The Decision Is Yours
Notes
Transcript
One of the interesting portions of sitting at the booth at the County Fair is watching people. Seeing how people approach booths. How people walk around booths.
I would sit behind our booth and call out to whoever came by: Everything at this table is free! Some people would come and look. Others would politely say that they didn’t want to come and look. Still others would ignore me and walk on the opposite side of the aisle purposefully looking somewhere else.
I know it wasn’t the fact that there were free stuff that caused such a disparity in reactions. It might have been the flocks of kids around the booth with their balloon animals and facepainting. But, I’m guessing it was the big Calvary Bible Church banner taped to the front of the table.
Jesus, who he is and what one does with him, causes division.
As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1 23-24
but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The message of Jesus is a stumbling block. It is foolishness. It is offensive. But, even if people have an adverse reaction to it, everyone must make a decision on what they will do with Jesus.
And that is what Jesus confronts his disciples with in our text. Jesus has warned the disciples to not listen to the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And now, he asks them who they believe he is.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 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. 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.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
In the passage today, we are going to answer the question: Who do you say Jesus is? Is he a good teacher? Is he a prophet? Or is he the Messiah?
Before we dive in, will you pray with me?
Who do you say Jesus is?
1. A Good Teacher
1. A Good Teacher
Some say that Jesus is just a good teacher.
While Jesus was alive, many had that belief.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
John the Baptist was a great teacher. Under his influence, so many Jews turned from their sins and turned back to orthodoxy. Not just orthodoxy, but passion in their faith. This passion spread beyond judaism. In fact, even Roman soldiers came to John, asking what they should do.
Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
Even though some of the religious leaders didn’t like John, being one of his disciples was a status symbol.
And Jesus took over the ministry of John. He preached the same things. He exhorted the same things. He caused the same sort of stir among the crowds who wanted to follow him and just listen to his every word. He caused the same stir among the religious leaders who wanted to silence him. He was beginning to cause government officials to take notice, just as John did.
And we would have to admit. Jesus’ teachings are very good.
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
In fact, his teachings are so iconic that many people follow them without knowing it is his teaching. He is a good teacher.
Thomas Jefferson, the wordsmith behind the declaration of independence, commissioned his own Bible to be published that only contained the teachings of Jesus. No miracles. No resurrection. Just the teachings. Because he thought that the teachings could change the native American tribes.
Some people are so caught up in the teachings of Jesus that they appreciate red-lettered versions of the Bible, because they think that the teachings of Jesus contain more weight than the rest of the inspired Word of God.
But, Jesus isn’t just a good teacher. And living according to his sayings might cause someone to live a nice moral life, but the sayings do not change the soul. The sayings do not lead one toward the miracle that must occur within every single person.
No, Jesus is more than a good teacher.
2. A Prophet
2. A Prophet
Some say that Jesus is just a prophet.
The disciples respond to Jesus:
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
John the Baptist was a teacher, but he didn’t do any miracles. Elijah, however, in addition to some of the other prophets, they did miracles. Elijah caused food to multiply. Elijah caused dead to come back to life. Elijah withheld rain and brought rain. Elijah caused fire to come down from the sky.
Elijah was a prophet’s prophet. Because of the signs Elijah performed, people knew that he spoke from God and he led a nation-wide revival, where the priests of the false gods were actually killed. Even the ungodly kings and queens respected Elijah. They might not have liked him, but they respected him.
Since Jesus is more than a teacher, he must be a prophet. His miracles line him up pretty well with Elijah. He caused food to multiply, multiple times. He caused rain to stop, multiple times. He caused the dead to come back to life, multiple times.
He seemed to cause a nation-wide revival. The religious leaders noted:
So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
The only thing he hadn’t done yet was call fire down from heaven, though the disciples tried to influence him in that direction:
but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”
Many people today look up to Jesus as a prophet, someone who has done special things and should be respected, because of what he has done and how he has pointed people to God.
The Islamic religion as a whole looks up to Jesus as a prophet.
Surah 5:110
“And ˹on Judgment Day˺ Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour upon you and your mother: how I supported you with the holy spirit1 so you spoke to people in ˹your˺ infancy and adulthood. How I taught you writing, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. How you moulded a bird from clay—by My Will—and breathed into it and it became a ˹real˺ bird—by My Will. How you healed the blind and the lepers—by My Will. How you brought the dead to life—by My Will. How I prevented the Children of Israel from harming you when you came to them with clear proofs and the disbelievers among them said, “This is nothing but pure magic.””
