Who Do You Say I Am? (Part 2)

Introduction:

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Passage ()

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.

TITLE: Who Do You Say I Am? (Part 2)

Segway:

Remembering up to this point in the passage.

The disciples worldview of the Pharisees and Sadducees has been rocked ....

The disciples personal view of the Pharisees and Sadducees has been rocked ....

(Vs 12) “Beware of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Knowing this, Jesus takes them on a retreat ....

Caesarea Philippi

Beautiful Scenery / secluded

On this retreat ....... 2 Questions

“Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?”

We came to understand the question a little better knowing “I AM” was referring to “Equal To.”

Response - Some say, JTB, Elijah, Jeremiah, and a Prophet

“Who do you (you’all) say that I am?”

Response - “The Christ, the Son of the living God.”

A couple of significant things when it comes to this response .....

The articles (THE) “Emphasizes identity!”

one was omitted due to translation. “The Christ, The Son, of The God, The Living.”

The other significant thing is .....

The “location” .....

They were in this area (region) that was known for pagan worshippers (This was their worship center)

So the response was very significant. Who do you say I am equal too?

none of these dead gods ....

one was omitted due to translation. “The Christ, The Son, of The God, The Living.”

This was very interesting due to the fact of all these dead pagan gods.

Christ is acknowledged as THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD!

Who do the people say? “Just another Good man!”

Who Do You Say that I am? “The Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Aren’t you glad today we serve a living God?

We concluded with this thought .....

The Disciples were troubled in their Spirit! There were 2 things that helped them in this time of trouble ....

They got away and got some “ALONE TIME” with Jesus.

They confirmed within their Spirit Who Christ was!

They may have known it in their hearts but something happens to confirm what you know in your heart to what you believe totally....... “They spoke it.”

Body:

This leads us into (Vs 17-19)

The first thing I want to make note of is ..... Out of the 4 Gospels, Matthew is the only one who records this statement from Jesus.

This is significant to the fact of who Matthew is writing to, THE JEWS!

He is revealing the one who is bringing forth the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus!

And through Jesus, we receive the Kingdom of Heaven (Salvation)!

The thing that is important for us to understand is this .......

Before the experience with Christ .... we are the recipients of the Fall.

Born into it! ...... Inhered it! ...... it’s what our forefathers have left us!

Let us close in prayer ...... (Just kidding)

I’m not going to leave you hanging there though .....

After the experience with Christ .... after acknowledging Christ as our Lord and savior (receiving Salvation) ..... we are no longer recipients of the FALL!

We are recipients of a wealth of things that the Fathers offers to us.

Whats interesting is that Jesus tells the disciples (4 Things) the receive. (Not an exhausted list)

4 Things Jesus tells Peter and the rest of the disciples they have received because they answered the question correctly, “Who do you say I am?”

These 4 things are still in play today for all of us .....

We are recipients of “DIVINE FAVOR” (17 Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!)

That word blessed (in the Greek) means “receiving Divine Favor”

Look at the person next to you and say, “We are Blessed.”

Some of the most heartfelt emotional moments in my life is when someone comes up to me, points to my family (wife, kids, grandson) and say’s, “You are a blessed man!” translated - “As a Man of God you have received divine favor.”

A flood of emotion comes over me.

I imagine this is how the disciples felt when Jesus said to them, “Blessed are you....”

Can i just interject something this morning ....... the only way to receive this Divine Favor is to be living for Jesus, acknowledging Jesus as the Son of the Living God, following his teaching, serving Him to the very end of existence here on earth. The disciples did just this! (Check each one off)

This is what we receive when we acknowledge Christ as the “The Son of the Living God.”

That word blessed (in the Greek) means “receiving Divine Favor”

Not only are we recipients of Divine Favor .....the Second thing we receive ...

2. We are recipients of “REVELATION.” (17b For Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.)

Truth is revealed!

Jesus tells them … this was not given to you by man!

We don’t read anywhere in scripture (UP TO THIS POINT) someone coming up to the disciples and saying, “I think he is the Christ!”

They may have thought it, but even if they did think this, they were not going to speak it. (They would look crazy.)

Jesus tells them … this was given to you by the Holy Spirit.

Truth Revealed!

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior you start seeing TRUTH!

