Who do you say that I am?

Scripture

Matthew 16:13–16 NIV

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:21–25 NIV

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Pray.

Introduction

Taking communion in the Catholic church.....Father John hunted me down and lectured me at the door in front of everyone. I have never felt more alone, haha.

Peter: right answer, wrong application

Matthew 16 is one of the most pivotal chapters and moments in this gospel. This is the first time that anyone has publically made any type of profession or declaration about Jesus in this way. Matthew narrating for us has made it clear with birth narrative and genealogy and many other hints, but no one, from the disciples, to teachers and scribes and pharisees, or Herod, or even John the Baptist have made a public proclamation that he is in fact the messiah. The entire first half of the gospel is working up to this moment and it serves as a climax. The first hearers of Matthew’s gospel would know this tension.

The first 16 chapters is a public interaction of Jesus ministry with the repetition of the inward and outward pondering of who is this man?

Then Jesus, with his disciples in an intimate moment offers the question to them....well two questions:

Who do people say that I am?

Acknowledging the general chaos and misunderstanding around the mission in public up to this point.

2. Then he turns personal, Who do you say that I am?

Peter, who is often the spokesperson for the disciples, whether because of his eagerness, leadership, or a literary style to have speak on there behalf....he gives the right answer.

Matthew 16:16 NIV

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Great answer. Right answer. Jesus affirms, says you are right. And God has been the one who has revealed this to you. I am going to build my church upon you (and those that come after you). The gates of hell will not stand against you.

Yall, there would not have been a bigger moment in Peter’s life to this point. He would be ready to charge the gates of hell with a water gun. The messiah is here and he is going to do work with them and through them. Let’s go!

Then the next verse, 21 marks the major move in Matthew’s gospel towards the cross.

Matthew 16:21 NIV

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

From this point on he is focusing on the disciples, but specifically what it looks like for him to be the messiah.

Peter understood the right answer, but he did not get what it would mean. From the high to the low of the rebuke.

When Jesus says he must suffer and die....Peter corrects Jesus. He tells him that is not what we just talked about with you being the messiah.

Jesus calls him Satan..... whoa easy there, Jesus. We do not have time to unpack that all the way. then Jesus says…hey this is what it means to be messiah and if you want to be my disciple then this is what that means for you: Verse 24

Matthew 16:24–25 NIV

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Peter, has the right answer and the wrong application. Right answer but wrong response.

So what is the right application? Well, I am glad. Let’s unpack this a little…3 commands. You have no doubt heard this preached. But do not dismiss this like the familiar verse you skip over in your scripture reading. Let it sit with you today.

Deny, Take up Your Cross, Follow

What does it mean to deny yourself?

I think sometimes we make light of this. It is living a semi-selfless life. We can get into the comparison game of well....I am a pretty good guy.

Look at the immediate context: Jesus says in the next verse....if you will lose your life you will find it.

Scholar describes it this way:

“To deny oneself means to know oneself, and no longer to renounce allegiance to oneself—not out of a feeling of indifference of weariness because life seems to have no meaning, but out of free decision and with a clear goal in mind, giving up the lesser to win the greater, as Jesus renounced himself. The real decision to accept one’s destiny, the one which matters, is the same as in denying oneself. The two expressions complete one another and envisage the same thing: the resolute will and decision to renounce one’s own interests, even if this should eventually involve, if it were God’s will, actual death—even if it meant giving up physical life.”

Take up your cross?

What about take up your cross? In studying for the study I have been leading through the book of Colossians I have come across this phrase that I cannot let go of. Cruciformity. It is recognizing Paul’s rejoicing in his suffering and the way in which he perceives his intimate connection to Jesus in suffering. Conformed to the cross of Jesus.

Nijay Gupta says this is not just suffering for Christ.... like “your cross to bear,” but it is being so conformed to the cross of Christ that you might suffer in imitation of Christ for other’s sake.

I was meeting with a foster family not too long ago. They had all these tough placements and things would go so wrong over and over again or they would just be so hard. I remember asking them, why do you do this? And they said because Jesus compels us. I thought that answer was so Sunday school at the time....but their meaning behind it was undeniable. I came to see it later that they have been conformed to the cross of Christ that they might suffer for one another.

What does it mean to follow?

Following Jesus includes denying and taking up your cross but it also denotes something else.

Three possible definitions to follow:

go in the same direction

Following them like a tour guide

Following as a disciple, you are different as a result of the following.

Preach this out a bit....

Two moves happening here. I dont think it is unlike our understanding of Wesleyan Soteriology.

the first move is making the call. He is the messiah. preach this out, Jesus the messiah. Someone in the room is going to make a proclamation today

the second move is learning (and acting) to let go of more and more of your self. Someone in the room is going to die to self today.

What if some of us have the right answer but not the right application?

living for oneself

Shaping Jesus into your own conceptions of what it is supposed to mean

What does that look like? well consider our definitions of follow again

If your life does not look any different as a result of following him....

Today is world communion and we get to receive from Jesus again. And we get to do it with people all over the world. I want you to hear the professions of Jesus the messiah from others today...

Let’s roll that video....

Me on the other side: Friends, today we get to make the proclamation again. Receive again from Jesus. But we also get to step into the opportunity to go, once again.