(Text and Audio)
Title: The Great Confession, Part Two
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter’s bold profession here is important, at least in part, because it answers a one of our “hidden” questions from last week.
If you remember, last week we really dove into Jesus’s question of the Disciples, “Who do men, say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
One of the conclusions we came to was that Jesus was actually asking a question within a question; he was saying, “What does it mean to be the ‘Son of Man’”?
Peter responds immediately and emphatically by stating two things:
- Jesus is the Christ (Messiah)
- The Christ IS the Son of the Living God.
Peter recognized, acknowledged, and professed the very special and unique relationship that Jesus had with God the Father. He recognized that it was not common, but exclusive only to Jesus. And the awesomeness of what Peter says is only topped by Jesus’s equally emphatic response.
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father, who is in heaven.”
I want you to think very hard about something this morning. Don’t just assume you get this. Stop for a moment and consider what I’m about to say.
Why did Peter believe Jesus was the Messiah?
Logical Answers:
- Peter followed Jesus when he was initially called…
…but so did Judas.
- He witnessed countless miracles that HAD to mean Jesus was sent from God…
…but so did the Pharisees and Sadducees.
- He heard Jesus teach broadly to the masses, and then heard the the specific answers and riddles revealed only to the apostles…
…but so did Judas.
It was mere opportunity. It wasn’t that Peter had such a great “front-row ticket” to the greatness that was Jesus that he became a believer. In fact, Peter had the same evidence, the same opportunity, as thousands of other people who never became saved, Judas being the prime example, followed closely by the Jewish leaders who knew the O.T. prophecies and still failed to recognize Jesus as the Christ.
Jesus gives us quite a different answer altogether. And while that answer probably doesn’t make a whole lot of people in this room uncomfortable, it makes Christians all over the world who want to believe that we have something to do with our own salvation very, very uncomfortable.
Jesus tells Peter, and all the apostles, “This conclusion that you’ve reached about my identity…that was a gift from my father. You didn’t, you COULDN’T, you would NEVER have come up with that on your own. That kind of knowledge, that kind of insight, that kind of belief…that’s a gift.”
POINT: Saving Grace is a gift that begins with the father, and we are foolish, and disrespectful to God, if we teach that he offers such illumination to everyone.
Jesus’s ministry was not a secret. It was out there for everyone to see and hear. Everyone who wanted to heard it…but not all who heard it, understood it. Everyone has ears…not everyone has ears to hear.
“…you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…”
It may surprise you to learn this morning how much church division (The largest Church division ever, actually) has come from this statement of Jesus.
The reason why has to do with the definition of the terms in the pun that Jesus uses.
“Peter” (Greek: “Petras”)
“Rock” (Greek: “Petra”)
The Question is simple: Who or What is “The Rock?”
Roman Catholic interpretation: “Peter you are my personal rock. On you I will build my church. And, I will also grant you special individual powers to carry out my will here on earth after I’m gone.
Result: Peter is the first Pope (Father of the Church)
Protestant interpretation: “Peter you are a rock. On the foundation of your confession (“Jesus is the Christ!”) I will build my church. I will give you apostles special powers (healings, signs, and wonders, the GOSPEL) and whoever accepts YOU, also accepts ME. Whoever denies YOU, also denies ME.”
Problems with the Catholic Interpretation:
- The same “powers” that ONLY Peter got, the other disciples got as well.
- James, Peter’s brother, was the head of the early Church in Jerusalem, not Peter.
- There is no instruction as to how Peter’s successor would be chosen.
- Paul specifically (and emphatically) says that he DOES NOT answer to Peter (or James, or any of the other apostles.) He only answers to Christ.
- Peter wasn’t perfect. (Denial of Christ, Later rebuked by Paul for shunning the Gentiles.)
Close:
There is a great irony with Jesus’s final words in this passage. After celebrating and rejoicing this great success of the apostles, which was somewhat rare (they actually get a lot more wrong than right when Jesus “quizzes” them..think of the leaven and their lack of understanding of the parables) Jesus then expressly forbids them from revealing his identity.
It’s like getting the an A+ on a test, and not being able to show your parents.
Getting an amazing present, and having to hide it whenever anyone else is around.
Frustrating, and confusing, to say the least.
Now, we today, know the many reasons that Jesus is telling them to keep this to themselves, at least for now…but I want us to think about how frustrating, confusing and stifling that must have made the apostles feel.
This was a test of their trust, faith, and most especially, their patience.
There would come a time when their lives would revolve around nothing but proclaiming that Jesus was the Christ…but that time was not yet.
Jesus often has us simmer in our own knowledge, our own ability, our own gifts from God, until it is HIS right time.
Develop your gifts, develop your knowledge, to be sure…but also remember that a huge way we honor God is in having the wisdom to wait for the right time to act.