INTRODUCTION
OPENING SLIDE
• The question that Jesus asks the disciples is one of the most important questions in life we will ever answer.
• To me, what's interesting about this all-important question Jesus would ask His disciples is that Jesus did not ask it in Jerusalem.
• He did not ask it in the temple.
• He did not ask it in Galilee among Jewish crowds.
• He asked it in Caesarea Philippi, and that matters.
• Caesarea Philippi sat about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, at the base of Mount Hermon.
• It was one of the headwaters of the Jordan River.
• Massive rock cliffs towered over the city.
• But what made it significant was not geography.
• It was idolatry.
• For centuries, this site had been associated with pagan worship.
• In Old Testament times, the area was linked to Baal worship.
• Under Greek influence, it became known as Paneas, named after the god Pan.
• Pan was the god of nature, fertility, and fear. (The word “panic” comes from his name.)
• There was a massive cave at the base of the rock cliff. Water flowed from it into what seemed like a bottomless abyss.
• Pagans believed this cave was the entrance to the underworld—the “gates of Hades.”
• Animal sacrifices were thrown into the cave.
• If the blood disappeared, it meant the god accepted the offering.
• If it surfaced, it meant rejection.
• This was a place people feared.
• Then Rome came.
• Herod the Great built a temple there to honor Caesar Augustus.
• Later, his son Philip renamed the city Caesarea Philippi—to honor Caesar and himself.
• So in this one location you had:
• Baal worship.
• Greek paganism.
• Roman emperor worship.
• Political power.
• Religious confusion.
• Temples carved into rock.
• Shrines lining the cliff face.
• Statues to false gods.
• A city celebrating human power and spiritual chaos.
• And in that setting—surrounded by idols—Jesus asks:
“Who do people say that I am?
• Do you feel the weight of that?
• He is not asking in neutral territory.
• He is asking in enemy territory.
• He is standing in front of what people believed was the gate of Hades…
• And He asks about His identity.
• This is not a casual question.
• It is a declaration of war.
• Because how you identify Jesus determines everything.
• If you misidentify Jesus, you will misunderstand His purpose, and if you misunderstand His purpose, you will miss your calling.
• Caesarea Philippi was full of confused identities.
• And so is our world.
• And so are many hearts.
Matthew 16:13–14 NET 2nd ed.
13 When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
SERMON
MAIN POINT 1 SLIDE
I. A Confused Identity
• Jesus begins the query of the disciples by asking them, Who do people say the Son of Man is?
• Notice what He is doing.
• He is not asking because He doesn’t know.
• He is asking because they don’t understand.
• The disciples respond:
• “Some say John the Baptist.”
• “Others say Elijah.”
• Others suggest the names of Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
• Now think about the answers the disciples offer to Jesus; every one of those answers is respectful.
• No one says:
• “A fraud.”
• “A liar.”
• “A madman.”
• They are not insulting Him.
• They are honoring Him.
• But they are still wrong.
• And here’s the danger: you can speak well of Jesus and still misunderstand Him completely.
• Think about the answers the disciples gave to Jesus.
• Let’s start with the first response, John the Baptist?
• That means they saw boldness and confrontation.
• Elijah? That means they saw power and prophetic authority.
• Jeremiah? That means they saw sorrow and suffering.
• One of the prophets? That means they saw someone sent by God.
• They recognized something divine.
• But they stopped short of Messiah.
• They saw influence.
• They did not see identity.
Why Confusion Matters
• If Jesus is only a prophet, then His purpose was only to speak truth.
• If Jesus is only a teacher, then His purpose was only to instruct.
• If Jesus is only a reformer, then His purpose was only to improve religion.
• But if He is not the Christ, then the cross is unnecessary.
• If He is not the Son of God, then resurrection is irrelevant.
• Misidentifying Jesus reshapes His mission.
When you reshape His mission, you reshape your response.
• If He is only inspirational, then obedience is optional.
• If He is only moral, then repentance is negotiable.
• If He is only a voice, then you are still in charge.
• That is why confusion is not harmless; it is eternally dangerous.
• We live in our own Caesarea Philippi.
• Temples look different now.
• But idols are everywhere:
• Success.
• Politics.
• Self-expression.
• Autonomy.
• Personal truth.
• Spirituality without surrender.
And our culture also answers the question:
• “Jesus? He’s loving.”
• “He’s inclusive.”
• “He’s compassionate.”
• “He’s one path among many.”
• All respectful answers, but all incomplete.
• And here’s the hard truth: half-truths about Jesus are whole lies about His mission.
If culture defines Jesus, culture will define identity, and when culture defines identity, confusion reigns.
• Have you reduced Jesus to something manageable?
• Have you admired Him without surrendering to Him?
• Have you softened Him to fit your preferences?
• Because confusion about Jesus will always produce confusion about yourself.
• If you don’t know who He is, you won’t know who you are, and that is exactly why Jesus moves to the next question.
Matthew 16:15–16 NET 2nd ed.
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
MAIN POINT 2 SLIDE
II. A Clear Confession
• After hearing what the disciples said about who others thought Jesus was, He turns to the disciples and does the unthinkable.
JESUS LOOKS AT THEM AND ASKS, “BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?”
• At this point Jesus moves from public confusion to personal conviction.
• Do you feel the weight of that word, YOU?
