Who do you say that I am?

If you have a bible open it up to Matthew 16. I have titled the message this morning. Who do you say that I am? Pray with me.

Next week is Easter who is excited? The Super bowl of Christianity is upon us and I can’t wait to preach what follows this text, but man what a text to be in on Palm Sunday. On the first Palm Sunday we see Matthew 21:9

Matthew 21:9 ESV

9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

And while I am not preaching that text today we see Peter have this amazing confession to who Jesus really is, and as we think about Easter really everyday we have to think why is it so important well its because the man who its about is important he is the son of David the son of God. So Peter in this text makes this great profession, a profession that every man and women should make, and that profession is our main idea.

Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, and His church is built through Him.

Matthew 16:13–20 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. 18 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. 19 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.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Now I titled the message Who do you say I am for good reason. Because what we think about Jesus is super important actually our very lives depend on it.

And Jesus begins this text asking his disciples…. Who do people say that the Son of Man is? and before we dive into that I want you to see where he is asking that question from? In my study I read this to help us understand better..

Two thousand years ago Jesus took his disciples to a town called Caesarea Philippi, a city located at the northernmost border of Israel (some have thought of it as the boundary between Israel and the world), a city bestowed to Herod the Great by Emperor Augustus Caesar. Herod's son Philip rebuilt this city and then renamed it after the Roman Emperor and (in the Herod family tradition) after himself, thus Caesarea Philippi.

In this city, towering above Jesus as he spoke, was a massive, resplendent, white marble temple built in honor of the Emperor. Also in this city of great religious diversity was the temple to the Syrian god Baal and the Greek god Pan. Here, in this "perfectly astounding setting"? —in this global village, this city of syncretism, this pantheon of world religions-Jesus asks, "Who do you say that I am?"

Thinking about that context they are in really makes the question even more powerful.. Few points to ponder first is this..

Jesus is more than a prophet He is the Christ.

So as Jesus asks this question we see that there is a difference of opinion on who Jesus Christ is.

Those opinions are all over the place. One say that he is John the Baptist. Maybe that was going around because Herod in Matthew 14:2

Matthew 14:2 ESV

2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Maybe this rumor had gotten around that he had said this about Jesus and people were believing it. Some say that he is Elijah a forerunner to the coming messiah, but we know that is titled belonged to John the Baptist. Some people said he was even Jeremiah, but scholars tend to believe that people thought that because Jewish traditions about Jeremiah’s death that supported this identification and it is possible that some onlookers had been struck by the mixture of authority and suffering characteristic of Jesus’ ministry and well exemplified by Jeremiah. And some thought he may have been another prophet.

Then Jesus turns the question on them and he asks them but who do you say I am? And I love that Peter despite his many flaws tells Jesus You are the Christ the Son of the living God.

Marks gospel says you are the Christ, Lukes gospel says The Christ of God, and here in Matthew we see that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.

See Jesus is more than a prophet he is a King. He is the Christ.

In this gospel so far we have seen the profession of who he is the son of God after he calmed the storm but here we see that his own disciples believe that he is the Son of man the son of David who will be king forever.

One of my commentaries says. Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, God's anointed. In the NT, "Christ" is more than Jesus' second name; it is a title that means Messiah, or "anointed one." This holds for Matthew (cf. 1:1; 1:17; 11:2; 22:42) and for Paul In the OT, anointing prepared priests, kings, and others for strategic roles, and so they could be designated "anointed" (Ex. 29:29; Lev. 6:22; 1 Sam. 16:13). But for many people, Jesus as "Messiah" meant he was a second Son of David, a ruler who would bring God's reign. Jews believed a messiah would one day restore Israel, although there were many views of what that might mean.

Peter believed Jesus was the messiah though he would not fully know what that meant until the death and resurrection he is making a claim we all must profess that Jesus is the Christ. But notice Jesus says he did not know this because he was the know it all of the group.

God reveals to us who Jesus really is. He reveals that Jesus is more than just a prophet.

Notice how he talks to Peter here. Matthew 16:17

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.

