PETER: WHO THEY BOTH ARE!
MATTHEW 16.13-23
Recently I have been working through a journal workbook based on John Eldredge’s book Wild at Heart. One of the chapters in the book requires you to ask some people to answer questions about you. One of the people whom I asked to answer the questions began his reply with the following comment: ‘These are a scary list of questions. What happens if you find out no one actually likes you? Ha, Ha, Ha.’ The answers were very revealing and very helpful to me. It can be a frightening thing to ask someone to be honest with you about yourself. Jesus has reached the moment when he needs to ask a fundamental question of his disciples.
He has been with them for about 2.5 years. Yet if you look at verses 8 and 9 of chapter 16 you realise that the disciples still have failed to fully understand who he is and why he has come. The cross is only 6 months away and knowing that he needs to teach them deeper things about himself and his mission Jesus chooses this moment to ask them two questions. He chooses to ask them the questions at Caesarea Philippi, a city which was dedicated to the worship of Pan and the worship of the emperor Caesar. This place is a predominantly Gentile city and one which is given over to pagan worship. It would not have been lost on the disciples, or the readers of the gospels that Jesus had chosen the place where false gods were worshipped to reveal himself as the Son of the Living God.
WHO DO MEN SAY I AM?
Luke 9.18 tells us that Jesus has been praying in private before he enters upon this discussion with his disciples. Having been in intimate fellowship with his Father in prayer Jesus then comes to his disciples and asks two very searching questions. READ Verse 13 – this is a pretty searching question. Jesus in a moment will ask them not what other people say but what they think of him. Matthew records four answers to this question. Some believe Jesus to be John the Baptist – who had been beheaded by Herod, had come back to life. Herod himself believed this. However the stupidity of this answer is easy to see when we remember that John had actually baptised Jesus. Then some think he is Elijah, of whom it was said that he would appear before the Day of the Lord (Malachi 4.5). Again we know that Jesus had identified John the Baptist as the one who had fulfilled that prophecy. He was the voice in the desert preparing the way of the Lord.
Others thought he was Jeremiah one of the great later OT prophets. And finally the disciples say that others think he is one or other of the prophets of the OT come back again. The one thing which is clear from all these answers – the people did not see Jesus as an ordinary man. There was something distinct, remarkable and different about Jesus. There was something which made him stand out from the crowd, which drew people to him and which compelled them to try and figure out who he was. Nothing much has changed in the last 2003 years. Jesus still perplexes people today. He is still that enigmatic charismatic figure that attracts people. Many still put forward ideas as to who he was.
VERSE 15 WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?
The answers to the question in verse 13 are only a prelude to the really important question of verse 15. It was to this question that Jesus had been leading them for the past 2.5 years. The answer to this question would lead him to take them further in their understanding of whom he was and why he had come. Jesus did not need to ask these questions in order to gain information. John 2.24-25 tells us that he knew all men. So if he is not looking for information why ask the questions? The reason is to give the disciples an opportunity to confess their belief in him and their understanding of his Messiahship. We will see that they have a right belief but a wrong understanding of what Messiah means.
Verse 16 – well Peter speaks for the 12, READ verse 16. This is a profound confession by Peter. In fact he speaks of more than he truly knows or understands at this point. Peter’s confession is spoken with directness and with force.
You are the Christ – the Anointed One, the One we and all Israel has been waiting for. You are the Messiah. You are the living hope of the people of Israel.
The Son of the Living God – the only begotten of the Father. Peter assigns divinity to Jesus with these words. That is an amazing statement to come from a monotheistic Israelite. In speaking this phrase Peter could, and would, be accused of blasphemy and of breaking the commandments of God. Yet he speaks with clarity, with precision and with force – You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
BLESS YOU PETER – VERSES 17-19
The result of Peter’s confession is that Christ pronounces a blessing upon him. Christ Jesus points out that Peter’s confession is divinely inspired because all the wisdom of men could reveal is a confused list of dead people supposedly come back again. Jesus wants Peter and us to understand that human wisdom alone cannot reveal to the human heart who Jesus is. For the eyes of Peter to be opened, for his heart to understand required divine revelation. If it was true for Peter why would it be any different for you or I? In John 6.44 we read that only the Father knows the Son. If only God the Father knows God the Son then it follows that only God the Father can reveal God the Son. Not human wisdom. Human eyes and human understanding does not see Christ for who he is. What is required is a revelation from heaven. It requires God to whisper into the soul of Peter that Jesus is the Christ and it requires God to do the same today for each of us.
