Who Do You Say I Am?
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Read Matthew 16:13-20
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.
Jesus asks a simple question? Who do people say that I am?
2 1/2 years they traveled with him
They heard what the people said
family: (Mark 3:21 “And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.””
The religious leaders: Mark 3:22 “22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.””
Wherever he went, people were talking. And the disciples had to hear this.
2. But Jesus didn't ask the question because he didn’t know. He asked the question about what other people were saying to get to the real question and an answer he wants from THEM.
Lets go back to the Scripture. Last week Jesus warned the disciples of the false teaching on the Pharisees. They were taking the truth, but adding their own ideas to the truth of Scripture. And when they did this, they changed the truth.
At this time, the only Scripture that they had was the Old Testament and they regarded Moses words as the true revelation from God. But these Pharisees and Scribes must have turned away from these words from Moses…Deut 4:2
2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.
So Jesus is telling them to be aware of the ‘leaven of the Pharisees.” The have added to the gospel, so they have changed it.
So verse 13, Jesus and the disciples are in a different place. Now they are in a place named Caesarea Philippi. This place is a 14 hour walk from where they were when Jesus talked about the leaven of the Pharisees.
14 hours! Why would Jesus remove himself and carry his disciples that far away?
I believe it is because the questions that Jesus asks, the answer he receives plays an important role in the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus asks two different questions, and recieves two different answers.
Question 1: Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt 16:13)
Now I don’t want you to miss something here. Don’t miss what Jesus called himself “Son of Man.” Why is this important. This title that he gives himself, is one that is recognized for the Messiah. The Messiah, the promised one who rescue the sinners and crush the head of Satan is also known as the Son of Man. Daniel the prophet gave a prophesy about the Son of Man. Look what he wrote...
Daniel 7:13–14 (ESV)
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
So Jesus ask them, who do people out there say that I (the Son of Man) is?
Answer 1: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah on another prophet
They probably mentioned John teh Baptist because they remembered the fear of Herod who heard about Jesus and thought it was the Baptist resurrected.
They probably mentioned John the Baptist because they remembered the fear of Herod who heard about Jesus and thought it was the Baptist resurrected.
Then they said some are saying Elijah, Jeremiah or others prophets. But Jesus wasn’t a prophet. A prophet spoke the words OF God to the people. SO who was he?
Jesus ask this first question, who do people say that I am, because he wanted to get to the second question. The real question.
Question 2: Who do you say that I am? (Matt 16:15)
Picture in your minds, the 12 are gathered with him as he is speaking, there are no other people around. And he ask this question… WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?
Then, the disciple who is always opening his mouth, Peter proclaims...
Answer 2: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matt 16:16)
You see, everyday, Jesus was getting closer and closer to the cross. It would be less than a year before he would be arrested in the garden. And these 12 men, actually 11, would be the ones who would take the gospel and begin the spread of it into the entire world. He had been preparing them, and now he knew he could begin to tell them what was going to happen to him.
But before we get there, lets finish out this section.
Look at verse Matthew 16:17-18
Matthew 16:17–18 (ESV)
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.
A few things in these verses:
Peters words and identification that he was the Messiah, did not happen because in his mind he was convinced. (flesh and blood did not reveal)
This is the same for the person that accepts Christ. The need for you to follow Christ and give him your life does not happen because you hear a preacher and you think, I need that. No, it is the Holy Spirit that moves on a person, convicts them of their sin and need for a Savior, then teh person takes a step towards Christ and Salvation.
Because of this I believe there are many people in church today and maybe in this church, who can say they prayed a prayer and now think that they are going to heaven. But the problem is is that it was a decision made in their own flesh, and not a drawing from God. How can I say this? Because of the life people who say they are Christians live. Where is the fruit? Where is the change from darkness to life?
Christian, examine yourself… do you base yoru relationship on Christ with the things you know…or by a yearning and longing to follow Jesus and the God of the Bible?
2. This is the first time the word “church” is used in the New Testament. The word in the Greek is Eklesia. And it points to a gathering of believers for community worship. We are in Eklesia this morning.
3. He begins the verse calling Simon-Bar-Jonah, but then he changes his name in a description of the task that he will give him. He calls him Peter (stone) and he tells him that on this rock (Jesus) I will build my church.
4. the gates of hell will not prevail against it. (through the ages, Satan has tried to stop the church, snuff it out…)
Nothing will ever be able to stop the church. How do I know? 1 Thess 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Jesus then says, Matthew 16:19-20
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.
Peter would become the leading apostle in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection and as the gospel was going out. He preached on the day of Pentecost, he began the mission to the Samaritans, and he would later be persecuted and killed for his faith. As a leader, Peter and those earlier apostles were given authority over the church by the Spirits direction.
20: Jesus tells them to remain quiet about these things because it was not yet time.
SO what are we to take away from these verses?
I believe he asks us the same question today…2000 year later.
Who do you say that I am?
Not, who does Dad say I am, or Mom say that I am, or your friend say that I am? This is an individual question. You, who do you say he is? Because a day will come, and you will have to give an account of this question. What will you say?