Who Do You Say He Is?

Matthew 16:13-20

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God.”   ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by 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 overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2016:%2013%20-%2020&version=NIV1984)

There are many ideas out there about who Christ is just as there were in the days that He walked on this earth.  There was no doubt during His day that many believed He was a man of God but few recognized the He was the Son of God.  They saw Him as one of the prophets of old or as one they had encountered in John the Baptist.  But He was and is so much more than any of them and Peter proclaimed it to Jesus.  I think it is interesting to note that all of the disciples were quick to give an answer when He asked who the people said that He was but Peter was the first to proclaim that He was the Christ.  Have you ever been to a Bible study or a Sunday school class when a question was asked that involved something that wasn’t real personal, maybe it dealt with others or maybe it was just something pretty easy to find in the scriptures and everyone had an answer but when the question was turned to a personal one everyone was silent?  I think that is how it might have been in this situation but evidently Peter didn’t have to think about the question because it had already been revealed to him and he had an answer. 

Take special not at what Jesus said to him.  He tells him that he is blessed.  He also told him that His Father had revealed this to him, not man.  Because of this revelation, because of his belief Christ’s Church would grow.  Peter would be saved from Hell, he would never have to pass through those gates.  What Peter did on this earth mattered on earth and in Heaven.  Now, take a minute and put your name in where Peter’s is, that is if you know that Christ is the son of the living God.  If you, like Peter can stand and say, “you are the Christ, the son of the living God” you too can be blessed, you too can be saved from the gates of Hell, you too can make a difference on this earth as well as in Heaven.  However, if you are too busy listening to who others say that Christ is the opposite is true.  Including, nothing that you do on this earth will matter in Heaven. 

I was blessed to have Christ revealed to me by my Heavenly Father many years ago as a child.  I am still learning and growing in what that actually means just as Peter grew in his faith.

Thank you Father for revealing to me your Son who I confess as the Son of the living God.  I ask you Father to reveal your Son to any readers who have not fully known or understood the power of Jesus, who have not recognized that He is your beloved Son.  I ask that they may know that He is more than a prophet but that He is Lord, the only way to you Father.  Praise be to You, God, for all that you are.  In the precious and holy name of Jesus, the Son of the living God I pray. Amen.