Matthew 16 13-20

August 29, 1999

Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 16: 13-20

“Who Do You Say That I Am”

Intro:  The earthquake in Turkey is a terrible human tragedy.  At least 18,000 people are dead and over a hundred thousand people have been left homeless.  Aside from the loss of life and the human suffering, one thing stands out.  The people of Turkey wanted to know why – when two houses were next to each other – one was left standing and the other demolished.  When standing, both houses looked the same.  Not any more.  The people that were left homeless believed that their houses were built with sub-standard materials and specifications.  Now it doesn’t matter.

            People all over the world, living in earthquake zones are wondering how well built their homes are.  Will they stand or will they fall when the next earthquake comes.  And it will come.

            In a spiritual sense, we are all living in an earthquake zone.  In this zone the earth is continually shaking. Mans sin and rebellion towards God has resulted in our earth shaking separation from God, resulting in our own destruction.  Our world shakes with disease and death.  Our world shakes with fear and uncertainty.  We do not have to be uncertain whether our spiritual house stands or falls.  Our certainty is determined by how we answer one question.  Jesus asks you – “Who do you say that I am?”

1. Who Do People Say That I Am?

A.    Then.

      There have always been many opinions about who Jesus was.  Jesus asked His disciples who the people thought that he was.  Some thought that he was John the Baptist resurrected from the dead.  This was not strange.  The Old Testament scriptures taught and therefore the people believed in the resurrection of the dead.  Others wondered, perhaps He was Elijah, returning to earth from Heaven to herald the Messiahs coming as prophesied by Malachi.  Jesus, like Elijah did many miracles.  Some people thought that Jesus might be Jeremiah.  In many ways Jesus was a suffering prophet and he two was met with contempt by the religious elite.  Like Jeremiah, Jesus was rejected.  Perhaps He was just another prophet.  Obviously they respected Jesus and gave Him a lot of distinction as a man of God.  But they didn’t see Him as THE man of God.

B.     Now.

      In our day too, their are many opinions about Jesus.  Some people say that He was a great teacher.  If we do what He said and live the way He lived, our world would be a better place.  Some people see Him as a spiritual man – one of many in the history of the world.  These people compare Him to the Buddha, Confucius, the Dali Lama which they say are great spiritual leaders.  And all these leaders, they say, lead to Heaven.  Some people believe that He merely showed us the way to Heaven.  He was just a trail blazer.  In the end it is still up to us to get their on our own.  To some, He was just a great man who influenced the world.  Spiritual houses built on these beliefs will fall in the path of destruction.

C.     Us.

      We see about us many churches with many differing opinions.  Their are liturgical and non-liturgical churches.  Churches that stress the sacraments and those that don’t.  Some are emotional and others are cold and intellectual.  Some of them take the Bible literally.  Some take it hardly at all.  What is at the heart of the matter is Jesus question: “Who do you say that I am.”  The beliefs of people don’t matter.  Your belief does.  There is only one right answer.  C.S. Lewis states it poignantly in his book Mere Christianity.  He states, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher.  He’d either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he’s a poached egg – or else He’s be the devil of hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was and is the Son of God; or else a mad-man or something worse.”  The apostle Peter states it even more poignantly, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

1. Who Was He Really?

A.    The Christ

            Jesus is the Christ, the son of man and the Son of God.  Here Peter steps out beyond the beliefs of his contemporaries.  The people, in those days, were oppressed by Rome.  They were looking for a political leader. They were looking for a Messiah that was to usher in a reign of peace and prosperity.  They wanted a temporal peace – a peace here and now.  They were not interested in a peace between people and God, from the beginning of time to the end.  They were not looking for a suffering Messiah.  In fact, Jesus’ weakness discounted Him from being the Messiah.  Still, Peter says, “You are the Christ.”  We can’t be sure what Peter’s understanding of Messiah-ship was.  In the next chapter of Matthew, Peter is chastised by Jesus because Peter rejects the idea of Jesus suffering and dying on a cross.  Still he Recognizes Jesus as the Son of the God.

B.     Our Savior

                        The cross is exactly where Jesus had to die.  He had to be weak, taking your weakness on Himself.  He had to suffer, taking your suffering on Himself.  He had to die your death and bear your separation from God.  Then He had to rise from the dead and be glorified so that you to will rise from the dead and be glorified in the presence of your Heavenly Father forever.

C.     Our Foundation

                        Jesus is our Savior and He is the foundation of our faith.  Peter Confessed his faith.  You confess your faith.  On the rock of your confession Christ promises to build His Church – You.  The Earth-quaking gate of Hell will not prevail against you.  The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “…you are members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief corner stone.  You are secure and indestructible, built on Christ and built by Christ.

III. God Reveals His Grace

            Your Father in Heaven loves you so much.  His grace abounds.  Just as He revealed His Son to Peter He reveals Him to you.  Blessed are you, for this was not revealed to you  by man, but by your Father in Heaven.  It has been revealed to you as you read God’s Word.  It has been revealed as you come to worship here.  And it is revealed in the sacraments of communion, baptism and the confession and absolution of sin.  In humility we realize Gods grace as we remember the words in our catechism --“I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in true faith.”      

Conclusion:  Imagine Peter, face to face with our Lord.  Then comes the question, “Who do you say that I am?”  Soon – it will be your turn.  You too will stand face to face with Jesus.  He will look you in the eye and ask you that same question.  “Who do you say that I am?”  By the grace of God and by His power may we speak boldly and with certainty – You are the Christ.  On You the solid rock I stand;  All other ground is sinking sand.

                                                                                                Amen.