Sermon Series: Jesus Among gods and Sages The Uniqueness of Jesus Matthew 16:13-20

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Barbara Hodges
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1 Loudonville Community Church Volume 2 - Number 21 The week of April 2, 2017 Sermon Series: Jesus Among gods and Sages The Uniqueness of Jesus Matthew 16:13-20 THIS WEEK S CORE STATEMENT The Deity and Sinlessness of Christ: We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, and in His sinless life. These affirmations point to the distinctive nature of Jesus. The following section comes from Charles Spurgeon s book entitled Christ s Incarnation: The Foundation of Christianity: THE GOD-MAN, CHRIST JESUS It was a, new and startling doctrine, when first preached to heathen sages, that God would take humanity into so intimate a connection with Himself as really and truly to be man and God in the same person; but it is a doctrine which must be received by you, or else you cannot receive Christ. My Master will not be satisfied with the acknowledgment that His character is lovely, His doctrine pure, and His moral teaching superexcellent. He will not be content with your admission that He is a Prophet greater than any prophet who ever came before or after Him. He will not rest satisfied with your admission that He is a Teacher sent from Heaven, and a being who, on account of His virtues, is now peculiarly exalted in Heaven. All this is true, but it is not the whole truth; you must also believe that He who, as man, was born of the Virgin, and was dandled upon her lap at Bethlehem, was, as God, none other than the everlasting Lord, without beginning of days or end of years. You do not receive Christ in very deed and truth unless you believe in His real humanity and actual Godhead. Indeed, what is there for you to receive if you do not receive this truth? A savior who is not Divine can be no Savior for us. How can a mere man, however eminent, deliver his fellows from sins such as yours and mine? How can he bear the burden of our guilt any more than we can ourselves bear it, if there be nothing more in him than in any other singularly virtuous man? An angel would stagger beneath the load of human criminality, and much more would this be the case with even a perfect man, if such an one could be found. It needed those mighty shoulders - Which bear the earth s huge pillars up, - to sustain the weight of human sin, and carry it into the wilderness of forgetfulness. So, in order to be saved by Him, you must receive Christ as being God as; well as man. John calls Him The Word, or the speech of God. God in nature has revealed Himself, as it were, inarticulately and indistinctly; but, in His Son, He has revealed Himself as a man declares his inmost thoughts, by distinct and intelligible speech. Jesus is to the Father what speech is to us; He is the It needed those mighty shoulders - Which bear the earth s huge pillars up, - to sustain the weight of human sin, and carry it into the wilderness of forgetfulness. So, in order to be saved by Him, you must receive Christ as being God as; well as man.

2 unfolding of the Father s thoughts, the revelation of the Father s heart. He that hath seen Christ hath seen the Father. Wouldst thou have me see thee? said Socrates, then speak; for speech reveals the man. Wouldst thou see God? Listen to Christ, for He is God s Word, revealing the very heart of Deity. Lest, however, we should imagine Jesus to be a mere utterance, simply a word spoken, and then forgotten, John is specially careful that we should know that Jesus is a real and true Person, and therefore he tells us that the Divine Word, of whose fullness we have received, is most assuredly God. No language can be more distinct and explicit than that which John uses, concerning Jesus. He ascribes to Him the eternity which belongs alone to God: In the beginning was the Word. He peremptorily claims Divinity for Him: The Word was God. He ascribes to Him creative power: All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. He ascribes to Him self-existence, which is the essential characteristic of God: In Him was life. He claims for Him a nature peculiar to God. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all; and he says that the Word is the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. No writer could be more definite in the expressions he uses; and beyond all question he sets forth the true and proper Deity of that Blessed One whom we all must receive if we would Obtain eternal salvation. Yet John does not fail to set forth that our Lord was also man. He saith, the Word was made flesh, - not merely assumed manhood, but was made flesh; made not merely man, as to His nobler part, His soul, but man as to His flesh, His lower element. Our Lord was not a phantom, but one who, as John declares in his first Epistle, could be seen, and heard, and touched, and handled. THIS WEEK S COMPLEMENTARY PASSAGE I Kings 8:22-30 (ESV) 22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, 23 and said, O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; 24 you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 25 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me. 26 Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father. 27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 28 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, 29 that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, My name shall be there, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 30 And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. He tabernacled with the sons of men, - a carpenter s shed His lowly refuge, and the caves and mountains, of the earth His midnight resort in His afterlife. He dwelt among sinners, and sufferers, among mourners and mortals, Himself completing His citizenship among us by becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Thus, while He is so august a person that Heaven and earth tremble at the majesty of His presence, yet is He so humble a person that: He is not: ashamed to call us brethren. READING what the passage says (Read it at least three times) Matthew 16:13-20 (ESV) 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? 14 And they said, Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 15 He said to them, But who do you say that I am? 16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. 2

