Who Do You Say I Am?

Introduction:

Pledge

English Standard Version Chapter 16

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?”

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.

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.

Leading up to Verse 13

They have been warned of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

We no longer live in a Religious based world as the Disciples did.

Everything Spiritually, the Disciples had known, comes into question now.

They are to run everything through, filter it through Jesus .....

What they had seen him do and heard him teach.

Would it be fair to assume their Spiritual Foundation has been rocked?

My Foundation had been rocked by the revelation concerning my grandfather.

Expound on this example.......

Jesus, understanding this, take the disciples on a retreat (A get away with Jesus)

Caesarea Philippi (First describe the beauty of this place / then describe what this place is used for “Worship of Pagan gods.)

Jesus takes them on a get-away retreat. Just Jesus and His disciples!

How many of us this morning would like a get-away?

Raise your hands!

But how many of us get away with JESUS? Alone time with Him?

How often do we encounter a situation in our lives and the first reaction is not to get alone time with Jesus but anything else?

Segway:

During this alone time with Jesus He ask them 2 questions.

FIRST QUESTION - “Who do the people say the Son of Man is?” (13)

It should not be unusual to see that Matthew records Jesus using the phrase “Son of Man” to describe himself.

As a matter of fact we find this phrase used 82 times in the gospels

30 by Matthew, 25 by Luke, 14 by Mark and 13 by John

Why is this so significant that Matthew and Luke use this term more than the others?

Matthew is writing to the Jews to reveal the Son of Man.

Luke is writing to the gentiles to reveal the Son of Man

The phrase “Son of Man” could be viewed as the pronoun “I”

records this question, “Who do the people say I AM?”

All the disciples shout back answers to the question.

It was like those days of “Pop up testimonies”

Multiple answers are revealed (JTB, Elijah, Jeremiah, another prophet)

This would not be unusual (Almost expected) to hear these answers coming from the people.

JTB (Herod 14:1)

Elijah (11:7-14) JTB was believed to be Elijah

Jeremiah (2:17) His prophesy in regards to the Birth of Christ

Prophet (13:37) Jesus made reference to a prophet not honored in His home town.

You almost get the sense of the MOOD changing ..... it’s getting serious!

Describe a movie scene!

The SECOND QUESTION - “But who do you say that I am?” (15)

“You” - “You’all” (All inclusive: All the disciples)

Here in Matthew, remember, the question ask concerning who the People SAY, (in Matthew used “Son of Man”)

Remember, the questions ask concerning who the People SAY, (in Matthew used “Son of Man”)

Here, (the 2nd question) he states in a very direct way, “Who do you say that I AM?”

Now this phrase “I AM” sounds familiar to us.

Exodus “I AM who I AM” to moses - “To Exist; to be”

In Matthew, this “I AM” - “EQUAL TO”

Rereading these 2 questions -

“Who do the People say that I AM (the Son of Man is)? (Equal To)

“Who do you say that I AM?” (Equal to)

Do you remember the peoples response .... just another good man!

Who do you say that I AM (EQUAL TO)?

People say - Equal to “ANOTHER MAN.” (Good)

But lets look at the response to the question directed to the disciples .....

The Disciples say - Equal to “The Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Body:

This answer Peter reveals on behalf of the disciples is PACKED with TRUTHS that I believe will change someones life here this morning.

When we look at this answer we are reading this in ENGLISH.

But translated from the Greek to English there is something that gets omitted. (Not an error)

When we read this answer it reads “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (English)

When we read it in the Greek it reads “the Christ, the Son of the God, the Living.”

Do you see something missing? ........... One of the Articles!

You might be asking, why is this so significant?

Articles are used in the Greek to do something specific .... The emphasize Identity.

The senior Pastor at JeffNaz is PastorRod! (Greek would read “THE PASTOR, THE ROD”)

The Peter, The Paul .....

Peter, speaking on behalf of the Disciples .....

The Christ (Coming Messiah)

The Son (of God)

The God (One true God)

But here is the big one .... the One that is probably the most significant ......

The Living (Not Dead - as they look around at the location they are at (Caesarea Philippi)

I see your’re not impressed ......

Picture this, they are in the midst of this worship center of these Pagan gods and they are being asked this Question.

“Who do you’all say that I am (Equal to)?

Let’s put it another way ......... Is He equal to any of these DEAD, so called, gods?

What a POWERFUL imagery but even more of a powerful “LIFE CHANGING” question.

There is going to come a point in every person life where we are going to have to answer this question (in one form or another)!

WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS EQUAL TO?

In today’s world AND this question was asked to us, let me g

This will be one of the most important questions a person will ever have to answer.

Either here on earth or in the afterlife?

This is not a question for someone else to answer for you.

your parents can’t answer it for you

your spouse can’t answer it for you

no one can answer this question for you except YOU!

Some of you are looking at me like this is new to you. You didn’t realize this?

Climax:

I am going to have to stop here and we will pick up in 2 weeks the remainder of this passage.

Next week we have a special service “Friends Day”

But, before we go I want to point out 2 things from our time together this morning .....

We see the Disciples are troubled in their SPIRIT.

Jesus takes them away on a “retreat” (Just Him and the 12)

They spend, what I believed was, some well needed time ALONE with Jesus

Maybe there is someone

We read the Disciple’s confirmation within their SPIRIT.

Confirmation: the action of confirming something

They are confirming “within their hearts” WHO CHRIST IS!

Question - Would it be fair to say Christ already knew their answer to the question?

As a parent, you ask your children a question knowing the answer but it is asked with the mindset of bringing about some sort of truth on their own. ......... Was this what Jesus may have been doing?

So, if this be the case, we might conclude then that this answer was more for the Disciples than for Jesus

I believe something happens when you know, that you know, what you know. (Knowing who Christ is)

Breads .......

.... confidence,

.... self-assurance, (You know where you are going to spend eternity)

.... the ability to have control of ones self (Through His power and strength within me)

I can walk in the midst of the sin’s of this world and not be overtaken by them.

Whatever troubles may come my way ......

Because I know, that I know, what I know ...... He is the Christ, the Son of the God, the Living.

Conclusion:

What’s Troubling You today?

What’s causing you to have doubt, lack in faith, feel so out of control? What’s rocking your world/foundation?

EXPOUND ON THIS ....

I believe this passage offers us 2 solutions to our troubles today .... (This might be so simplistic but here it is)

Spend some alone time with Jesus.

For all of you who are of the faith ..... Spend some alone time with Jesus!

Bigger than your problems

the problems you have in your life may be the reason you are doing, reacting, or living the way you are and you want to stop.

Confirm in your heart .... “WHO CHRIST IS!”

Do you know, that you know, what you know?

the problems you have in your life may be the reason you are doing, reacting, or living the way you are and you want to stop.

When we come to this assurance we know, that we know, what we know ..... Jesus Christ is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” ....

Then come peace.

Maybe, for some, you have not confirmed who Christ is because you have not accepted Christ for who He is!

He is our salvation!

He is asking you today, “Who do you say I am?”

I have to believe there is, those of us who today, need to come and spend some alone time with Jesus right now!

I have to also believe there is some today who need to answer the questions “Who do you say He is?”