CHRIST AS OUR AUTHORITY

The book of Matthew was written to Jewish followers to encourage Jewish followers on the validity of Christ as well as to prove who Christ was to Jewish audiences. Matthew’s book is a Gospel on the testimony of who Jesus was, the life that He lived, and how Jesus was the Messiah through the Old Testament prophesies that Christ fulfilled. The book is broken down by telling of Christ’s birth and family (1:1-3:17), the beginning of His ministry (4:1-25), five discourses in which Matthew 16:13-20 are found (5:1-25:46), and concludes with Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection and commission to the disciples (26:1-28:20). Matthew 16:13-20 relates to the overall thrust of the book by proclaiming who Christ is as the Son of God, and the revealing of the hope and authority given to those who proclaim Christ as the Messiah.

In the leading up to this passage, Matthew writes about Jesus’ birth and how His birth fulfills OT prophesy. Matthew then tells how John the Baptist came to be and how his ministry was preparing the way for the Christ. Matthew continues by discussing the beginnings of Christ’s ministry through His teaching, preaching and healing and how these things are a fulfillment of prophesy. Just before our section, Christ is rejected in His hometown of Nazareth and John the Baptist is beheaded by Herod Antipas. In chapter 14, people began calling Jesus “John the Baptist,” which causes Christ to withdraw to be by Himself. However, crowds followed Him, leading Christ to perform a miracle of feeding over five thousand (5000 men plus women and children) and then heals a demon possess man. In chapter 15, Jesus debates the Pharisees over tradition and what defiles a person before praising a Canaanite woman for her faith that Christ could heal her demon possessed daughter before the chapter closes with another feeding of a multitude.

In Matthew 16:13-20, Matthew tells of the moment in Jesus’s ministry where Peter’s proclamations declare who Christ is and the responsibility that followers of Christ have to share the Gospel.

Tonight we are going to look at three proclamations:

Three Proclamations

I. Who Is Christ

II. Christ As The Rock Of Our Foundation

III. Our Authority In Christ

Let’s pray

I. Who Is Christ

Matthew 16:13–15 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?”

In chapter 16, where our passage is located, Jesus had just debated the Pharisees who demanded that He show them signs that prove who Christ claimed to be before instructing His disciples to not be like the Pharisees and Sadducees. People had been claiming that Jesus was others

John the Baptist

Elijah

Jeremiah

Or someone else

Jesus at this stage in His ministry had done numerous teachings, and healed numerous people. He made the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf to hear. He was baptised and people heard a voice that said “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” His most famous sermon - the sermon on the mount- has already taken place. People knew and heard who He was.

Yet, who did they say He is?

Anyone except who He was. Stuart Weber wrote that people, understood that there was some sort of God involvement in sending Jesus, but for them they chose to view Jesus as a prophet and not as the promised Messiah. People would flock to go see Him teach for the slightest hope of seeing Jesus do something amazing. Or just to see Him debate the established religious leaders. However, but to acknowledge who He truly is was something the people couldn’t or wouldn’t do.

The world today is no different. If you were to go to WalMart, and you were to ask who Jesus was, you might hear their Savior. But you would also hear:

A good person

A good teacher

A moral person

A political upriser who fought against empire

People are more inclined to call Jesus anything else versus who He truly is. To acknowledge Him as the Son of God would mean an acknowledgment of who they are - imperfect and in need of a savior. They justify their responses based on how they perceive the world to be without acknowledging the issue of sin. This sentiment is echoed in John when Jesus says:

John 3:20 ESV

20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

However, Jesus goes even deeper to the heart of the matter by asking specifically in Matthew 16:15 “He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Jesus is no longer concerned with what other people say. He purposely asks the disciples for their response. Who is Jesus? Do they feel that He is a good teacher? A political leader? A prophet? This is a move that goes from public opinion to their personal conviction.

Yet the question is not posed to only His disciples. He asks you and I this same question. He is asking you, who do you say that He is. Is He who He claims to be or is He something else to you. While I dare say that the majority of you would say that He is your savior, how often do we act and speak like that in our response and words? How often do we view Jesus more like a “get out of jail” free card versus being who He is - our Savior who is worthy of worship. We cannot expect to have authority from Christ if we do not acknowledge Christ’s authority over us.

II. Christ As The Rock Of Our Foundation

Matthew 16:16–18 ESV

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.