3 STEP TWO... OBSERVING how the passage moves Return to the passage and mark key words, phrases and movements: Circle all of the words in these passages that speak of the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit, etc.). Underline the significant verbs/action words in these passages. In Matthew 16:13, underline the phrase: Who do people say that the Son of Man is? In Matthew 16:15, underline the phrase: But who do you say that I am? Highlight Matthew 16: In Matthew 16:18, underline the phrase: on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. In Matthew 16:19, underline the phrase: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Highlight Matthew 16:20. STEP THREE... Ask the five W questions and the one H question: 1. WHO is speaking? Who is this about? Who are the main characters? And, to whom is it speaking? 2. WHAT is the subject of the passage? What does the passage say about the subject? 3. WHEN do or will the events occur? When did something happen to a particular person, people, or nation? 4. WHERE did or will this happen? 5. WHY is something said or mentioned? Why would or will this happen? Why at this time? Why this person? 6. HOW will it happen? How is it to be done? How is it illustrated? 3

4 STEP FOUR... UNDERSTANDING what the passage means This commentary is intended to enhance your own study of the text. Matthew 16:13-20 (ESV) 16:13 - Caesarea Philippi. This was a city in Philip s territory about 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Son of Man. This phrase was used several times in the Old Testament. It implies humanity and deity. The phrase was not used by the rabbis of Jesus day; therefore, it had no nationalistic or militaristic implications. This was Jesus self-chosen designation because it combined the twin aspects of His person, fully God and fully man. 16:14 - John the Baptist. Herod Antipas guessed that Jesus was actually John the Baptist. Elijah. This was from the prophecy of Malachi 3:1; 4:5 which said Elijah would prepare the way for the Messiah. Jeremiah. The rabbis held that Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant on Mt. Nebo and that he would bring it out just before the New Age began. One of the prophets. This made Jesus a prophet like other Old Testament figures. It could have related to the prophecy. All of these guesses involved resuscitation! Resurrection involves a new body while resuscitation gives new life to a physical body. 16:15 - But who do you say that I am? The you in this question is plural. Jesus asked all of His disciples this question. Peter answered first. His personality made him the spokesman for the group. 16:16 - You are the Christ. This had been expressed before by Andrew in John 1:41, Nathaniel in John 1:49, and Peter in John 6:69. The Greek title Christ was the equivalent to the Hebrew term for Messiah or Anointed One. The Son of the living God. Peter did not fully understand Jesus Messiahship as is obvious from verses Therefore, the blessing of verse 17 related to the phrase Son of the living God. The phrase living God was a paraphrase of the Hebrew name for God in the Old Testament (Yahweh). 16:17 - Simon Bar-Jonah. This Aramaic Bar-Jonah meant son of John. 16:18 - Peter. This was the Greek word petros, which is a masculine noun that referred to a detached boulder. On this rock. This was the Greek word petra which is a feminine noun that referred to bedrock. These two words (petros and petra) cannot grammatically link up to each other because of their gender. The disciples did not see this as a reference to Peter s superiority because they continued to argue over who was greatest. These two terms are related but distinct in Greek. There is an obvious play between Peter s faith and the faith of all the apostles. Church. The Greek term ekklesia was the word used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament for the congregation of Israel. One must be careful not to read future definitions and forms of The Church into this early Jewish historical context. These early disciples saw themselves as an extension of the Old Testament people of God. The term itself implied a called gathering for some purpose. Its Greek background was a called town meeting. The gates of hell. Gates can refer to (1) the idea of a city of death from which no one escapes, (2) a city council meeting held at the gate, or (3) an active scheme of evil against the Church. The Greek word Hades (in the ESV it is translated as hell) equals the Old Testament Sheol, where the righteous and wicked alike go at the time of death. Shall not prevail against it. This word had an active connotation of to assault or to gain control. Death and evil have not overcome nor even comprehended the Church of the Living God. 16:19 - The keys. This was a metaphor for gaining entrance. The keys are the proclamation of the gospel with an invitation to respond. The kingdom of heaven. Mark and Luke instead use the phrase kingdom of God. The difference in Matthew s gospel was not one of substance but a difference of recipients. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. These terms (binding & loosing) were used by rabbis in legal decisions of permitting or not permitting something. Both terms have a future orientation. This reflects the truth that what men, led by the Holy Spirit, decide on earth about spiritual matters will have already been decided on in heaven. This passage does not express man s initiation, but man s following God s lead. 16:20 - Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. The gospel was not yet complete. The current Jewish notions about the work of the Messiah were incorrect and disciples needed to wait for Jesus to fully reveal His plans to them. Resource for Commentary: Robert James Utley s Study Guide Commentary Series from Logos software. 4

