1. 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.
2. The Background
a. Southern Slope of Mt. Hermon in Northern Galilee [Map]
b. A Center for Baal Worship in Joshua’s time
c. Renamed Paneas for “Pan,” the god of shepherds, flocks, hunters, and was associated with all kinds of lude behavior regarding personal pleasure and lust
d. Herod the Great dedicated a Temple to Caesar there in 20 BC; his son, Philip expanded the area and renamed it Caesarea Philippi to distinguish it from Caesarea Maritima (Cornelius, Acts 10)
e. Caesarea Philippi is mentioned twice in the NT (also Mark 8.27 – same account)
3. Consider the Impact of this Place on Disciples of Jesus
I. The Place of Powerful Consideration (16.13)
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?”
A. A Pagan Place
1. Allegiance to Caesar and gods of Rome
2. Imagine the trepidation of the Disciples in going to this disgusting place
(What’s my mother going to say?)
B. A Place of Analysis for the Disciples
1. Who do men say I am? (14)
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
2. Who do YOU say I am? (15)
3. We each have to deal with the same questions – away from the safety of church
4. We have a personal responsibility to encounter Jesus and develop our own relationship with him
II. The Place of Personal Revelation (16-18)
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.
A. Divine Origin of Peter’s Confession
1. Peter didn’t “figure it out” by putting 2+2 together
2. God revealed this reality to him (inspiration)
3. We have a spiritual emphasis, too – Romans 8.16
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
B. The Divine Renaming
1. Jesus loved nicknaming his disciples:
a. Simon to Peter (Rocky); Sons of Thunder
b. Your New Name (Pergamum) – Revelation 2.17
To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.
2. Play on Words
• “Petros” is a small Stone
• “Petra” is a Large Stone Foundation/Boulder
3. The Point – Jesus is the foundation of the church
• Matthew 7.24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
• 1 Corinthians 3.11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
4. Confessing Christ is Crucial – Ekklesia and Edah (witnessing community) 1 John 4.15
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
5. In Hebrew thought there is one place where confession and bearing witness connect – in the Sh’ma – Deuteronomy 6.4-5
a. Jewish Confession of God
b. Contains the word for Witness
c. Peter’s Confession becomes a new Sh’ma
III. The Place of Permanent Conquest (18)
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. The Gates of Hades/Sheol (the Place of the Dead)
1. Ancient cities were only as strong as their gates
2. Caesarea Philippi had an “entrance to the underworld”
3. Once it closed, it never reopened
B. The Kingdom of Heaven/God Conquers even Death Revelation 21.4
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1. Our Mission – break through the gates of Hades so that people can live with God
2. Peter used the “Keys to the Kingdom” in Acts 2; 10
IV. The Place of Divine Confession (18)
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. Peter Identified Jesus and Jesus Identified Peter
B. It is Important to Hear God’s Recognition of You
1. Lies of Satan and the World Rob is of Identity and Destiny [Fear is a Liar by Zach Williams
When he told you you're not good enough
When he told you you're not right
When he told you you're not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you're not worthy
When he told you you're not loved
When he told you you're not beautiful
That you'll never be enough
2. Contrast with What God Says – Romans 8.1
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
3. The LORD Gives True Identity and Destiny
One of the great preachers of our time is Dr. Fred Craddock. Craddock tells a story about vacationing with his wife one summer in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One night they found a quiet little restaurant, where they looked forward to a private meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. Craddock leaned over and whispered to his wife, "I hope he doesn’t come over here." He didn’t want anyone intruding on their privacy. But sure enough, the man did come over to their table. "Where you folks from?" he asked in a friendly voice.
Oklahoma," Craddock answered.
"Splendid state, I hear, although I’ve never been there," the stranger said. "What do you do for a living?"
"I teach homiletics at the graduate seminary of Phillips University," Craddock replied.
"Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I’ve got a story to tell you." And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with Craddock and his wife.
Dr. Craddock said he groaned inwardly and thought to himself, "Oh, no! Here comes another preacher story! It seems like everybody has at least one."
The man stuck out his hand. "I’m Ben Hooper," he said. "I was born not far from here across the mountains. My mother wasn’t married when I was born, so I had a pretty hard time. When I started to school, my classmates had a name for me, and it wasn’t a very nice name. I used to go off by myself at recess and lunch time because the things they said to me cut me so deep. What was worse was going to town on Saturday afternoons and feeling like every eye was burning a hole through me, wondering just who my father was.
"When I was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to our church. I would always go in late and slip out early. But one day the preacher said the benediction so fast I got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. I could feel every eye in the church on me. Just about the time I got to the door I felt a big hand on my shoulder. I looked up and the preacher was looking right at me. ‘Who are you, son? Whose boy are you?’ he asked. I felt this big weight coming down on me. It was like a big black cloud. Even the preacher was putting me down. But as he looked down at me, studying my face, he began to smile a big smile of recognition. ‘Wait a minute!’ he said. ‘I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.’ With that he slapped me across the rump and said, ‘Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.’
The old man looked across the table at Fred Craddock and said, "Those were the most important words anybody ever said to me, and I’ve never forgotten them." With that, he smiled shook hands with Craddock and his wife, and moved on to another table to greet old friends.
And as he walked away, Craddock – a native Tennessean himself – remembered from his studies of Tennessee history that on two occasions the people of Tennessee had elected to the office of governor men who had been born out of wedlock. One of them was a man named Ben Hooper.
