Who Do You Say I Am?

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name.

Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love

And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy:

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot

Nor arm nor face nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O be some other name.

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,

And for that name, which is no part of thee,

Take all myself.

This soliloquy, obviously from Romeo and Juliet, is maybe one of the most famous bits of poetry the Bard ever produced. It’s Juliet’s call to Romeo to give up his family name because the families are at war. If he wasn’t a Montague, they could be together and after all, what’s in a name?

For the ancient Israelites, actually, there was quite a lot to a name. In a blog post, Christian writer Wes Woodell gave six reasons why names are important in the Bible:

A name could record some aspects of a person’s birth.

Names sometimes expressed the parents’ reaction to the birth of their child.

Names were sometimes used to secure the solidarity of family ties.

Names could be used to communicate God’s message.

Names were also used to establish an affiliation with God.

Names are given to establish authority over another, or to indicate a new beginning or new direction in a person’s life.

Names were, to the ancient Israelites, more than just what people called you - in some respects, you were defined by your name - it described who you were. Which is why whenever a person goes through a name change in the Bible, it means something significant. In the Old Testament it happened to man named Jacob. In the New Testament, it happened to the apostle Peter. Peter’s original name is Simon which means, “listen” in Hebrew. But in our passage today, Jesus gives Simon a new name - “Peter” which means “rock.” Peter would become a foundational person for the church. Before his ascension, there were less than 150 followers of Jesus. Most of the crowd lost interest when he died. But when Peter - the rock upon which Jesus would build his church - preached for the first time in public after Jesus ascended to Heaven, the church was born. 3000 people came to faith that day in Jerusalem which would then snowball throughout history to become the largest faith community on the planet today, with over 2 Billion adherents.

The name change indicated a new beginning for Peter. It was a call to leadership based on the profession of his faith that Jesus was the Messiah. Peter figured out who Jesus was and as we conclude our series “Questions from Jesus” we will be challenged to re-examine our belief as to who Jesus is, so that we might experience freedom. Let’s read Matthew 16:13-20.

Matthew 16:13–20 NLT

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Pray

In our passage, Jesus asked his disciples: "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" This question isn't Jesus being insecure about who he is. Jesus isn’t asking, “Do you think people like me? What are people saying about me?” or anything like that. When you look at Jesus’ life, what you see is someone who loves people, but who is not a people pleaser. Jesus is secure in who he is. This question from Jesus is him leading his disciples towards a deeper understanding of who he is. They may know his name, but do they really know WHO he is? If you don't have an accurate view of Jesus, you don't have an accurate view of God. You can't be wrong about Jesus and right with God. It doesn't work because Jesus is God, the exact representation of his being. If Jesus is just a myth, then everything he said and did is irrelevant. If you see Jesus as just a miracle-worker - then you won’t see him as your saviour. If you see Jesus as only your saviour, then you don’t have him as your Lord. If he is just a good teacher, then his sacrifice means nothing, and we are all still dead in our sins. What you believe about Jesus matters. And because his followers need to have a right view of Jesus, he probes his disciples with this question, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

The disciples' reply, "Some say John the Baptist; some say Elijah; and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." The Old testament has a few passages that indicate that God would raise up another prophet like the prophets of old - prophets like Elijah or Jeremiah. And God did - he raised up John the Baptist Since John the Baptist was the first prophet in Israel in centuries, it makes sense that the crowds, most of whom were not at Jesus' baptism, believed that Jesus was the return of John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets who confronted the kings who were leading in sin

But the crowd's opinion is only necessary to Jesus as a measuring stick for his disciples - a gauge to see the difference between the masses and his disciples, his friends. So he asks them a second question, "But who do you say I am?"

Again, this question is not a sign of insecurity or a need to be validated. The question is a test of the disciples' discernment, their theology, and their faith. It's a question that will define them for their answer will determine the course of their lives. And that same questions defines us as well. Who is Jesus to you? Is he just a myth, or is he real? Is he the person the preacher talks about all the time, or is he your Lord and Saviour? Is he someone who lived a couple of thousand years ago, or is he the eternal God, the firstborn over all creation, the one who died and was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of the Father?

How you answer this question in the depths of your heart will define you. When Paul the apostle tells us that we should examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith in 2 Corinthians 13:5, he implies we need to answer this question in a real way. Either we fully believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and by that faith, we are saved and are being transformed to be like Jesus in our character and our cause, or we don't, and we aren't.

So who is Jesus to you? When Jesus asked the disciples this question, their answer was "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God."