Jesus contrasts Peters earthly father and his heavenly father. He is telling him it was not your father who told you this truth, but your heavenly father. God is the one who opens our hearts and minds to see who Christ really is. Yes we have to respond but God showed Peter that Jesus was the Christ. He shows us that Jesus is the Christ.

John tells us in John 1:11-13

John 1:11–13 ESV

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

So who is Jesus he is the Christ. We are made new not by our own work, but by the work of God. He does a heavenly work in us that no man could do even our own fathers that causes us to believe, And it was the work of God working in the disciples life that showed them that Jesus is more than just a prophet but he is the Christ the Son of the living God, and he does that work for all who believe in him. But what do we do with that confession that he is the Christ.

Next point is this…

The church is built on the confession that Jesus is the Christ.

Believe it or not part of this text is one of the most controversial in all of the new testament. Mainly because the Roman Catholic’s interpretation of it. In fact even the Protestants are really all over the place on what Jesus is saying in verses 18 and 19 I was up at the church Tuesday reading about 4 hours of all these different views just of these two verses. . And I seemed to get nowhere in my understanding of what I thought all of it meant besides the point the church is built on the confession that Jesus is the Christ.

Now the Catholics believe that Peter is the first Pope and they largely draw that conclusion from their understanding of this text. So what they believe according to their official doctrine the Catechism of the Catholic Church is this.. The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church,  and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head. This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.

Listen to one commentator on this.. Catholicism claims that Peter was given a special authority that is now passed down to a succession of church leaders, specifically bishops, under the primacy of the Pope. While this text absolutely acknowledges Peter's instrumental role in his initial confession and foundation of the church, we must disagree here with the Catholic church's teaching. This text is not about a supreme pope; it's about a sovereign Savior. Jesus said, "will build My church" (v. 18). Jesus is the architect of the church.

Peter's authority is completely tied to Jesus' authority as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus alone is preeminent in this text, and His Word alone is supreme.

A second error flowing from these verses needs to be addressed: this text is not about a necessary pope; it's about a non-negotiable declaration. It's the church's proclamation of Christ that is primary. Wherever the gospel of Christ is proclaimed, the church will be built, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it,

Finally, this text is not about an infallible pope; it's about an invincible mission. The pope does not speak new revelation that carries with it the weight of Christ's authority, as the Catholic church teaches. Rather, the church proclaims old revelation, the revelation of God saving sinners through Christ. Only with this message do we have Christ's authority to call people to be saved. This is why we referred to the church earlier as a community that proclaims Jesus confidently.

So we know what the Catholics believe about this text but what should we believe. Well we should believe that The church is built on the confession that Jesus is the Christ that is the point I made. But what role does Peter the disciples the apostles and even us have in that confession

First we need to understand that the real foundation of the church is not Peter but Christ . Paul tells us that Christ is the true foundation…

1 Corinthians 3:11 ESV

11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Yes we read from the apostles about Jesus but the object of faith is him its not Peter, or Paul, or John its Jesus.

In fact the Rock not be confused with wwe superstar and actor is Jesus Paul says in 1 Cor 10:4

1 Corinthians 10:4 ESV

4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

Now Paul also says that Jesus is the cornerstone.

Ephesians 2:20 ESV

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

According to Got Questions it says this.. Since ancient times, builders have used cornerstones in their construction projects. A cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of an edifice, to guide the workers in their course. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. The Bible describes Jesus as the cornerstone that His church would be built upon. He is foundational. Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it. As the cornerstone of the building of the church, Jesus is our standard of measure and alignment.

Every thought in this book has Jesus as the cornerstone. but that proclamation of the cornerstone of Jesus is still the foundation.

The last verse I just used notice how Paul says also that the apostles and the prophets are the foundation of the church, because how do we know about who Jesus is, who the God is the bible is ,who wrote the bible the apostles and the prophets carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Paul says in 1 Cor 3:10

1 Corinthians 3:10 ESV

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.

God is still building his church based on the cornerstone and foundation which was laid before us which stands on the proclamation that Jesus is the Christ.

which ties in to our 3rd and final point.

The Church grows through the confession of Christ.

The church is not only built on the confession of Christ it grows because of the confession of Christ, and notice that not even the gates of hell shall prevail against it.

