Text: When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matthew 16:13).
This is an excellent question for us today. If Jesus were here and ask us that very question, what would be our response? What would we say? How would we answer His question? Let’s hold our answer for a few minutes.
The disciples responded with the answers they had heard from other people of the day. “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets (Matthew 16:14),
These answers might have been the result of what was written in the Torah and specifically in Deuteronomy 18:18. Moses revealed to the people what God had revealed to him.
The Lord said to Moses, “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him” (Deuteronomy 18:18).
Keep in mind that these words were written some 1400 years before Jesus came upon the scene. You can see that what people were saying, in that perhaps Jesus was one of the prophets, was by no means disrespectful. This was their opinion and many of the people agreed and believed Jesus was just a prophet.
There are people today who say that Jesus was just a prophet. They do not accept him as the Son of God, God incarnate, or the one who came to offer us eternal life in His kingdom. Many people believe in God, but they do not accept the Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Some of the people were saying that Jesus was John the Baptist reincarnated. When the priests and the Levites questioned John as to who he was, he said, “I am not the Christ” (John 1:20). Then they asked John if he was Elijah or the Prophet. John’s response was, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the LORD’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:23).
Elijah’s name was brought up when John was questioned and it was brought up when Jesus questioned the disciples. Elijah’s ministry is recorded in 1 Kings 17. He was a great prophet who spoke God’s words that really bothered some people. During Elijah’s time, kings were ruthless and led people to worship pagan gods.
For example, King Ahab of Israel “…did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him” (1 Kings 1:30). To King Ahab, sin was just a small matter and worth very little concern.
In fact, “He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria” (1 Kings 16:32). King Ahab worshipped Baal who was a pagan god and in doing do, he promoted idolatry which in turn led the entire nation into sin.
Elijah was chosen by God to speak to King Ahab concerning the forthcoming rain and harvest. Elijah said, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). This was difficult for the king and the people to believe because they worshipped Baal as the god of rains and harvests.
This event came about, but Elijah was taken care of by God through the service of a widow and her son. These two people did as Elijah instructed them. The LORD spoke through Elijah saying, “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land” (1 Kings 17:14).
The LORD performed a miracle through Elijah because Elijah knew God. Elijah had predicted the beginning and the ending of a drought lasting three years.
Another miracle that Elijah carried through for the LORD was the restoring a dead child to life and giving him back to his mother. Elijah’s relationship was so strong with God and his faith in God was such that God was able to use him to relay His message to mankind.
Down through the years people heard about the prophet Elijah and what he did in the name of God. He was considered one of the greatest prophets that ever lived. In fact, Malachi relayed this message from God, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5, 6).
There was 400 years of silence before this prophesy came true. In fact the prophet that would come before Christ was John the Baptist. This was the prophet that would prepare the hearts of the people by encouraging them to repent of their sins.
I am trying to get you to understand that when Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” the responses given by various people were respectful responses because this is what they had heard or had been taught through the Scriptures. When some people said Jesus was Elijah or John the Baptist they were not being disrespectful toward Jesus. They were giving their opinion based on what they knew.
As we know, John the Baptist started his ministry before Jesus started his. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light that all through him might believe. He was not the Light, but was sent to bear witness of the Light” (John 1:6-8). John the Baptist was “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the LORD’” (John 1:23).
As indicated previously, some of the people were under the impression that Jesus was John the Baptist who had been reincarnated. In reality this could not be true because John and Jesus were alive and on walking the earth during the same time period.
John is the one who baptized Jesus. “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him” (Matthew 3:13-15).
Once again, people were not being disrespectful toward Jesus, but they were merely giving their opinion as to who Jesus really was.
Why would some people think Jesus might be Jeremiah reincarnated? Jeremiah was a strong prophet meaning that he did not give up easily. He was called to be a prophet to the people of Judah or the Southern Kingdom.
He did not tolerate sin and let people know that what they were doing or what they were engaged in was not in accordance to the will of God. Jeremiah was a very strong and courageous individual. He could stand against the trials and tribulations of the time.
There were many attempts on his life, but he stayed faithful to God and God stood beside him through all the rough times. Jeremiah was very dedicated to God and wanted to do what was right for the nation. King after king, and there were five, ignored the preaching of Jeremiah and people were led away from God instead of to God.
Jeremiah became known as the “weeping prophet” because his heart was so heavy for the sinful condition of Judah. He saw the fall of Jerusalem and her people killed, mistreated, or taken into captivity. He wanted people to see that to disobey God leads to disaster and disobedience breaks the heart of God.
This information concerning Jeremiah was kept alive down through the centuries. Scripture told about him and he was remembered as one of the great prophets. So, the people in Jesus’ day thought Jesus might be the reincarnated Jeremiah. Again, this was their opinion and they were not showing disrespect.
The disciples realized Jesus was sent from God because of what John the Baptist preached. John told the people about the Lamb of God and said, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him” (John 1:32).
Matthew put it this way: After Jesus was baptized and came up out of the water, “…the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. Suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17).
This event in itself is enough to convince the people that this was no ordinary man. This type of event had never happen before. It is evident some believed what God said and were willing to follow Jesus.
In fact, two of John’s disciples were the first to follow Jesus. “And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’ the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus” (John 1:36-37).
The first four disciples came to Jesus by word of mouth. Andrew told Peter and Philip told Nathanael. The water that was turned into wine at the wedding in Cana was an eye-opening experience for the disciples. “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11).
This miracle of turning the water into wine demonstrated the power and the glory of Jesus. This showed His deity or His divinity. All of the miracles Jesus performed showed the power that only a Heavenly messenger could possess.
The disciples knew Christ was sent from God because the way He taught and the words He used were more powerful and more significant than those of other men. Jesus taught them about being blessed, being the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
He taught them that the sin of murder and adultery begins in the hart. Jesus taught them to go the second mile for people and to love even those who hate you. He taught them how to pray.
He told them to lay up treasures in heaven and not here on earth. Jesus taught them not to worry about anything and not to judge others. He told them to keep asking, seeking, and knocking and what they are asking will be given to them, what they are seeking will be found, and upon knocking the door will be open.
The disciple’s eyes were opened at the healing of the paralytic, the restoration of a girl’s life, and the healing of the woman who just wanted to touch the hem of His garment. They saw Him feed the multitudes, walk on the water, and calm the sea. They watched as He stilled the winds and replaced lost limbs of individuals. They marveled at His ability to master all kinds of diseases, forgive sins, and reveal the secrets of eternity and climbing heights in the spiritual elevation that prophets never saw. And lastly, they witnessed His death, resurrection, and ascension.
Conclusion:
What did the disciples discover in Christ?
What do you and I discover as we hear and read the Word of God?
How would you and I respond to the question, “Who do you say I am?”
Answering this question will reveal what the disciples discovered as well as what we have discovered.
Our response should be: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
“You are the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.”
“You are the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
“You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
“You are our way to the Father.”
“You are the world’s redeemer.”
“You are the only hope for a lost world.”
“You are our Creator who loves us so much that You took the punishment for our sins giving us the opportunity to be redeemed.”
“You are the One who has given us directions so that we might stay on the straight and narrow path leading to Your kingdom.”
“You are the one who sent the Holy Spirit to live within our heart.”
“You are the One who extend grace and mercy upon us although we don’t deserve it.
“You are the one who will never leave us or forsake us.”
“You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
“You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
“You are the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
“You are the One who will come the second time and raise all those believers who have died and all those believers who are still alive and take them to spend eternity with You.”
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Amen.
