Identity

Who Am I?

Matthew 16:13–19 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 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. 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. 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.”

How do we identify something or someone?

By what they are good at?

Who they hang out with?

Job?

Education?

Beliefs?

What they/it do?

[Use examples with a bottle of water, a book, a tool, a famous person, etc.]

Looking at Matthews account of Jesus question to his disciples, we see that Jesus wants his disciples to identify who he is by what others think.

What are the rumors floating around town? What are the people saying about me?

Jesus starts with asking a general question about others, but then he makes it personal.

He asks, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter (The Loud Mouth of the Group) answered that personal question. He says, “you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!”

Jesus then told Peter who he was and what he was supposed to do, what his purpose was.

When Jesus tells peter Matthew 16:17-19

He is not saying that Peter is the rock on which the church is built. However, that the relationship between Jesus and his disciple is what built the church. That relationship is what keeps the church going in today’s time. That is what our whole Faith is about; Our relationship with Jesus.

In our own lives we can go through life hearing about this man named Jesus and how He loves us, but until we get personal and answer the REAL question that is demanded of us, we will never know why we are here.

God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has a plan for us and that it is NOT to harm us but to let us succeed.

God has a plan for us but we have to choose to follow that plan or not. We have to choose to follow Christ and have that relationship with him. that same relationship that the church is built upon!

We must answer the personal question of “Who is Jesus to me?” 

Here are some things God identifies us as in Him...

God tells us that we are:

Psalm 139:14 (Fearfully and Wonderfully made)

Joshua 1:9 (FEARLESS)

Luke 1:68 (Redeemed)

Ephesians 2:10 (Masterpiece or Handiwork)

1 John 4:19 (LOVED)

2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Creation)

Ephesians 1:7 (Forgiven)

Revelation 12:11 (Victorious)

Ephesians 1:6 (Accepted)