The way I looked at women who dressed very provocative, before I knew Christ ......

It was all for me!

I looked at them and thought things that brought me pleasure.

I used them for my gratification.

Soul Ties!

But after getting saved (Acknowledging Christ for who he is) I no longer saw women this way.

I look at them with love and compassion

If they were dressed provocative my first thought is about them, not me!

Why do they dress this way?

Ladies, this is not about how you should dress modestly but about how I changed my way of viewing you.

Truth was revealed to me because I acknowledged Christ!

Not only are we recipients of Divine Favor, as well as Revelation .....the Third thing we receive ...

3. We are recipients of a “New Name.” (Vs 17 Simon Bar Jonah .... Vs 18 You are Peter)

Simon Bar Jonah (Hebraic Proper name)

Peter (Greek Name)

God changing someones name was done a few times in scripture ....

Abram changed to Abraham ( No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.)

Jacob was changed to Israel ( Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.)

Jesus gives Simon his new name when he called Him to come follow Him, He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Matthew doesn’t reveal Simons new name until now.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

This was done to point out the change of a person.

By Peter answering the question, He is no longer Simon (The person of old) but a new person (Peter).

Aren’t you glad that when you come to acknowledge Jesus Christ as, “The Christ, the Son of the Living God,” you are no longer the same!

We are a new Creation!

I am reminded of an old Hymn, ....there is a “new name written down in glory”

This hymn was written by Charles Austin Miles.

(Left being a Pharmacist to write Hymns)

Wrote over 380 hymns (Most notable “In the Garden”)

Our identity from the past (Alcoholic, drugs, sin, affair, and the list goes on), after acknowledging Christ for who he is, we are a new creation, we are given a new name, a new identity.

When God looks down from heaven he doesn’t see Rod Kincaid but He sees his son (Jesus).

Not only are we recipients of Divine Favor, Revelation, and a New Name .....the fourth thing we receive ...

4. We receive the Key’s of the Kingdom of Heaven (19 I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.)

What we have to understand is this was not giving Peter and the disciples the authority to determine who enters the Kingdom and who does not.

Rather, the keys of the kingdom are given to Peter and the disciples as a steward or administrator rather than as a gatekeeper.

....... to the Kingdom of heaven (Enter In)

....... of the Kingdom of heaven (Administrative of)

Some of you looked confused ...... Let me clear this up for you!

If I give you the keys to the Church, “Here are the keys, let yourself in.”

If I give you the keys of the Church, “Here are the keys, take care of it!”

This interpretation is consistent with the responsibility of binding and loosing that is given to them.

These words were technical terms for the work of rabbis in forbidding (binding) or permitting (loosing) practices as consistent with the will of God.

Climax:

Jesus reveals 4 things that the Disciples received because they acknowledged Jesus Christ as “The Christ, the son of the living God.”

Please, don’t misunderstand, this is not an exhausted list of the things we receive from acknowledging Christ.

What this is though, is what Christ reveals to His disciples at a very pivotal moment in their lives.

Their spiritual world had been rocked by the warning from Christ .... “Beware of the teachings ...”

Jesus knew this!

He also knew of what was to come. (Read Vs 21)

What we read next is (Vs 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.)

This might not be the exhausted list but it would be safe to assume, its the 4 things needed to be revealed to the disciples for what they had been through and what they were getting ready to go through.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

They are recipients of ....

Divine favor!

Truth

New Name

Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven

PAUSE

Conclusion:

As our pianist comes .....

I don’t know, but maybe there is someone here this morning that has never acknowledged Jesus as “The Christ, the Son of the living God.” “As your savior.”

Today would be a great day to do it.

You become a recipient of Divine favor (blessed),

Truth is revealed

You become a New creation (New name)

You are given the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I just feel like time is running out.

What this world is selling people is lies!

More of the world is not being BLESSED

TRUTH is not relative to our situation.

We are not our own god!

Maybe today, some of us who have already acknowledged Christ may need to be reminded of the things we have already received .....

WE ARE BLESSED (Start living like it)

WE KNOW TRUTH (Start accepting and living in it)

WE ARE TO BE DIFFERENT (We are created NEW)

WE HAVE THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. (Lets stop acting like we have lost them.)