The Great Exchange

The great exchange

Matthew 16:21 - 28 (NIV)

1. Ask to turn to the scripture.

2. Set the Stage: The scene starts out with Jesus and his disciples coming into Caesarea Philippi

a. Jesus was asking His disciples whom do the people think the son of man is?

b. They answer “some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

c. Who do you think I am

d. The Christ the son of the living God.

e. Jesus commends him, calls him the Rock and tells him that he has the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

3. Jesus explains His plan: Then we come to this point where Jesus begins to explain to his disciples His true plan for salvation

a. The words in Greek give the sense that Jesus did this fully holding nothing back. All was reviled.

4. Peter Rebukes: Peter upon hearing this rebukes him and say no way no how. May this never be so!

a. It seems that Peter has his own plans for how Jesus was going to fulfill his mesiahship.

5. Why: Israel expected a military ruler

a. Now due to these preconceived notions peter was like no way. This doesn’t fit.

b. So now when Peter heard Jesus say this is going to go down a different way, that it was going to go down through one act of selfless sacrifice, that being his death, Peter was like no way no how, may it never be so! God forbid it! You can’t die Jesus.

6. What was Jesus response?

a. It was harsh and to the point and very blunt.

b. Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

c. “Get out of my way you evil one” Your intentions are not God’s but your own.

d. Jesus also said this to Satan when he was tempted in the desert

Question: Isn’t it interesting how because of Peter’s preconceived understanding about who Jesus was and how He was going to go about His business, that he could be so close to Jesus and miss the whole point?

a. Isn’t it amazing how Peter could walk with Jesus for three years and see His amazing miracles like giving sight to the blind, making the cripple walk, calming storm, and casting out demons demonstrating feats of power over the spirit world and over nature and he somehow still miss the point?

b. And to use a phrase that I grew up on the streets of Brooklyn that he can somehow be “a day late and a dollar short”

8. Can this be going on in the body of Christ today?

a. Can there be some children of God who walk with Jesus everyday and because of ill preconceived understandings of the messiah and what He was about miss the whole point?

b. Can it be that there are some that although they are close to Jesus and are being prompted by the Spirit, but ignore it and still have their own agenda of what God’s plans are?

9. Preconceived understandings: Is it possible that due to our misconceptions about Jesus we paint a picture of Him in our minds making him everything we want Him to be rather then truly who He is?

a. Only about forgiveness.

i. I was at camp meeting the other day and the evangelist nailed it right on the head when he mentioned the fact that most people put Jesus in this box so to speak and a God who death and resurrection is only about forgiveness.

b. All we have to do is believe.

i. As if to say all we have to do is believe the mental fact that Jesus was who He said he was and say we are sorry and go on living without any changes taking place.

ii. We can continue in the direction we were heading it doesn’t matter.

iii. This whole follow Jesus thing is a choice and isn’t necessary.

iv. Jesus didn’t ask for any more then a mere acknowledgment of Him.

v. These preconceived notions can lead one astray from the life that God intends for us.

What ever it is I wonder if we have a bunch of Peter’s running around walking close to Jesus but are still missing the point. Or as I used to say, are a day late and a dollar short.

Question: Some would say, how could this happen? How is this possible?

a. Well Jesus knew. He knew what the problem was and He knew what it would take to fix it. Jesus explains as He responds to Peter in verse 24

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life£ will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it