Who is the Messiah? In Jesus' day, there was a hopeful expectation that a person would come along and save Israel from her enemies, which, in that particular time, was the Romans. That person, born in the line of David and prophesied throughout the Jewish scriptures, was called the Christ or the Messiah. Yes, Christ is not Jesus’ last name, it is his title. And with that title, comes expectation. The Messiah was expected to lead a revolution that would expel the Romans from Israel's land. But Jesus understood that the real oppression wasn't from Rome, as bad as it was. The real oppression was, and still is, sin and death. And it is those two things - and all the corollaries that come from them - that Jesus has come to give us freedom from.

Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For he (Jesus) has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” In Jesus, we have forgiveness for everything we have done wrong, every mistake, every sin. In Jesus we are given power to break the chains of sin that keeps us from experiencing the abundant spiritual life that Jesus promises us. In Jesus, we find the truth that frees us from the lies that hold us back and keep us spiritually and emotionally stuck. Who is Jesus? He is the Messiah - the breaker of chains - the one who gives us freedom. So what does he give us freedom from?

1. Freedom from guilt / shame that plagues us

A man entered a bar, bought a glass of beer and then immediately threw it into the bartender's face. Quickly grabbing a napkin, he helped the bartender dry his face while he apologized with great remorse. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I have this compulsion to do this. I fight it, but I don't know what to do about it. I feel so guilty about it.” "You had better do something about your problem," the bartender replied. "You can be sure I'll never serve you another drink until you get help." The man knew that was fair and he left the bar, with his head held low. A few months later, the man entered into the same bar and the same bartender was there. When he asked for a beer, the bartender refused. Then the man explained that he had been seeing a psychiatrist and that his problem was solved. Convinced it was now okay to serve him, the bartender poured him a drink. The man took the glass and splashed the beer into the barkeeper's astonished face. "I thought you were cured," the shocked bartender screamed. "I am," said the man. "I still do it, but I don't feel guilty about it anymore."

Guilt is a funny thing. We use it to mean two different things. We use it as a objective declaration - like in a courtroom when a person is found guilty. In this sense it is a statement of fact. But we also talk about guilt in the emotional sense - of feeling remorse about our actions or inactions. The problem with the feeling of guilt, is that we can numb it out so that it becomes like a dead nerve - we just don’t feel it, no matter what we do. Some people, and maybe this describes you, SHOULD feel guilty about some of the things you have done, but you have rationalized it or numbed it out so you don’t.

Like many things, guilt has a healthy side and an unhealthy side. The healthy side of guilt is when it points us back to God. The feeling of guilt is like a check-engine light on your car. When it goes off, something is wrong and you need to get to the mechanic. When we feel guilty, it is a sign that we are misaligned with God and that we need to be re-aligned. That’s what the Holy Spirit does - he uses our feelings of guilt to remind us to turn back to God.

The unhealthy side of guilt leads us to shame and to running away from God - just like Adam and Eve did in the garden when they tried to hide from God. And I know that for some of you, you have been running from God, trying to hide. But I love our God - he is always still out looking for those lost sheep, those lost coins and he rejoices when they are found. If you have been experiencing shame lately because of the sins you have done, or the choices you have made, then I need you to lean in and really hear this verse from the Apostle Paul:

Romans 8:1 says, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Jesus, our messiah has come to bring you freedom from guilt and shame. He did this through his sacrifice on the cross, where he took all your sin - everything you have ever done, all the things you should have done and didn’t, and he transferred them from you to himself and then he died so that you could live. Jesus didn’t die so that you could feel guilty and allow your shame to keep you from intimacy with God. He died and came back to life so you could be forgiven and be restored in relationship with the Father.

I wonder if today, you want to experience freedom from your guilt and shame? If you do, then simply go to Jesus in prayer. Confess whatever you need to confess and then receive his forgiveness. Know that based on your faith, that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus and that he has

Jesus, our messiah, has come to bring us freedom from the guilt and shame that plagues us. He also came to bring us freedom from the sin that enslaves us.

2. Freedom from sin that enslaves us

The beginning of the spiritual journey with Jesus is all about forgiveness. He has reconciled us to the Father through his death, providing forgiveness for everything we have did and didn’t do, but should have. But in his abundant grace, he gives us more than just forgiveness - he gives us freedom from sin.

Galatians 3:22 “But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.”

