Untitled Sermon

15 “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the * Messiah, the Son of the living God!” n

15 “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the * Messiah, the Son of the living God!” n

(16:15-16) Confession— Jesus Christ, Names and Titles : Peter's confession was a personal trust in Christ. 1. Jesus asked a second critical question and He asked this question much more emphatically in the Greek: "But you, who do you say that I am?" The answer to this question is critical, it is all-important. It determines a person's eternal destiny. 2. The true confession declares one's personal trust in Christ. Note Peter's words, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God"—a simple and yet momentous confession arising from a personal conviction. It is the confession that saves the soul and the confession that lays the foundation for the church. The very life and survival of a man's soul and of the church as a whole rests upon this simple, yet profound conviction.

⇒ The Christ: the Messiah, the annointed One of God (see Deeper Study #2—).

DEEPER STUDY #2 (1:18) Christ— Messiah : the word for "Christ" and "Messiah" is the same word: christos. Messiah is the Hebrew word and Christ is the Greek word. Both words refer to the same Person and mean the same thing: the Anointed One. The Messiah is the Anointed One of God. Matthew says that Jesus "is called Christ" (); that is, He is recognized as the Anointed One of God, the Messiah Himself. In the day of Jesus Christ, people feverishly panted for the coming of the long promised Messiah. The weight of life was harsh, hard, and impoverished. Under the Romans, people felt that God could not wait much longer to fulfill His promise. Such longings for deliverance left the people gullible. Many arose who claimed to be the Messiah and led the gullible followers into rebellion against the Roman State. The insurrectionist, Barabbas, who was set free in the place of Jesus at Jesus' trial, is an example (). (See notes— • ; Deeper Study #2— ; notes— • ; note— • ; Deeper Study #1— ; Deeper Study #2— ; Deeper Study #1—; notes— • ; note— • .) The Messiah was thought to be several things: 1. Nationally, He was to be the leader from David's line who would free the Jewish state and establish it as an independent nation, leading it to be the greatest nation the world had ever known. 2. Militarily, He was to be a great military leader who would lead Jewish armies victoriously over all the world. 3. Religiously, He was to be a supernatural figure straight from God who would bring righteousness over all the earth. 4. Personally, He was to be the One who would bring peace to the whole world. Jesus Christ accepted the title of Messiah on three different occasions (; ; ). The name Jesus shows Him to be man. The name Christ shows Him to be God's anointed, God's very own Son. Christ is Jesus' official title. It identifies Him officially as: ⇒ Prophet (. See note— • for verses and fulfillment.) ⇒ Priest (. See Deeper Study #1— for verses and fulfillment.) ⇒ King (. See note— • for verses and fulfillment.) These officials were always anointed with oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit who was to perfectly anoint the Christ, the Messiah (; ; ; ).

(see Deeper Study #2—Matthew 1:18). ⇒ The Son of God: of the same being, the same substance; One with the Father (see note— • Phil. 2:6). ⇒ The Son of the Living God: the source and being of life; possessing the source, energy, and power of life within Himself (John 5:26; John 17:2-3; 1 Thes. 1:9). Peter probably did not understand all that was involved in Christ being the Son of God (the cross and resurrection had not yet taken place). But his confession was made in simple trust arising from a heart that was truly convicted that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. It is simple trust which God desires and longs for—nothing more and nothing less. Peter was simply confessing step by step, "I believe you are..." • the true Messiah, • not a mere man, • but the Son of God, • sent by God, • to fulfill all that the prophets foretold. Thought 1 . The question is personal. It is directed to every man: "Whom say ye that I am." Every man has to answer, and his eternal destiny depends upon his answer. But his answer is critical, for it is not a confession about Christ that Christ is after. He is after a belief, a confession in His deity, a trusting of His saving grace. "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33). "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38). "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8). "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). "He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ" (John 1:41). "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him [the Messiah], of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45). "Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel" (John 1:49). "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" (John 4:29). "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 6:69). "She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world" (John 11:27). "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:36-37).

⇒ The Son of God: of the same being, the same substance; One with the Father (see note— • Phil. 2:6). ⇒ The Son of the Living God: the source and being of life; possessing the source, energy, and power of life within Himself (John 5:26; John 17:2-3; 1 Thes. 1:9). Peter probably did not understand all that was involved in Christ being the Son of God (the cross and resurrection had not yet taken place). But his confession was made in simple trust arising from a heart that was truly convicted that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. It is simple trust which God desires and longs for—nothing more and nothing less. Peter was simply confessing step by step, "I believe you are..." • the true Messiah, • not a mere man, • but the Son of God, • sent by God, • to fulfill all that the prophets foretold. Thought 1 . The question is personal. It is directed to every man: "Whom say ye that I am." Every man has to answer, and his eternal destiny depends upon his answer. But his answer is critical, for it is not a confession about Christ that Christ is after. He is after a belief, a confession in His deity, a trusting of His saving grace. "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33). "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38). "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8). "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). "He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ" (John 1:41). "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him [the Messiah], of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45). "Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel" (John 1:49). "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" (John 4:29). "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 6:69). "She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world" (John 11:27). "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:36-37).