One man said this.. Jesus. claims that he will build an eternal, invincible assembly against which even the powers of the devil and of death are power-less. And to Peter he grants "the keys" to this heavenly kingdom (v. 19). What Peter then must do, and those who follow after him, is as follows: "whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (16:19b).

Which means what? What's the mission? What's this bit about the keys?

Well, as we look at the Acts of the Apostles, our best source on this… One of my favorite examples of Gods mission being fulfilled is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch where we see the keys of the gospel being preached. Listen to the story.

Acts 8:26–40 ESV

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. ( Got took Philip to place he would not have ministered otherwise.27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 ( the Holy Spirit will direct you on mission. So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Talk about taking the mission and keys giving to you and letting that play out in your life. Is what Philip did there. Its what we are called to do as well.

Zwingli summarizes the Protestant consensus like this:

The keys are nothing else than this: the preaching of the pure, unfalsified Word of the gospel. Whoever believes this [gospel] will be free of his sins and be saved. Whoever does not believe this will be damned (Mark 16:16)

J. C. Ryle puts it like this: "As the Old Testament priest declared authoritatively whose leprosy was cleansed, so the apostles were appointed to "declare and pronounce' authoritatively whose sins were forgiven."

16 Craig Bomberg comments, "[The imagery of keys that close and open, lock and unlock (based on Isa 22:22) . take the binding and loosing as referring to Christians' making entrance to God's kingdom available or unavailable to people through their witness, preaching, and ministry."

So the idea of St. Peter standing in Heaven at the pearly gates with the keys tied around his waist comes from this text but is far removed from it.

Peter's duty is entirely earthly. Here on earth he is to preach the gospel -repentance, faith, obedience to the commands of Christ, the cost of disciple-ship-and those who receive that apostolic message receive Jesus, and the door to life opens wide (cf. 10:40). And here on earth those who refuse the gospel are judged (they already stand in judgment). The door remains locked and shut. No joke. Gray-haired St. Peter standing at the pearly gates is a joke.

But verse 19 is no joke. It's a matter of life and death, eternal life and eternal death, to accept what Peter preached.

In verse 20. Matthew 16:20

Matthew 16:20 ESV

20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

But for us that is not the case. Because the resurrected Jesus Christ says this..

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The authority belongs not to Peter it belongs to Jesus and Jesus tells us that we are to go into the world and make much of him, make disciples of him in a place just like Jesus asks his disciples who do you think I am?

See Peter made the proclamation that Jesus is the Christ but have you. Has our Father in Heaven revealed to you the greatest truth one could ever know and have you responded to that, and does the depths of your soul say Jesus is Lord, he is my savior, he is my God, and I know he is my only hope.

If you have not done that do it, repent of your sins run to Jesus cry out to him believe in him by faith, and you will be saved.

And if you are a Christian in this room. Take note of what you are called to do, next week Easter Sunday ( people come to church on Easter invite… and we will see that we are called to take up our Cross and follow him, but this week our call in this text is proclaim him as the Christ in a world that is fighting for you to make it Lord make Jesus the Lord of your life make him the Christ so that you can bear the name Christian which means little Christ and as a Christian its your responsibility to share him. Because unlike Peters faith in the moment that was very private Jesus died in public so you could proclaim him in public .

If you never shared the gospel with someone its as easy as this. God the creator the heavens and the earth designed everything perfectly there was no sin. But through Adam sin entered into the world and we all sin because its in our very nature to sin, and our sin leads to all kinds of brokenness it manifests its ways where we all fall short of the Holiness of God and are left without hope, but the gospel message comes in form of the 2nd person of the Trinity Jesus Christ who is born without sin and he does not have the brokenness we do in fact he is perfect following every word of the law perfectly, and he came to do what we cannot do which is save us. And he did that by going to the cross, paying our penalty for sin, and by dying on the cross and rising from the dead he has authority over sin, and he restores us to have a right relationship with God. and to have that relationship you repent of your sins and believe and repentance is turning away from your sin and trusting in Christ alone to save and when you do that you will desire to live for him and not yourself anymore, because you are new creation. That is the gospel.

so who do you say that Jesus is? x2 Let us pray..