A little boy was visiting his grandparents and a gift, he was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods behind the house, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma's back yard, he spied her pet duck, named Quackers. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the Quackers was no more. The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to look up and see his sister watching from the back door. Lizzy had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day, Grandma said, "Lizzy, let's wash the dishes." But Lizzy said, "Zach told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn't you, Zach?" And she whispered to him, "Remember the duck!" So Zach did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing., Grandma said, "I'm sorry, but I need Lizzy to help make supper." Lizzy smiled and said, "That's all taken care of. Zach wants to do it." Again she whispered maliciously, "Remember the duck." So Zach stayed while Lizzy went fishing. After several days of Zach doing both his chores and Lizzy’s, finally he couldn't stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he'd killed the duck. "I know, Zach," she said, giving him a hug. "I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. But I wondered how long you would let Lizzy make a slave of you."

Sin binds us and makes us it’s slave. The fear we have of being found out in our sin compels us to keep our sins hidden. And sins that stay hidden, continue to have power over us, even if we have been forgiven by them.

James 5:16 “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

Healing - freedom from the power of sin - comes through the spiritual discipline of confession. When we tell other people about sin, people who will pronounce the forgiveness of God and who will walk in you to overcome them, then freedom happens. That sin that so easily entangles you loses it’s power when you bring it to God and to the people of God who are for you. Jesus created the church in order to distribute His love, his forgiveness, his power to the world.

So what’s been entangling you lately? What do you want freedom from? Find a person you are willing to trust and tell them what’s going on, so that they can pray for you and you can be healed.

Jesus, our messiah, has come to bring us freedom from the guilt and shame that plagues us. He also came to bring us freedom from the sin that enslaves us. Finally, he has come to bring freedom from the lies that bind us

3. Freedom from lies that bind us

On a beautiful and warm spring morning, four high school boys decided to skip their morning classes. After lunch they showed up at school and went to their afternoon classes. Right after the dismissal bell rung, then went up to their morning teacher and told her that their car had a flat tire. Much to their relief, she smiled and said, "Well, you missed a quiz this morning, so take your seats and get out a pencil and paper." Still smiling, she waited as they settled down and got ready for her questions.

Then she said, "First question--which tire was flat?"

Jesus says in the Bible, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Truth is a part of the character of God and because we are made in the image of God, we love truth. Well, we love it when others tell us the truth, as long as it doesn’t hurt our feelings. Even though we value truth. many of us are okay with lying to get out of trouble, or to avoid social interactions, or to protect someone’s feelings. But no one really wants to be lied to - we value truth. The problem is that our enemy doesn’t.

Talking to a crowd of people who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus says in John 8:44 “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

The devil is all about lies and twisting the truth in order to keep people spiritually distant from God. He might lie to you about how God is just like those judgy Christians you know. He might lie to you about how what you have done is so bad, no one can forgive you, not even God. He might lie to you and say, “ That trauma you experienced is your fault.” or “Look at you, how could anyone love you.” These are all lies from the pit of Hell that the devil seems to whisper into our minds to trap us and keep us from experiencing the fullness of life that God has purchased for us.

But there is good news, people of God. The apostle John writes in John 8:31-32: “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE. When we know the truth, not just in our heads but in the very depths of our being, then we are set free from the devils traps and our lives become this glorious offering to the Most High God. When you know the truth that God’s love for you in unconditional - that you can’t make God love you less, no matter what you do, then you become free of the cycle of sin and shame and then can worship God with your whole heart.

When you know the truth that God has never left you or abandoned you, no matter the trauma but that he grieves with you through it, and that he is a just God who will not allow any sin to go unpunished, then you can be free of the anger and shame that you feel.

When you know that God not only loves you, but he likes you and he has empowered you through the Holy Spirit, giving you purpose and passion, then you are free from needing other people’s validation of you.

When you know the truth, when you really know it, you will be free.

Conclusion

Jesus, our messiah, has come to bring us freedom from the guilt and shame that plagues us. He came to bring us freedom from the sin that enslaves us. And he has come to bring freedom from the lies that bind us - that hold us back from experiencing an abundant spiritual life.

What’s in a name?” Juliet wonders. Well, the name Jesus means “God saves or God rescues” and the title of Christ means “Anointed One”. He is the one annointed by God to save us and to give us freedom. Not political freedom, as the first century Jews hoped, but to give us spiritual freedom. So what’s in a name? A lot, I would say.

Jesus asked his disciples “Who do you say I am?” And he asks us that question this morning. Who is Jesus to you? I pray that you might know him better as your messiah, and experience the freedom