• He moves from cultural opinion to personal responsibility.
• He transitions from considering "What are they saying?" to focusing on personal responsibility. to “What are you believing?”
• You can hide in a crowd.
• You cannot hide from this question.
• Notice what Jesus does not ask.
• He does not say, “Do you like my teaching?”
• “Do you appreciate my miracles?”
• “Do you agree with my values?”
• He asks about identity because identity determines everything.
• You can admire a teacher.
• You can quote a prophet.
• You can study a reformer, but you surrender to a Messiah, and that is exactly what Peter does.
• I wonder how much time passed and what the disciples were thinking when Jesus asked them who THEY thought He was.
• Then we know who speaks up. Peter.
• “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
• This is not poetic language.
• It is theological clarity.
• Let’s break it down.
“The Christ”
• Not a prophet.
• Not Elijah.
• Not another voice.
The Christ.
• The Anointed One.
• The promised Messiah.
• The fulfillment of centuries of prophecy.
• The One Israel had been waiting for.
• Peter is saying, “You are the answer to God’s redemptive plan.”
Then he adds, “The Son of the living God.”
In a city filled with dead idols, Peter declares the living God.
• In a place celebrating Caesar’s divinity, Peter proclaims a greater Son.
• This is not incremental faith.
• This is decisive faith.
Why This Matters
• When Peter becomes clear about who Jesus is, he becomes clear about why Jesus came.
• If Jesus is:
• The Christ—then He came to fulfill God’s promises.
• The Son of God—then He came with divine authority.
• The Messiah—then He came to save, redeem, and rule.
• Now the mission makes sense.
• The cross will not be tragedy; it will be purpose.
• The resurrection will not be a surprise; it will be victory.
• Clear confession clarifies mission.
It is not enough to know what others believe.
• It is not enough to grow up around faith.
• It is not enough to respect Jesus.
• You must answer the question.
• Who do you say He is?
• Not, Who did your parents say He is?
• Not: Who does your church say He is?
• Who do you say He is?
Because here’s the truth: You cannot remain neutral about Jesus.
• You either crown Him, or you reduce Him.
• You either confess Him, or you redefine Him.
• And the way you identify Him will determine the direction of your life.
• When Peter got Jesus’ identity right, Jesus immediately began redefining Peter’s identity.
• Clarity about Christ produces clarity about calling.
• The moment Peter confessed, Jesus declared purpose.
• And that is where the story turns next.
Matthew 16:17–20 NET 2nd ed.
17 And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but 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 overpower it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”
20 Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
MAIN POINT 3 SLIDE
III. A Changed Calling
• Peter confesses, and Jesus responds.
Matthew 16:17 NET 2nd ed.
17 And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!
• Peter did not reason his way into this; he did not come up with it on his own.
• This was revelation.
• Identity clarity begins with divine revelation.
• You don’t discover Jesus by human intelligence.
• You receive Him by spiritual illumination.
• Once Peter sees Jesus clearly, Jesus begins redefining Peter.
In verse 18. Jesus says, "You were Simon; now you are Peter."
• There is an identity shift happening.
• When you confess Christ rightly, He begins redefining you.
• Jesus says, “On this rock I will build My church.”
• Now understand the power of this moment.
• They are standing in front of a massive rock cliff—filled with carved pagan shrines.
• Temples embedded in stone.
• In this setting, Jesus says, "You see that rock?"
• I will build something stronger.
• Not a temple to Pan.
• Not a monument to Caesar.
• Not a shrine to human power.
But MY church.
• And then Jesus continues, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
• In front of what they believed was the literal gate to the underworld, Jesus declares authority over death itself.
• This is not defensive language.
• Gates don’t attack.
• Gates fall.
Jesus is saying the power of death, the power of darkness, and the power of hell itself will not stop what I am building.
• Then in verse 19, He says, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven."
• Keys mean access, authority, and participation.
• Peter is no longer just a fisherman.
• He is now entrusted with kingdom responsibility.
• Peter uses those keys at Pentecost in Acts 2 to open the gates of the kingdom of Heaven to the world!
• When you become clear about who Jesus is, you discover who you are.
• If He is the Christ, you are redeemed.
• If He is the Son of God, you are adopted.
• If He builds the church, you belong in it.
• If He conquers death, your future is secure.
You are not defined by:
• Your past.
• Your failures.
• Your politics.
• Your performance.
• Your culture.
• You are defined by Christ.
And here’s the mission shift:
• If Jesus is building His church, you are not a spectator.
• You are not called to admire.
• You are called to participate.
The church is not a weekly event; it is a kingdom movement.
• The keys of the kingdom mean:
• We proclaim the gospel.
• We declare what heaven has revealed.
• We live under His authority.
• We advance what He is building.
• Clarity about Christ leads to clarity about calling.
• When Peter confessed, Jesus commissioned.
• When you confess, He calls.
CONCLUSION
• Caesarea Philippi was filled with idols carved into stone.
• But only one confession built something eternal.
• “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
• On that confession, He is still building.
• Our world is confused about identity.
• People are searching inward.
• But identity is not discovered by self-expression.
• When identity is discovered, you will know who He is, and then you will know who you are.
• And when you know who you are, you know what you’re here to do.
WHO DO YOU SAY SLIDE
WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?
• Your answer to that all-important question will determine the course of your life and your eternity.
