Pentecost 13a

Intro

The Text

Matthew 16:13–20 “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

So first thing to have in your mind is that they are out side the borders of Judea, they are in the more Greek region to the North and to the West.

Now some of you might wonder why we interchangeably talk of Gentile areas, Greek Areas, Canaanite areas, and the like interchangeably. After Alexander that Great conquored so much of the known world, he and his kids after him brought a cultural program that had most of the world speaking Greek and living with Greek cultural tools. So the areas that surrounded Judea where Middle Eastern Ethnically, but they has become Greek culturally, and when the Roman Empire came they solidified the Greek culture further. The Jews had resisted this Greek cultural whitwash but saw the rest of the non Jewish world as Greek, or Gentile.

The region they are in has a temple to Pan and His Pixies, Greek god and his spirit. As well as a temple to Ceasar, What will be interesting here, is with the backdrop of this world, and is representing the rest of the religions, that is the Greek pantheon, and the political power of Rome, a temple to the emporer, Jesus is gonna ask, who do you think that I am.

Jesus phrases his question in an interesting way. who do you say the Son of Man is.

Jesus like to use this language for himself , Son of man, where does that come from?

In the book of Daniel, Daniel gets a vision of Heaven, where God sits on the throne and a Son of Man comes into his presence and take tha septer of power in order to rul in his place. Importance? Remember that at the Garden of Eden man was there to rule along side God and tend the garden, but that co-ruler office is lost with the sin of Adam, Now there are no humans in the presence of God, and there is no co-ruling. So what is Daniel seeing. He is seeing Jesus and the God and Man, has as the new Adam earned what Adam lost and is now in God’s presence. The Son of Man in Daniel is a prophecy of Jesus glorious ascension, because that man is now in heaven these men can also go.

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Remember the message of John the Baptist. A baptism of repentance. Many thought he was the messiah. He is actually related to Jesus. Yes he has been beheaded but this is the time before the internet, radio, newspapers. Much news got around through rumor and the like. Maybe John the baptist is back from the dead and that is who Jesus is.

Another speculation: Elijah, a prophet who never died, and absolutly reveared by 1st century Christians. Maybe his is back to continue his ministry? They expected him back. During passover dinners they would leave one seat open just in case Elijah came back during the passover. If you have watched any of the chosen…

Final guess, Jeremiah or another prophet. There where legends of this in 1st century Judaism…

“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

Who is he talking to, he is talking to the 12 disciples. The leaders of the new 12 tribes who will lead a new Israel. So if they are going to create a movement on the teachings of Jesus lets get Chrystal clear about who he is.

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Messiah, it is a Hebrew word that means anointed one, or anointed king. David was the Anointed King of Israel, and he was promised there would always be one of his line ruling over God’s people. Jesus the New David, the good king, without flaw, anointed. And if your curious there is a greek word for Messiah…Its Christos. Jesus Christ. Jesus the anointed one.

Son of God, review from some weeks ago.

Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.

Blessed, oh how lucky…

He makes note of his full name, because Jesus is about to play with his name. But before we get there, the right confession of who Jesus is was not revealed by flesh and blood but by God himself. God did not have to make himself known. But he chooses to reveal himself. He chooses to give us his word, he come and walks among us as Jesus, and he reveals to us individually like he does Peter. Luther was very strong in this, he believed that on our own we could not arrive at the right conclusions of who God is, it was God who revealed himself to us. And here we see supporting scripture.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

So remember that play on names I mentioned a moment go. Simon Barjona, you are Peter, which means Rock, or Rocky, and on this Rock I will build my church.

What is this “Rock.” Much ink has been spilt here on what this text could mean. What we have here is a disciple making a right claim of Jesus Divine and Messianic Nature. The Rock is the church of the disciples making the right claims of Jesus divine nature. Is there a place where Peter at the First leader of the church is meant to hold this office then pass it on. Maybe another time.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.”

This church will hold the responsibility for the right teaching, declaring the forgiveness of sins.

Then he gave the disciples orders to tell no one that he was the Messiah.”

Applications

Friends as always there is an obvious one. Jesus is not just a great teacher, not just an enlightened human, he is not just wise. He is God in the flesh, the anointed Messiah that the Old Testament has prophesied. As one scholar put is, he is either a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. His words are explicit as he is reffering to himself. So the first application, Jesus is Lord.

Second application: We must confess Jesus even in the sight of all other world views and religions. There is the myth that all theistic relegions are the same and these religions and secular humanism are all trying to accomplish the same goal. There is pressure to submit to this in light of all other religious claims, political claims we must confess Jesus. That is one of the reasons that we say a creed every week, to try and bring clarity to this faith once offered to the saints.

Third Application: We are in the lineage of Simon Peter, we are a part of this Key Holding Institution, Binding and loosing, that is declaring that sin is death, that Jesus is salvation. We need to be in that business. Yes the rummage sale allowed us to bless a neighborhood with inexpensive essentials, but more than that is raises money to get the Gospel to more people, and the evangelism during the event is as important as anything else. Let us be a part of this Rock and give it our time, our treasure and our talents.

Friends if you are hearing my voice today I am guessing that you like Peter have been touched by God. If you have ever seen the look of the skeptic as you tried to explain the death of Jesus for our sins you know that it takes a special work of the Holy Spirit to bring the sense. And if you have ever seen the joy of a new believer understanding the cross for the first time you know that the Holy Spirit is still at work. Let us be a confessing church that Jesus is Lord, let us tell the whole world, let us not be afraid of other world views but to stand strong on the Rock.