Jesus asked a very deep question in today’s reading. He asked: “Who do you say that I am? That question is more relevant today than it ever was before. For many people, they see Jesus as a “Get out of Hell Free card.” They know all about Jesus, they know the Sunday School answers, they have the head knowledge, but there is no heart knowledge. They desire no change in their lives. There is no desire to really know Jesus, but only want use Him to escape hell. Jesus had this to say about such people (quoting from Isaiah 29:13):
Matthew 15:8–9 (NKJV) ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
People want to go to heaven, but just leave Jesus and religion out of it. The tragedy in all of this, they have missed out in just who Jesus is.
Matthew 16:13–17 (NKJV)
In an online-poll taken a number of years ago, the question was asked: “What is the key to getting into heaven?” and those who answered according to the following choices:
-- Living a good life 60.5%
-- Having connections to someone at the top 32.5%
-- Helping old ladies cross the street 2.2%
-- Slipping St. Peter a large tip 1.7%
-- Having a strong letter of reference 1.6%
-- Making a deal with the devil 1.0%
-- Telling a really good lie 0.6%
-- Total votes: 8,602
Then the question was asked, “Are you going to heaven?”
-- Yes 91.2%
-- No 8.8%
--Total votes: 10,284 [1]
I did some research on-line and recent polls by the Pew Research Center, Barna Group and Lifeway Research are all about the same. Only little over half of Americans (56%) believe in the God of the Bible.[2] (according Pew, April 2018) According to Lifeway Research only 40% believe they will be sent to hell if they do not personally Trust Jesus.[3] Many other statistics indicate that even among “so-called” Christians, that knowledge of the holy and things pertaining to Jesus and salvation is very limited.
So Jesus asked the question, “who do you think I am?” Let’s put that question into context.
Matthew 16:13a (NKJV) When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi,
Jesus had taken His disciples away from the crowds, perhaps to be able to give them some personal instruction. Maybe Jesus also wanted away from the Jewish crowed that followed them everywhere. So Jesus went to what is perhaps the most pagan place in all of Israel. At the extreme north end of the ancient borders of Israel in the area of the tribe of Dan, was city built to honor Caesar. Philip, who was the tetrarch of those northern districts, had his name added so as to not confuse this city the with the other city of Caesarea located on the coast.
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Ellen and I had the opportunity to visit this region almost 3 years ago on our trip to the Holy Lands. Caesarea Philippi was about 25 mile north of the sea of Galilee, right at the head-water and springs that marked the beginning of the Jordan River. This city was once the center for Baal worship. There were various pagan temples in the city, most notable was the pagan shine to the Greek god of Pan. Pan was the half man-half goat god of nature. The shine to Pan was located in front of a large cave like opening revealing a very deep pit know as the gates of hades, or the underworld. This place is so much like the world today, they worship everything but have no clue as to who Jesus is.
It was here that Jesus talked about His church and the gates of Hades or Hell (depending on your translation) shall not prevail against it (verse 18).
Matthew 16:13 (NKJV) 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?”
What Jesus is asking was very similar to the polls taken by all these different research groups, determining the religious climate of America.
Who does the world say Jesus is? This is important because many people cling to what the opinion polls say. What the culture tell them, they assume to be right and they go along with the world’s opinion. Truth has very little bearing on what the world sees and does.
Matthew 16:14 (NKJV) So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
This the Jewish response. They saw Jesus as a prophet and there had been 400 years of silence, since the last prophet, Malachi wrote the last book of the Old Testament. Then came John the Baptist who was beheaded by Herold Antipas the tetrarch. Herold thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen form the dead.
Mark 6:16 (NKJV) But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!”
Some thought Jesus was Elijah because Elijah was to come before the Messiah. (last 2 verses in the OT)
Malachi 4:5–6 (NKJV) 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
Some thought Jeremiah because in some of the inter-Testament writings (2 Maccabees 2) had Jeremiah hiding the Ark of the Covenant and he was to return and reveal the ark before te coming of the Messiah. Many believe Jesus to be the forerunner of the Messiah but not the Messiah Himself.
Today there are many answers to this question from the world religions.
- Buddhists believe that Jesus was a wise and enlightened man who taught similar things to Buddha.
- Hindus believe that Jesus was an incarnation of God similar to Krishna, a wise man.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses believe he was God’s first creation, the archangel Michael, who became a man.
- Mormons believe that he was one of the spirit beings that all humans used to be, the spirit brother of Lucifer who became the devil. They believe that Jesus was begotten in the flesh by God the Father.
- Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet and miracle worker, but he was not crucified nor raised from the dead.
- Famous agnostic and author of “Why I Am Not a Christian,” Bertand Russel said, “Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if he did we know nothing about him.” [4]
Today, there are many who know of Jesus, but really know nothing about Him. So many will say that he was a wise man who taught many good things. If they had really read and understood the things that Jesus said and did, they would either say that Jesus was a certifiable lunatic, or a charlatan, fraud and great deceiver, or He was exactly who He said He was. Obviously, most people have never really given the Bible much thought and study. So Jesus changed the question and asked His disciples directly:
Matthew 16:15 (NKJV) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
This question is much deeper than it appears. Jesus did not ask who they thought He was. He did not ask what they believe Him to be. Jesus asked who He is to them. It was a very personal question. It was not theological exam. It was not a pop quiz. It was personal question that required a commitment on their part. Peter, who was the unofficial leader of the 12 spoke up first.
Matthew 16:16 (NKJV) Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
This was not the first confession made, but it was the first made without undo emotion. After Jesus calm the storm, the terrified fishermen proclaimed:
Matthew 14:33 (NKJV) Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
And after the feeding of the 5,000 Peter also said:
John 6:68–69 (NKJV) But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter was stating a fact. He saw the loaves and fish multiplied. But the question Jesus asked in Caesarea Philippi was different. Jesus asked who was He to them personally.
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” “Christ” is the Greek equivalent the Hebrew word “Messiah,” meaning the Anointed One, the from God the One who is God. Not only that, Peter did not only say God, but He said the Son of the LIVING God, considering that they were surrounded by so many dead gods there in Caesarea Philippi. Jesus was for everyone, not just the Jews. Calling Jesus the Son of the Living God, also equated Jesus with God. In the Jewish culture and mindset, to say Jesus was the Son of God is to say Jesus was God. To Peter, Jesus was the Anointed One who came from God, the One who is God. And He was Peter’s God. Quite the confession and commitment.
Even with this confession, Peter’s understanding still needed updating and completion. In just a few verses later after Jesus talks about His Church being built on the rock of Peter’s confession, Peter is corrected by Jesus because Peter clearly did not understand Jesus’ mission.
Matthew 16:21–23 (NKJV) From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
And even with this confession, Peter still had his shortcomings. Peter still needed to grow. Remember what Peter did after Jesus was arrested in the garden before His crucifixion?
Matthew 26:75 (NKJV) And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
Like Peter, our confession of Jesus is only the beginning . We must grow in our confession and understanding of just who Jesus is. And Jesus tells Peter:
Matthew 16:17 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Peter was given this confession by God who revealed Jesus to him. We can attend all the Sunday School classes, faithful in all the Bible studies, but in the end, it is God who reveals the very person of Jesus to us. Do not miss-understand me, Sunday School and Bible Study are important, for that is how we grow, and it often through these things that God make his revelation of Jesus to us. But we cannot go to Jesus unless God draws us. We covered this last week, let me review:
John 6:44 (NKJV) No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
And Jesus makes it clear, He draws all peoples to Himself:
John 12:32 (NKJV) And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
No one can truly call Jesus Lord except that the Holy Spirit enables them.
1 Corinthians 12:3 (NKJV) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
Has Jesus been revealed to you? If He has, then today is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2b (NKJV) Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Nowhere in scripture does it say that the drawing of God is open-ended. In fact many places the Scriptures tells us that it is not open-ended. If there is delay and repeated refusals, the scriptures indicates that the drawing will cease and then there will be no inclination to come. We cannot choose on our own to come to Jesus. We must accept his drawing, and we dare not refuse it.
So the question still stands today. It is a personal question the touches the very debts of your soul. Who is Jesus to you? Not what you think about Him, Not what the world tells you about Him. But what has God revealed to you about Jesus. Can you truly call Him The Christ, the Son of the Living God? Can you call Him Lord?
For those of us who can answer these questions in the affirmative, this Thanksgiving , have we thanked God for revealing Jesus to us?
[1] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/like-a-rock-mark-hensley-sermon-on-promises-of-god-38796?ref=SermonSerps
[2] http://www.pewforum.org/2018/04/25/when-americans-say-they-believe-in-god-what-do-they-mean/
[3] https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2016/september/evangelicals-favorite-heresies-state-of-theology-ligonier.html
[4] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/who-is-jesus-to-you-john-dobbs-sermon-on-identity-of-jesus-187513?ref=SermonSerps
