keeps preaching about how we need to be submitted to the will of God. He keeps talking about God’s kingdom, which means that God is king. If God is king, and Jesus is his son, then Jesus is at the very least the Prince! If I claim that Jesus is the son of God, then I am saying Jesus has authority over me!

Matthew 16:16–19 ESV

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.”

When Peter declared Jesus as the Son of God, it was because the Holy Spirit revealed the fact to him. Likewise, if we are going to know who Jesus is, it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t need to be listening to the latest self-help guru. We certainly don’t need to be listening to people who don’t know Jesus. But we need to be careful about listening even to people who claim to follow Jesus.

The Word of God tells us very clearly who Jesus is. The nature of the Messiah is clearly presented throughout scripture, going all the way back to Genesis 3:15, when God spoke to the serpent.

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

In John 12:31, Jesus calls Satan the ruler of this world. And yet, Jesus, the offspring of Eve, will stomp on Satan’s head.

Psalm 22 perfectly describes Jesus’ crucifixion, including the words Jesus would use as he hung on the cross and took on the sins of the world.

There are hundreds of verses throughout the Old Testament that describe the Messiah. Anybody teaching a version of Jesus that does not line up with scripture is a liar and a deceiving agent of the devil.

Matthew 16:19 ESV

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.”

Knowing who Jesus is comes with expectation and responsibility. Jesus clearly tells Peter that he will be expected to do certain types of things, namely putting an end to the devil’s work and leading people to freedom in Christ.

Who Do You Say I Am?

It’s not enough to simply say that you believe in Jesus. Declaring Jesus’ lordship automatically obligates you to follow him.

1 John 2:4 ESV

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

Did you hear what the apostle John just said? If you claim to know him, you WILL be keeping his commandments. Not because keeping the commandments is what gets us to heaven. It’s because truly knowing Jesus means recognizing his lordship in your life. I you know who Jesus really is, you will submit yourself to him. You will keep his commandments.

And what are Jesus’ commandments?

Matthew 22:36–39 ESV

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus commands us to love God and love people. He’s not just talking about warm, fuzzy feelings; Jesus is talking about an active love that is compassionate, making a conscious effort to build healthy relationships, and seeking the best interest of others.

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus also commands his followers to actively work to make others all over the world disciples of Christ. You can’t push the job off on somebody else. Jesus expects you to do your duty to lead others to him and then help them grow into solid, mature believers.

Who do you say Jesus is? The answer you give is life-changing. Your answer has eternal ramifications. Just last Sunday, a church in the Congo was asked the question, “Who do you say Jesus is?” Seventy Christians were beheaded because they said Jesus is the Son of God and their Lord. So you had better know who Jesus really is. And the only way is to get to know him. You need to be in prayer, constantly, learning to commune with Jesus so that he can reveal himself to you. You need to quit listening to outsiders and spend time looking at what God’s word says Jesus is.

If you know who Jesus is, you have an obligation to tell others about him and lead them into a strong, mature relationship with Jesus.

Bow your heads.

I Am Not Ashamed

Verse 1

We're an anchor for those who are hurting We're a harbor for those who are lost Sometimes it's not always easy Bearing Calvary's cross

We've been ridiculed by those who don't know Him And mocked by those who don't believe Still I love standing up for my Jesus 'Cause of all that He's done for me

Chorus That's why I am not ashamed of the Gospel The gospel of Jesus Christ I am not afraid to be counted But I'm willing to give my life

Now I'm ready to be all He wants me to be Give up the wrong for the right oh no I am not ashamed of the gospel I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ

Verse 2 For every moment His hand has held mercy For all the love He's shown all my life A simple thanks doesn't say how I'm feelin' I get tears in my eyes

So as for me I'm gonna keep on believin' In the One who's been so faithful to me I'm not out to please this whole world around me I've got my mind on eternity

Bridge I've got too much behind me To let this world blind me To some He's a name But to me He's my everything