But, Jesus isn’t any more than a prophet to them. In fact, earlier the Quran reads:
Surah 5:72
“Those who say, “Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary,” have certainly fallen into disbelief. The Messiah ˹himself˺ said, “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah—my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever associates others with Allah ˹in worship˺ will surely be forbidden Paradise by Allah. Their home will be the Fire. And the wrongdoers will have no helpers.”
But, Jesus clearly taught that his teachings and his miracles pointed to his status as not just a teacher, not just a prophet, but the Messiah.
3. The Messiah
3. The Messiah
He said:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
And Jesus’ disciples believed this.
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
They believed it because they had been following him for a long time. They had heard the teaching. They had seen the miracles. They knew that he had to be more than just a good teacher and more than just a prophet. He had to be the one prophesied to restore humanity back into a relationship with their creator.
We know who Jesus is also. Anyone who studies his life and legacy must walk away with the truth seared on their consciousness. Or, willfully ignore that which is obvious.
Jesus has proven himself to be the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, by raising himself from the dead. An act that no one had ever done or has ever done since.
regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.
If Jesus is in fact more than a good teacher or a prophet, than the decision must be faced: What are you going to do with him?
A. He Must Be Believed
A. He Must Be Believed
If Jesus is the Messiah, he must be believed.
Just as Peter confessed who Jesus is:
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
so every single person must make that choice to believe him or not.
As Paul writes in Rom 10 9
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
And again:
for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Jesus came for us, knowing our state as apart from God, destined to hell for all eternity. Jesus died to rescue us from that fate, taking our punishment on his shoulders, reconciling us to God forever.
But, this gift isn’t for the whole world. This gift is just for those who believe in Jesus.
Paul says that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” That means everyone who doesn’t call on the name of the Lord will not be saved.
We know John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Well, two verses later:
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
If Jesus is in fact the Messiah, whom God appointed to bring either salvation or judgment to the world, we must believe in Him.
B. He Must Be Followed
B. He Must Be Followed
Not only must he be believed. But he must be followed.
Jesus turns to Peter after Peter makes that great confession, and says:
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 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.
Okay, so there has been so much controversy over this passage and I really don’t want to jump into it, but I have to give it just a little bit of air time, because the controversy gets in the way of what I need to say. Yes, the rock Jesus is talking about is Peter: if you want proof of that, please talk to me. No, Peter is not the first Pope or the linchpin for apostolic succession. If you want proof of that, please talk to me.
Throughout the NT, the church is described as a house,
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
If we have placed our faith in Jesus, we are called to join in that building. To follow him. What does this mean? Well, we are called to have life-change, to prove our salvation by our lives, to invest in a relationship with Jesus, to join a local church and participate in the ministry of that local church, not just to attend a few times a year. We are to follow Jesus, and woe to the one who confesses to believe Jesus but refuses to follow him.
If Jesus is the Messiah, we must believe in Him, we must follow him.
He Must Be Shared
He Must Be Shared
We must share him.
Jesus tells Peter:
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.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
They were not to tell about Jesus yet. He needed to die and then rise again. After he did that, he pushed them out the door, telling them to proclaim to the world who he proved himself to be.
This imagery of binding and loosing speaks of being a gatekeeper. Peter and the apostles, and by extension all those who have made the confession of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, are gatekeepers for the kingdom. We guide the proclamation of the truth of who Jesus is, and in doing so, we permit entrance to the kingdom through the church for those who confess Jesus. Those who do not confess Jesus are forbidden entrance.
But, how can someone confess if they have not heard. And how can they hear if no one speaks the truth.
I love the imagery in the previous verse: the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Gates keep people out and others in. The gates of Hades cannot keep the church away from preaching the truth of Jesus to those who are lost. And the gates of Hades cannot keep those who have confessed Jesus in.
If Jesus is the Messiah, if we are following him as such, we are called to storm the gates of hell and rescue sinners from Satan’s grasp, calling them from darkness to light. Because Jesus is not just a good teacher or a prophet. He is the Messiah who deserves to be believed, followed, and shared. Will you join me and in doing it?
