The Greatest Faith
INTRODUCTION:
It was probably one of those warm sunny Jewish days with puffs of clouds moving lazily overhead when Jesus held the last retreat with his twelve disciples. The place was Caesarea Philippi, a northern Gentile city which was the site for the oldest and newest centers of pagan worship. The god of nature, Pan, was worshipped in a cave at this site and more recently, a shining white marble temple had been built for the worship of Caesar. It was in the midst of these idolatries, old and new, that Jesus asked his disciples the most profound and soul searching question ever asked: who do you say that I am? He received from Peter one of the most inciteful answers ever given: ¡§You are the Christ, the Son of the living God¡¨ (Matt. 16:16). So profound was this answer that Jesus declared: Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. He continued to state; and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Today we will seek to examine the depths of this confession. Thou art the Son of the Living God.
PRAYER
You are the Christ the son of the LIVING God¡¨ Did Peter really understand what he was saying? Could he really appreciate the depths to which this testimony went? Peter not only testified that Jesus was the Messiah but his last phrase ¡¥the Son of the Living God¡¨ leaves the mind in a state of shock. What was it that caused Peter to make such a confession?
Jesus had no halo around his head
Neither was there any bright light shining around him all the time.
John states in St. John 1:32-34
[St. John1: 32-34]And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
John admits that he would not have been totally sure that Jesus was the Messiah had it not been for the sign of the Spirit descending on Him as a dove and remaining on him. This sign was given to John by God so that he would be able to identify the Son of God with accuracy. Nothing was left to chance.
Brothers and sisters there was nothing significant about Jesus¡¦ appearance which would cause persons to believe he was any different from another. In fact Isaiah clarifies it even further by stating in chapter 53:2¡K He has no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty in him that we should desire him.
Jesus¡¦ appearance therefore was like any other. He was not endowed with anything special but his character and actions made all the difference. Peter had never met a man like Jesus yet. The things that Jesus did had left Peter dumb founded. Peter was keeping company with a man who:
Could speak to the waves and the wind and they obey him. Matt. 8:26
Peter was keeping company with a man who:
walk on water. Matt. 14:25
Peter actually saw Jesus take seven loaves and a few fish and feed over four thousand people. Matt. 14:13-21
He saw a woman healed by just touching the garment of the master. Matt. 9:20
Peter witnessed the dead raised to life. Matt. 9:25
The blind given sight, the dumb speak and deaf begin to hear. Matt.9:27 -33
Jesus just kept on amazing Peter. Never in all his life had Peter ever met a man quite like Jesus Christ. Yet all this could not have been enough evidence for Peter to declare, ¡§you are the Son of the Living God.¡¨ To equate a man as equal with God goes beyond logical reasoning, such can only be accounted for in the realm of faith. Faith put in place by the Holy Spirit. No normal thinking Jew would dare venture to call another person ¡§the Son of God.¡¨ It had to be by divine intervention. Peter was ever conscious that this was the same God is the God who
„« created the heavens and the earth
„« brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt
„« opened up the Red Sea and allowed the Israelites to pass through
„« led them in the desert for 40 years and then into the promise land
„« It is the supreme God Jehovah who bought down the walls of Jericho and made the sun to stand still in vale of Ajalon!!
No! No normal thinking Jew would equate a man to this Supreme GOD!! As Jesus said, flesh and blood did not reveal that to Peter but the Father in Heaven did!
It required a great deal of faith and courage, for Peter to look on man of like manner and declare him to be the Son of God. For such a crime he could be stone.
In fact the Jews claimed that it was for this reason they wanted to crucify Jesus; John 19: 7 reads: The Jews insisted, ¡§We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.¡¨
But not only Peter testify about his divinity demons did also: Mk. 5:1-7 tells us:
[Mk. 5: 1-7]1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
I want you to go with me to this scene. John first paints a picture of a man totally out of control. A man who we would say in modern day terms was ¡¥out of his mind-mad¡¦. He was violent and aggressive. No one dared to pass that way because they were fearful of meeting this demon possessed man. Yet on seeing Jesus this same man was propelled to come and worship at his feet. The mere presence of Christ caused the demons to kneel and worship. What a shock it must have been for these demons to see Him whom they had left in heaven walking the earth glad in humanity. In fear and reverence they acknowledge his presence with a question: ¡§What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God?¡¨
The Word of God tells in Mk. 3:11 and Lk. 4: 41 that as the demons encountered Jesus they could not help but scream ¡§thou art the Christ the Son of God.¡¨ Jesus had to shut them up less they speak things they should not!
We too Brothers and sisters we must be able to confess that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of the living God, even the demons testified to this. He was there at the creation of the world and he will be there in the end! God the Father speaking about his son as recorded in Heb. 1:10 -12 (NIV) said:-
In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain
They will wear out like a garment
You will roll them up like a robe
Like a garment they will be changed
But you will remain the same
And your years will never end.
Hebs. 1: 10-12 (NIV)
This is what our faith must lay hold of when we declare that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We must see him as being in the company of the Father from the beginning of time. We must appreciate that this Jesus Christ who walk this earth as a man was actually God in the flesh. Thus the writer of Hebrews expresses it succinctly when he speaks in Hebrews 1:1-3 saying:
Heb.1:1-3
1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
It is a fascinating thought to believe that God actually walked this earth as a man. No wonder Jesus made Peter¡¦s confession the foundation of the Christian faith. If we can believe that Jesus Christ is actually God and that God actually walked the face of this earth then we can believe anything and every thing else the bible has to offer.
This is what the disciples preach- Believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God. John in effort to convince his readers of this eternal truth wrote in 1st Jh. 1; 1-3
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Peter in the same vane proclaimed in 2 Pet.1;16-18 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
The disciples sought for people to understand and accept this mind boggling idea that God became man and walked the earth with them. This is the kernel of truth which if accepted would bring forth much fruit.
As long as we accept this fact brothers and sisters a new horizon is opened to us:
Then we can believe in the promises of Jesus Christ!
We can believe in the coming again of Jesus Christ!
We can believe in the resurrection of the dead!
The centurion after seeing the suffering that Jesus went through.
After witnessing the dignity with which he bored the pain and carried the cross.
After hearing the words uttered by him, devoid of anger or hatred but filled with love.
After seeing and experiencing the effects of his death on the earth via an earthquake could only declare: ¡§¡KTruly this man was the Son of God.¡¨ Mk 15 :39
John in his first epistle 4:15 states:
15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Again he states in 1Jh 5:5
Who is he that overcometh the world , but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God
There is only one way to gain eternal life and that is for us to truly confess within our hearts that we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. We must acknowledge and understand all its ramifications. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and when this is declared with all surety and confidence then we know that we have eternal life because it was promised to all who believed and we know that his promises are sure.
Brothers and sisters we have read about the testimony of the disciples
The testimony of the centurion
The testimony of God the Father himself
Even the demons had to testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Will you also testify to this great truth?