5 STEP FIVE... SUMMARIZING the message While at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples two important questions: "Who do others say that I am?" and Who do you say that I am? His first question was objective, What are others saying about Me? His second question was personal and challenging, What do you say? In this four-part series, we want to answer both questions by looking at what others say about Jesus from the perspective of the world s religions and from the perspective of worldly sages. This passage is a powerful and prophetic text because it eliminates the muddy middle. Jesus draws a stark distinction between patronizing Him with compliments that He's a great prophet or an enlightened teacher from divine revelation that He is the Son of the living God. Jesus does not leave the answer in the comfortable but hazy color of grey. Every single person must answer the question, What will you make of Jesus? The way you answer that question will affect everything about your life. It will change the way you spend your money. It will rearrange your calendar. It will alter the way you talk. It will adjust how you think about pain and suffering and how you respond when those two imposters take place. It is a critical question and we have to answer it. Who is Jesus Christ? 1) Who is Jesus among the opinions of worldly gods and sages? Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets (16:13-14). The Son of Man is an Old Testament phrase that was a favored title of self-designation. He asked them, What are you hearing out there about what people think of me? One opinion they have heard was John the Baptist. Jesus was doing amazing miracles and some reasoned that the only way He could do that was if he was John the Baptist come back from the dead with super human powers. The disciples also said that some people were saying that Jesus was Elijah. The Old Testament prophet Malachi delivered a prophecy that said before the great and terrible day comes Elijah will reappear. They heard others saying that Jesus reminded them of Jeremiah or one of the great prophets. Among the world s religions Jesus is viewed as a great prophet or mystical guru. Among the world s sages Jesus is regarded as a good moral teacher or social reformer. Ken Samples provides a summary of these popular views: Religion or Sage: Baha i Buddhism Hinduism Islam Liberal theologian A secularist Opinion One of God s many manifestations A bodhisattva One of many divine avatars of Vishnu A prophet A social reformer A mythical religious figure 2) Who is Jesus to you? Jesus pointedly asked His disciples, "Who do you say I am?" The question is no longer academic. It s personal. Peter realizes that to compliment Jesus by saying He s a great prophet was actually an insult. Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (16). And Jesus commends Peter, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (17). Jesus commends him not because Peter had a flash of human insight but because he received a revelation from God. God revealed to Peter who Jesus really is. God opened up Peter's mind and heart to see what he had not seen before. As a result, Jesus said Peter was blessed. To be blessed is to know the favor of God. Blessing is life. In many ways, everybody wants to be blessed according to their own expectations. But Jesus tells Peter that he is blessed on the basis of what God made known to Him. In the same way, you are blessed when you get this revelation from God. It is a blessing conferred upon you by God. It comes no other way. 5

6 STEP SIX... EXPLORING the passage through discussion Please read the entire passage before gathering with your Growth Group. 1. Why do you think Jesus asked His disciples what other people were saying about Him? 2. Why is it important to consider what others think about who Jesus is? How does Jesus first question to His disciples commend this kind of inquiry? 3. List a few opinions you have heard others express about Jesus? 4. What do you make of what other religions say about Jesus? Does this bother you or make you skeptical in any way? If so, why? 5. Why is it easier for us to express what others think than to say what we think? 6. In what ways does Matthew 16:13-20 refute the popular notion that Jesus was just a good teacher, prophet, or good example? 7. What was the intent behind Jesus saying to Peter that his answer didn t originate in Peter s brain? How did Jesus want Peter to react to His commendation? 8. What is the typical picture of a truly blessed life? 9. What is Jesus description of a blessed life? How does this change your picture of what it means to be blessed by God? 6

7 STEP SEVEN... APPLYING the passage to my life Our desire is to not be merely hearers of the Word but doers ~ James 1:22 When you apply God s Word, you are thinking about what God might be saying to you through the Scriptures. Application involves action. Application makes your reading become a reality in your own life. Make your applications specific (state who, what & when). You are encouraged to use the S.P.E.C.K. method to apply God s Word to your life. Remember that each passage of Scripture may not lend itself to answering all five of these questions. S - SINS to confess and avoid (Are there sinful actions, attitudes, or thoughts that you need to confess to God based upon your study of these Scriptures?) P - PROMISES to claim (List God s promises for you from these Scriptures.) E - EXAMPLES to follow (What examples, for right thinking or right actions, can you take for you own life from these Scriptures?) C - COMMANDS to obey (List God s commands for you from these Scriptures and seek to be obedient to them.) K - KNOWLEDGE of God to apply (God s character is visible throughout the Scriptures as an example to us. What attributes and/or attitudes does God display that you can apply to your own life?) Memory Verse 15 He said to them, But who do you say that I am? 16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:

8 Sermon Notes: #asithappened (one-year chronological walk through the Bible) Sunday, April 2 thru Saturday, April 8 Judges 8-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18, 19-21, Ruth 1-4, I Samuel 1-3 The Abide in Me Bible study series is written by the pastoral staff of Loudonville Community Church, 374 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY (

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