Who I Am

Matthew 16:13-20

By way of introduction here in Matthew, lets turn to Ephesians 2:19–22  “ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Paul said that Jesus was cornerstone and that we are the building blocks of the church. These parts are wrapped up not in what we do, but who’s work we trust in wholly.

Lets look at our text for today

Matthew 16:13–20  “ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some 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 answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to 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 also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.”

Jesus asks, Who I Am Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13–17

Mt 16:13  When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 

I brought a video for you to see a little info on Caesarea Philippi. (DTH-VID)

In the midst of this bustling religious pluralism and intense satanic oppression, Jesus stands and asks, somewhat of a leading question

Son of Man - not present in Mark/Luke. again, this refers to Ezkiel/Daniel and most rabbis said that the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13–14  “ “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then 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 the one Which shall not be destroyed.”

that was the son of man that they were all looking for, from Pharisees to Fishermen. Their true king, their deliverer. None thought he would look like this plain itinerant jewish preacher.

Mt 16:14  So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 

Mt 16:15  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 

Now, even Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest of prophet of the OT, (Matthew 11:11) Elijah (eliyahu - My God is Yahweh) was considered by Israel to truly be a powerful prophet in every way. He had the empty chair at passover, considered to be the precursor to the end of all things and establishing the kingdom of Israel {millenium}) Jeremiah the weeping prophet, who wept and lamented over the sin of Israel, knowing the impending doom that was ahead.

I would note that the answer that Peter gives, is a core, nay a crucial part of faith in Christ, is knowing WHO HE is. Do you know the King you follow, to hear Simons answer, used to trip me up, because I could not believe even for a moment, that anyone could be the Son of God. But I was getting the cart before the horse. Thinking the flesh was god, but it was God, putting on flesh!

Mt 16:16  Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

Mind explodes, and that was the vehicle of my own faith, that if Jesus was truly the son of god who came down to us, then he could do everything he said he could do. Including His own resurrection, and mine. Maybe even yours if you would let your flesh die, and be born again in Him. Though Luke and Mark don't repeat the Son of Living God, all the Gospels declare Jesus as such. Luke does say Christ of God, because only the son of God could claim this crown.

Over and over we see the declaration of Christ as Son in the scripture.

John said in John 20:31  “ but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

It was a proclamation - the Ethiopian eunuch asked what prevented him from being baptized and Philip answered in Acts 8:37  “ Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”” Do you see it yet?

Paul would say our calling is wrapped up in it. 1 Corinthians 1:9  “ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Turn to 1John 5

Its not just how we overcome this world, 1 John 5:5  “ Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:20  “ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (JESUS is True God)”

Even the Roman centurion in Matthew 27:54 would say “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Mt 16:17  Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

How was this revealed? By the conviction of the Holy Spirit of course but how else? Came across a great article that listed just 8 in the Gospel of John by Richard Phillips.

First, there is the witness of God the Father. In John 8:18b, Jesus said, “The Father who sent me bears witness about me.

Jesus, God the Son, also bore witness to Himself. He said, “If I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going” (John 8:14).

Third is the witness of God the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send when He returned to heaven: “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me” (John 15:26).

Jesus also pointed to His works: “The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me” (John 10:25b). This is an important emphasis in this Gospel; John records marvelous works Jesus performed to demonstrate His deity.

Fifth is the witness of Scripture. The most important purpose of the Old Testament was to give prophecies that would be fulfilled in Jesus; to teach God’s will in a way that would be completed by Jesus; and by various means to symbolize and anticipate Jesus’ coming and the salvation He would bring. Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39).

Sixth: One of the Old Testament’s prophecies concerned a forerunner to the Messiah, whose ministry would resemble that of the prophet Elijah. This is John the Baptist, the sixth of John’s witnesses.

John’s seventh witness is Jesus’ disciples, including John himself. Jesus told them, “You also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:27).

The eighth witness is the men and women who personally encountered Jesus. One was the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met by the well. After Jesus had revealed Himself to her, she went throughout her town presenting her witness: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:29). Another was the man who was born blind, to whom Jesus miraculously gave sight. When the religious leaders tried to silence Him, He gave this witness: “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).

Jesus wasn't just the Word, he Spoke every word that was of the Father. To trust in it, was to trust in Him. A relationship with God, has aways been about faith. And in Jesus as Christ, wow, In Him are fulfilled all the promises of God to the nation. And as the Old Testament made clear, the Messiah is more than a human being; He is God (Isa. 9:6; Jer. 23:5–6; Micah 5:2)

In closing: Jesus will tell Peter in v18 that (debated) this is what the church is built on. This will also be the beginning of our next message. Peter would say in 1 Peter 2:4–10  “ Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

Come to His mercy now, come to this grace which if you would repent, believe Jesus and receive this gift, declaring and submitting to Him Son of God, your Lord, you will be saved.