Who is Jesus?
Pastor Daniel sent me a few passages he was planning to use this Wednesday to illustrate who Jesus was. One of the verses he sent was Matthew 16:16 - “Simon peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Taken in that context, it answers some of who Jesus is. However, I prefer things in context, so I read the entire section (Matt 16:13-20) which my Bible (NLT) labels as “Peter Says Jesus is the Messiah”.
13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15Then He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17Jesus 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. 18Now 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. 19And 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.”
20Then He sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah.
So here’s why I got so excited. A) Jesus asked His disciples who the world thought He was. His disciples responded with the common view at the time that Jesus was just one of the great prophets come back to life. B) Peter’s answer that Christ was the Messiah was given by God, who is sovereign and reveals Himself to certain people for His reasons. C) Peter declared Christ as the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. D) Our salvation is guaranteed and cannot even be revoked by all the forces in hell.
As Christians, we have been separated from the world in not only actions, but thought. This has been brought about by the Holy Spirit since God has chosen us as His people. What's more is all it takes is an honest, heartfelt declaration that Christ is Lord. After that, nothing can separate us from God’s love; especially none of the forces of evil.
After Peter revealed Jesus’ identity, Jesus then revealed his. He gave Simon a new name, Peter, and new purpose after he proclaimed Christ as the Messiah, the rock. I found this to be shockingly similar to a second birth in which all that enter Christianity experience. After we proclaim Jesus to be Lord of our lives, we are given a new purpose and most likely a new name. I wonder what our new names are.
Peter was the first to confess Jesus as Lord and perhaps the first saved soul. Hence, Christ built His church on Peter’s process of discovery and admission of who Christ is. I took, “All the powers of hell will not conquer it” as nothing in hell can spoil Christ’s work of salvation by dying for us on the cross (“the church”). The “church” in this sense is in all of us the day we professed Christ to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and our personal Savior. We too have churches built on us, but since Peter was the first to admit this, he is the rock, the foundation to which Christ is the cornerstone.
Does that make sense? What are your thoughts on this?
13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15Then He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17Jesus 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. 18Now 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. 19And 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.”
20Then He sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah.
So here’s why I got so excited. A) Jesus asked His disciples who the world thought He was. His disciples responded with the common view at the time that Jesus was just one of the great prophets come back to life. B) Peter’s answer that Christ was the Messiah was given by God, who is sovereign and reveals Himself to certain people for His reasons. C) Peter declared Christ as the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. D) Our salvation is guaranteed and cannot even be revoked by all the forces in hell.
As Christians, we have been separated from the world in not only actions, but thought. This has been brought about by the Holy Spirit since God has chosen us as His people. What's more is all it takes is an honest, heartfelt declaration that Christ is Lord. After that, nothing can separate us from God’s love; especially none of the forces of evil.
After Peter revealed Jesus’ identity, Jesus then revealed his. He gave Simon a new name, Peter, and new purpose after he proclaimed Christ as the Messiah, the rock. I found this to be shockingly similar to a second birth in which all that enter Christianity experience. After we proclaim Jesus to be Lord of our lives, we are given a new purpose and most likely a new name. I wonder what our new names are.
Peter was the first to confess Jesus as Lord and perhaps the first saved soul. Hence, Christ built His church on Peter’s process of discovery and admission of who Christ is. I took, “All the powers of hell will not conquer it” as nothing in hell can spoil Christ’s work of salvation by dying for us on the cross (“the church”). The “church” in this sense is in all of us the day we professed Christ to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and our personal Savior. We too have churches built on us, but since Peter was the first to admit this, he is the rock, the foundation to which Christ is the cornerstone.
Does that make sense? What are your thoughts on this?