Note it has taken 2.5 years to get to this point in the life of Peter and the other disciples, including Judas. 2.5 years of teaching, of miracles and of sharing his life with them. 2.5 years and the confession is right but as we will see in a moment the understanding is wrong. It would not be until after the crucifixion and resurrection that their understanding would be correct also.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH VERSES 18-19.
Jesus now goes on to speak of his Church. This is the first time in the gospels that Jesus speaks of his Church. Based upon the confession of Peter that Jesus is the Christ – the foundation is laid to begin the building of his Church. Note will you Jesus says ‘my Church’ – the possessive pronoun is used. It is his Church. Note too will you who does the building ‘I will build…’ It is Jesus’ Church and it is Jesus who builds the Church. Yes he will use Peter, and us, but is not Peter’s Church nor ours. It is not Peter who does the building, nor us but Christ Jesus. That is not to abdicate responsibility nor to become lazy – but it is important that we remember whose Church it is and who is the architect and builder of this Church.
Note too will you what Jesus says of Peter. There has been a lot of controversy about these words over the centuries. Some sections of the Christian church have argued that it makes Peter the first bishop of the overall church, others have argued that it gave authority to Peter and his successors to forgive or not to forgive people. I want to be faithful to what the Scripture teaches here. Jesus calls Simon - Peter (Petros) - Rock and then he says upon this Rock (Petra – meaning bed-rock) I will build my Church. There is a careful distinction made here between Peter and the foundation of the Church. Yet having said that Pete is the focus of the blessing and speech of Christ here. Jesus then goes on to pronounce what is a rabbinical blessing on Peter – binding and loosing. Turn with me for a moment to Matthew 18.18 – we read here the same words being spoken to the rest of the disciples. Turn also if you would to Luke 24.33, and John 20.22-23 – the same words being spoken to those assembled in the upper room on the evening of the resurrection. Let me explain what I think Christ is saying here.
Peter, and the other disciples, would write the Scriptures. They would be the Apostles of the Church. As such they would bind a loose certain things in the life of the Church. It is not that they would teach something and it would be ratified in heaven but actually the reverse would be true. What heaven revealed to them they would teach. Let me give you an example – the vision that Peter has of clean and unclean animals – leads to the Gentile Christians being accepted fully into the life of the Church. The revelation was from heaven but the teaching which bound and loosed it was from Peter. So Peter, as the first amongst the disciples, would bind and loose doctrine – in so doing he would be speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Let me just add one more comment here re the Keys. The common understanding of this is that Peter has the keys to the gates of heaven. It is so commonly accepted that even an energy drink uses it in their advertisements on TV. Friends nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said on one occasion ‘I am the door.’ Do we really mean that Peter has the key to opening heaven – when we know the way to heaven and the one who opens the way is Christ. So put aside, no in fact throw out the idea that Peter stands at the gates of heaven to open them,. What Jesus meant here was that Peter, and I believe we also, have the authority and the God-given understanding and opportunity to open the door of the kingdom for people. Let me explain. We do not have the ability or authority to open heaven for anyone – but we can and we are the means by which people are brought to the means of entry into the kingdom of God. In Luke 11.52 Jesus rebuked the Pharisees that they had taken the keys of knowledge from the people of God and thus barred them from the kingdom. What was he speaking of? Upon closer examination we realise that Jesus is speaking about eh knowledge of the Word of God. Thus the opening of the Scriptures to the people is the means by which they are loosed or bound in the kingdom of God. They are loosed if they hear and refuse to respond in faith to the One revealed there. They are bound if they respond in faith to the One revealed there. By the Word of God under the power of the Holy Spirit we are enabled to open the prison doors of many people’s lives. We come alongside someone and we speak the Word of God into that situation and the peace of God descends upon them. We find someone struggling to overcome sin and temptation and we bring the Word of God to bear on the situation and they find the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome. We come alongside someone who knows nothing of Christ and we bring the Word of God to them and the Holy Spirit opens their eyes and heart and they are born again and enter the kingdom of God. That is, I believe, what is meant by Christ saying that he had given Peter the Keys.
