Life's Primary Question - Who Do You Say I Am? Matthew 16:13-20

Introduction

6th grade, John Hanson Montessori School, Ms. Landes would always tell us there is no such thing as a stupid question. She went so far as to say every time someone asked a question that’s a good question to affirm the importance of always asking questions no matter how you perceive the question in your own being. Because life is filled with questions. Life’s questions often come at the most defining moments of leadership. In government, there are constant questions; what do we do about inflation, war, women’s reproductive rights. In school, leaders are asking what do we do to protect our students and staff amid mass shootings. In church, leaders are asking (or should be) asking questions how do we reach our young people in order to get young people to come, stay and commit to the church. Some of you right now are sitting in church listening to me but your asking questions, what will I cook or where will I go to dinner after church? Or how long is pastor going to preach today? Will he be short?

Many of us have more questions than we do answers. Some young person is asking what is my purpose? What have I been sent on earth to do? Someone has received a diagnosis and now asking the question in the back of your mind while you’re trying to hold on to the little faith you’ve got will I live or will I die. We all have questions. Whether closed questions, or open questions, probing questions, or leading questions... loaded questions, or funnel questions, recall and process questions or rhetorical questions... no matter what our questions we all have at least one or several at one time.

But I submit unto you today over asking will I get the job, get the promotion, get the house, get married, is she the right one, is he the right one, or when will I have a child, the most important and primary question we will face in our lives is do I know who Jesus is.

As long as you can effectively answer that question... you will have the answer to all life’s secondary questions by getting the primary question right first.

Primary - of chief importance/principal

Secondary - coming after, less important than, or resulting from someone or something else that is primary.

Sermon Body

Jesus and the disciples retreat to Caesarea Philippi so that Jesus can have a teachable moment away from the crowds that thronged him constantly during his public ministry. Much like you and I come to church weekly or commune with God in our secret closets because if I am to know who Jesus is, I’ve got to get to a place where I can meet Jesus... away from the noise and the crowds of my life and everything trying to usurp our attention. But I must also get away from the questions in my own head that are constant and unrelenting in order to be able to turn my anxiety, worry, and frustrations back on itself and say wait a minute... do you know who Jesus is?

Caesarea Philippi was the seat of false gods and idol worship with temples of Baal all around. Amid people worshipping gods that did not really exists and have no association with the only true and living God... with all of this in the background Jesus ask the question, whom do they say I am. Jesus in the previous chapters of Matthew has fed four thousand, fed five thousand, healed the sick, walked on water, caused a blind man to receive sight, a woman sick for 12 years healed by simply touching His garment, healed Peter’s mother in law, quiets the storm, casts out demons, healed a paralyzed man, healed a centurion’s servant through the power of his word alone, healed a leper, and preached and taught the word of God in such a profound way that no one had ever heard it before. And to all of this Jesus’ asks His disciples are they talking about me and what are they saying?

Because surely after all of this somebody ought to know who He is. Idol worship is not just a thing of the world of the Bible in places like Caesarea Philippi. In a world vying for your attention where false gods and worship of self, political figures, entertainers, and even preachers is at an all-time high you’ve got to be able to shut out all the noise and know that nobody has any power to do anything except that of which comes from the Lord. And since they operate off of power that doesn’t belong to them, I’m not going to bow down to something that needs something else to function and exists. But I’m going to know and worship the Source thereof! I’m going to worship the One who has no beginning and no ending. The One who is eternally existent and depends on nothing outside of Himself to maintain His existence in heaven and His presence on the earth.

The disciples begin to answer based on who the people had said Jesus was. They had associated Jesus with great men but in their associating him with great men they did not adequately describe His deity. He’s not John the Baptist, He’s not Elijah, He’s not Jeremiah, or one of the prophets... He is Jesus the righteous son of God. Emmanuel, God tabernacled in flesh with us. The Savior of the world, redeemer of mankind. Yes, John preached repentance, Elijah worked miracles, Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet for his compassion toward the people of God. Certainly, Jesus preached repentance like John, performed miracles like Elijah, and had compassion on others like Jeremiah did.. But although John preached repentance, He could not forgive sins and was not the person upon which repentance was made. Although Elijah performed miracles through the power of God; Elijah was not God and had no power except that which God gave. And although Jeremiah had compassion, his compassion caused him a lot of misery but did not send him to a cross to die for the sins of mankind. Though there are resemblances none of them equal or measure up to the power of who Jesus is.

So, Jesus flips the question now that he’s asked about the word around town. He turns his attention to those who walk with him and serve with him. It’s my turn now. There comes a time in your life that momma’s testimony, daddy’s faith, and the pastor’s sermons about Jesus will no longer be enough. Because when your tried in the fires of life can’t nobody [excuse the Ebonics] bring you through it and out of it but Jesus! And it is knowing who Jesus is that will remind you that even when you go through the fire you won’t come out smelling like smoke because Jesus will get in the fire with you and protect you! The stuff that the disciples will have to endure being associated with Jesus means that they must know who He is. If they don’t, they will sink under the pressure of false gods and the world system. Just like you and I. If we don’t know who Jesus is, we will be subject to fall to any and every wind of doctrine and succumb to the agenda of the prince of the power of the air! Oh, but when we can answer the question who do you say I am?