So Christ asks this question, directing it towards the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Now before we dive into Peter’s proclamation of Christ, it is important to know exactly where they are when they are having this conversation. In verse 13, it says that they enter into Ceasarea Philippi. Scholars have discussed that Jesus traveled there once during His ministry, making a deliberate 30 mile journey away from His main ministry area. There has been a lot of speculation as to why this is, particularly what this area was known for. This is what John Barry wrote about this particular area:

The city was formerly called Paneas because it housed a cave and spring dedicated to the Greek god Pan. A temple to Pan was built in the midst of the city at the mouth of this cave, where people would make sacrifices to him. According to a narrative at his temple, Pan was one of the few gods who could cross into Hades and return to earth. As result, this site was recognized as the gate of Hades in the disciples’ day.

So here we have Jesus and His disciples at this place known for this false God, and when Jesus asks the question, Peter responds that Christ is the son of the living God.

In a place where death was the focus and dedicated to a false God. A place where Caesar was worshipped, Peter calls Jesus Lord. I always invision Peter as the one kid who in youth would be able to say something amazing and profound and the next minute you have a conversation about how we don’t create a slip and slide down the stairs. Here he says something so powerful and profound. That’s the response that you and I are to have. Jesus is so much more than a kind person. He is so much more than a good teacher. He is so much more than what we make Him out to be. He is God in the flesh. He is our king and our Savior. For those of us who are followers of Christ, He is the one that redeems us, delivers us, and gives us life. Who we are and our purpose for living is based upon who He is. That’s the foundation upon which we stand. On Christ the solid Rock I stand.

Now if you were to go to the vatican city and enter St. Peter’s Basilica, you would go into the building to the alter and look down below the alter and see this (show picture)

The catholic church argues that this is the actual body of Peter, and it is right where he was buried almost 2000 years ago. They further argue that when Jesus says “upon this rock, I will build my church...” that Jesus is literally saying that Peter will be the foundation for the Catholic Church to build their physical church. They call Peter their first pope whose authority that Christ talks about is given to every subsequent pope.

Yet that is not what Christ is referring to when he says upon this rock I will build my church. The foundation is not Peter, but it is his confession who Christ is. It is Christ that is our foundation. Christ is our foundation for life. For hope. For forgiveness. Christ is our foundation upon which we can endure all that life has for us. When we place our hope and trust of our lives on Jesus, we are like the wise man who Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-25

Matthew 7:24–25 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Jesus used Peter to prove that Christ is more than what others have made Him out to be. He is the One who came to die so that the penalty of sin can be paid. He is God incarnate who sacrificially gave everything so that we can gain everything in Him. When we proclaim Christ, we are acknowledging that it is Him alone who gives us strength. The strength to live lives that reflect Him. The ability to endure the hard times, and the peace amidst the storm. When we have Christ as our rock, we are letting go of our lives and trusting Him with our everything.

He alone can enable us to stand. He alone is the one that we can trust with our lives. Having Christ as our authority is to acknowledge who He is, trusting Him as our foundation, and being obededient to the authority we have in Christ.

III. Our Authority In Christ

Matthew 16:19–20 ESV

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.

Binding and loosing. Keys of the kingdom of heaven. Many have interpreted this to mean that Peter has been given ultimate authority over everything. Yet that is not what this is about. I have heard others who use this passage to defend the belief of the prosperity gospel. If you name it, you can claim it because God is promising you that what you bind and loose will happen.

But none of that is what it is about. None of this is about us, yet too often that is what we make it out to be. What Christ is talking about here is our authority. You and I have the authority of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to bring the Gospel to others so that they will have the opportunity to come in to the kingdom as well. The whole binding and loosing is more about those who come to Christ and reject Christ than anything else.

You and I who are followers of Christ are given the keys to the kingdom not to control who can and can’t get in, but to go and share the kingdom with all who will choose to follow Christ, in turn being given the authority to go and do likewise.

Our response is to be obedient. I think that is why He told the disciples to not say anything about who He was. In part because the time had not come, but also to give them the opportunity to be obedient. That’s what you and I are to do. We don’t have to keep quiet about who Jesus is, in fact we shouldn’t. Our obedience is to go and use our authority to bring the Gospel to all so that they can have the opportunity to do what we have done.

May you have the opportunity this week to go and proclaim Christ, trusting Him as your foundation, and using your authority to go and tell others hope of Christ.