The result of all of this is that the forces of Hades (death) will focus their attention on the Church of Christ. Yet listen to the end of the blessing of which Christ speaks to Peter. Though satan and his hordes come against you and the Church yet they will not overcome it. The Church is and will be victorious. Jesus here foretells of the conflict between the two kingdoms. In the book of Revelation John writes about the seed of the woman against whom the dragon wages war because the seed has kept the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. John writes that they have overcome the dragon by the blood of the Lamb. Friends do not be shocked this morning that satan wages war against you – he is only against you because you belong to Jesus. Take heart and encouragement this morning that the victory is already ours because as the NT says Christ has won the victory and one day we too will overcome. You see Hades is the kingdom of death – but for us, those in Christ, death has been defeated by the resurrection of Christ. Read 1 Thessalonians 4 and I Corinthians 15 for assurance of that.
CONFRONTING JESUS – VERSES 21-23
Verse 21 Jesus can now begin to teach the disciples at a deeper level what is to come. He begins to teach about his suffering and death which is only about 6 months away. No one seems to be ever comfortable with a conversation about impending death. I forget who it was said the following ‘nothing focuses a man’s thoughts as much as to know that in the morning he will be hanged.’ Jesus knew his death was imminent. He knew the cross was not far off and so he now wants to prepare these his disciples for that moment. Peter speaks up, as always.
Verse 22-23 Oh Peter, how quickly you move from confession to confrontation. Listen to exactly what the Greek says Peter says ‘God be gracious to you…’ ie may you be spared this fate Lord. Peter cannot grasp such a thing happening to Christ. Peter had just confessed Jesus as Christ, the Son of the living God and now here he is saying he knows better. How I see so much of myself in Peter. One minute confessing Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God and the next thinking and saying I know a better way. Before Peter can say anything further Jesus rebukes him. A few moments earlier he had called him ‘Rock’ now he calls him another type of stone ‘stumbling block.’ The Greek is the word ‘skandalon.’ I think that sound of that word conjures up in our heads a more vivid picture of what Jesus actually thought of Peter’s words. Peter wanted Jesus to be the Messiah but not via the cross. It may sound harsh to us that Jesus called him satan. I mean all Peter said was that he did not want Jesus to die. But cast your minds back to the temptation of Christ. What was it that satan wanted from and offered Christ? Satan wanted Christ not to go to the Cross. He offered Christ all the riches, adulation and kingdoms of this world if only he would give up the road to Calvary. Friends when Peter speaks these words he was speaking the same words that satan had spoken in the wilderness. How quickly a man can move from divinely inspired confession to satan filled words of deception. Remember that. So Jesus rebukes Peter. He does so publicly because he has spoken publicly and it must be corrected and so must Peter.
CONCLUSION
What is there for you and I to learn here this morning from this part of our journey with Peter and Christ Jesus? Well this morning let me share with you what I have learned in preparing this sermon.
Firstly, I was really challenged by the fact that it was 2.5 years into their journey with Christ before Christ asked them these questions. I was actually taken aback at how long it took the disciples to come to the conclusion that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. It opened my eyes to the fact that I sometimes am too impatient with people, and give up on people too soon, because they fail to see Jesus for who he is. If it took the disciples such a time with Christ beside them then I must persevere longer with people to win them for Christ.
Secondly I realised that a true confession of Jesus as Christ and as the Son of God can only come to pass by God the Father revealing such to the hearts and minds of people. Yes teaching, evangelism, etc are an important part but only under divine revelation and inspiration will such a confession come forth.
Thirdly – just because someone makes a right confession it does not follow that they have a right understanding of Christ. Peter had confessed Jesus as the Christ and as the Son of the Living God – but he had failed to understand that Christ must suffer and die. I realised how gradually the disciples came to understand the full purpose of Christ’s coming. I realised how privileged I am to have the NT before me and to be able to see more clearly than Peter was able to that Christ must suffer and die. I was deeply challenged that I am not thankful enough for my Bible before me.
Fourthly I began to have my eyes open to the nature of the battle in which I am involved and who my real enemy is today. Satan is against me because I am part of the Church of Jesus Christ. Yet I praise God this morning that He has won the victory and the very gates of Hell (death) will not overcome me because I am in Christ Jesus.
Lastly I was really moved by God to understand how often I confess my belief in Christ as Saviour and Son of the Living God and then proceed to live as if I know better than he. The arrogance of Peter was quite simply a truthful reflection of me. It was like God held up a mirror to my soul and said ‘How often do you do this Alan?’ and the honest answer ‘more often than I care to confess before you this morning.’
I pray that this morning we will all be led by the Spirit of God to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and live accordingly. Amen.