That means that there is relationship. That means there has been a personal encounter with the man/God Christ Jesus. And because you’ve had a personal encounter there is nothing and no one that can turn you around because you know Him for yourself!

We had some power issues yesterday… wasn’t even sure if we’d be able to have church today. Because when the source of your power has got an issue it doesn’t matter what you do in the building - the source has got to fix the problem. Some of you still think I’m talking about electricity. When you got the Source it does not matter what you face in your life you’ve got the antidote to fix it all!

The motor

Simon Peter answered thou are the Christ. That word Christ comes from the Greek work chrīstós that means anointed or chosen one. He said thou art the Son of the living God. Peter recognized what the masses had missed... He’s more than a man – He’s the son of God – He is God!

There’s always going to be something in your life that tries to mask itself as God. It will try to exalt itself in your mind and take the place of God, but this is why you got to know who Jesus really is. I’m not talking about the Jesus of church traditions that have nothing to do with the word. I am not talking about the postmodern world and society in which we live that says Jesus is whatever and whoever you make him to be.. I’m talking about the Jesus of the Bible. Jesus who angels bow before, who heaven and earth adore. When you know who Jesus really is, you don’t sweat small stuff and stuff that tries to make you doubt, live in fear, make you anxious, depressed or oppressed. I know the Savior of the world and if He saved me from sin, He can rescue me from anything because He is God! I don’t have to wait for anybody to come and pray for me. I can pray for myself. I don’t have to wait for anybody to lay hands on me; I can lay hands on myself because I know who JESUS is!

Peter got it right. Because there is a right answer to knowing who Jesus is. Yes, He is everything but you’ve got to know Him as Christ. That when nobody else could save you and you couldn’t even save yourself God so loved the world that He gave of Himself, His only begotten Son to save you and I from eternal damnation in hell and grant us eternal life! He chose Jesus to save you and I and we must know Him as Christ – the one God sent to save us, redeem us, and grant us eternal life!

Peter got a pat on the back from Jesus. Because the answer He gave moved beyond his bodily senses of what He could touch, see, smell, and hear. Because everybody will not recognize Jesus! Jesus must be revealed... The Pharisees and Sadducees could not see who Jesus is because they could not move beyond themselves and the structure and order of the day. Because if you’re going to know who Jesus is, it is a revelation of the Spirit of God that no matter how much I know, have accomplished or achieved... If I don’t know Jesus, I don’t know a thing. But since I know Jesus, I’ve got everything I need!

And if you think you know everything there is to know about Jesus… keep living. You’re alive because God’s got more to show you!

Jesus responded to Peter’s revelation and said upon this rock talking about the revelation of Himself he would build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. That means that the foundation of the church is not a man, woman, boy or girl. Because if it were the gates of hell would prevail. But Jesus said what I am putting in place can’t no devil in hell stop it. And I’ll put my name, my reputation on it and because I do that nothing can ever destroy it! Aren’t you glad to know that what God establishes nobody has the power to break it down but God?!

Jesus then said He would give the keys to the kingdom. When you have an encounter with Jesus you don’t just give your life but you get something back! This does not give Peter some special authority but the key to the kingdom indicates that because we know who Jesus is, we can have entrance to the kingdom of God. Jesus is the key to the kingdom! No man can come to the Father except he come by Jesus Christ. We’ve been given a key to tell others the key that we may perpetually pass on the key for others to gain access to the kingdom of heaven! In other words, now that you know who Jesus is, you’ve got a key and since you’ve got a key you’ve got a responsibility to use the key.

Jesus told them don’t say anything because it wasn’t quite time for him to be revealed. But that doesn’t apply to you and me today. We’ve got a responsibility, a charge, a mandate, to tell a dying world about a risen savior who can save anybody. It does not matter what they’ve done, where they’ve been He has been anointed to save, anointed to deliver, anointed to set the captives free, bring sight to the blind! The world is asking what can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nicodemus had a question what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said you’ve got to be born again. In order to be born again you must know who Jesus is!

Conclusion

Church with all of the questions this life will pose to us... I must ask you a question... The same one Jesus asked... Who do you say He is? I say He is the righteous son of God. I say He is the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world. I say He is the rose of Sharon. I say He is the lily of the valley. I say He is the bright and morning star. I say He is the stone that the builders rejected that has become the chief cornerstone. I say that He is the soon coming King. I say He is the fairest of 10,000 and of 10,000 He. He is Wonderful and Counselor. He is a friend of sinners. The great physician. Healer of broken hearts. The Lamb of God. The Prince of Peace. A mighty fortress. A shelter in the time of storm. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is the Resurrection and the Life. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the calmer of raging seas. He is the Rock of Ages. He is the Bread of Heaven. He is the Living Water. He is the Good Shepherd. He is our Solid Rock and Sure foundation. He is the Horn of our Salvation. The Lion in the Tribe of Judah. He is the King of Glory. He is my way maker. He is my miracle worker. He is my promise keeper. He is my light in darkness. He is my Shepherd. He is my peace in the midst of the storm. He’s my all and all... my everything. And when I call His name Jesus – I’m calling all that at and some more at one time! So many people doubt Him, I can’t live without Him!

I can answer life’s greatest question because I know who Jesus is! And no matter the question in my life as long as I’ve got that one right there is no other question that can plague me because through my knowledge of Jesus Christ, I can make it through uncertainty and all of life’s questions both answered and unanswered because I know who Jesus is...