Peter Confesses Jesus Is The Christ Series

The Great Commission

Part 11 – Peter says Jesus is the Son of God

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith – www.PS127.org : www.TruthDigest.org

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mar 16th Morning Service Palm Sunday –

Special Service that morning (not series)

Mar 24th – 28th 7:00PM Week of Renewal –

“Discover your Spiritual Gifts & how to use them”

Mar 30th 6:00PM Evening Service at the church –

“Seminary Students will be preaching”

March 30th – Grace Steadman

April 6th – Lori Ulman

April 13th – Lynnette Higgins

April 20th – Walker Spriggs

April 27th – Deacon Kurt Ulman

WHERE WE ARE AT

† The Sermon on the Mount.

† He and his Disciples and Apostles begin to travel from Galilee to Capernaum.

† Jesus heals the Centurion’s servant.

† He then has dinner in a Pharisees home where He was anointed by a sinful woman who had repented.

† Jesus then returns to Galilee preaching along the way.

† Jesus Calms the Storm.

† A Prophet without Honor in His hometown

† Jesus send out the Twelve

† John the Baptist Martyred

† Jesus Feeds 5000

† Jesus’ Prayer Life

INTRODUCTION

Jesus, having just spent the afternoon praying to the Father in heaven in solitude, walked on water to reach the Apostles in their boat, which was in the Sea of Galilee in a storm.

As Jesus approached, they thought He was a ghost or spirit at first and they did not recognize Him.

Many times in the scriptures we see that.

Jesus walked with two of the Apostles after His resurrection and they did not recognize Him.

When Jesus appeared to the Apostles in a prayer meeting, some recognized Him while others, such as Thomas had to have more proof to be convinced because he didn’t recognize Jesus.

Many times in our lives, Jesus appears to us in our dreams, our thoughts, He replies in our hearts, and we sometimes do not recognize it is Him.

How many times has the Lord tried to reach you, and you did not recognize it was Him?

After they returned to the shore, the Apostles knew it was Jesus.

And the scriptures say, they worshipped Him and they recognized He was the Son of God, although none had said it.

None of the Apostles at this point have confessed with their mouths that Jesus was Christ.

SCRIPTURE READING

Matthew 16:13 – 20 Peter Confesses Christ

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

I. Who do people say I am?

On the answer to this question hinges the Salvation of man.

a. John the Baptist

i. King Harod believed Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life to get him for beheading him.

b. Elijah

i. The Jews knew from the scriptures that in the end, Elijah is to return to preach.

ii. This is why they make a place setting for him at every Pessach, and not only do they mention him in the Haggadah, but the children run to the door and call out to him before the meal to see if he has come.

iii. I believe the scriptures are true, and Elijah is going to come in the end to preach, but this is going to happen in the Tribulation.

c. Jeremiah or one of the Prophets

i. Even other religions, such as Islam, will acknowledge Jesus as a Prophet of God. Anyone who teaches the Old Testament is recognized as a Prophet of God.

ii. But being a Prophet of God is not enough to save a man from the debt he owes to God under the covenant of the Law. For the penalty for sin is death and separation from the Father in Heaven.

iii. Only the perfect sacrifice could REMOVE that sin and make us right with the Lord, and giving us access to the Father in Heaven once again.