Matthew 16:13-20 * August 17, 2008 *
Pentecost 14 * Pastor Leyrer
Dear Friends in Christ,
Who exactly is Jesus Christ and what exactly is the role of the church that bears His name?
Fundamental questions for sure; questions which have been discussed and debated for centuries. And also questions which draw a variety of different answers from different people.
As to who is Jesus Christ, our Bible reading indicates that even while Jesus walked this earth there were those who had different opinions; those who weren’t sure what to make of Him. That remains the same today.
And as to the role of the church that bears His name, that also can get a good discussion going.
For instance, there are those who believe the primary role of the church is to alleviate pain and suffering through acts of charity and kindness. In the 1990’s, for example, we were introduced to the term “faith-based organizations” (as opposed to government agencies) as a means for helping the hurting and the homeless. Churches are in the helping business, so the thinking goes, so why not turn all social programs over to them?
Others believe the church is to be an active agent in bringing about change. Not too long ago a Baptist minister named Jerry Falwell died. What he is perhaps best remembered for is starting a political watchdog organization called “the Moral Majority.” Using its leverage as a voting block this group put pressure on political parties to base their positions on “Biblical values” – as understood by the Moral Majority.
Certainly the church has been and is to be involved in acts of charity and through its members hopefully will be an influence, but is that the primary purpose of the church?
Today Jesus cuts through the opinions and the confusion and tells us what we need to know about these fundamental questions. As we work our way through this text we hear
JESUS’ DEFINITION OF HIMSELF
AND THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH
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.” In answer to Jesus’ question the disciples report the various opinions circulating at the time. All of them had at least two things in common. First, they identified Jesus with a powerful figure from the past instead of acknowledging that He was unique. Secondly, great as these men may have been, they failed to recognize Jesus was greater than them all.
These
answers set up the next question – the fundamental question: 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.”
If you are familiar with the Gospels you know the Peter to be a man of deep contrasts. At one time he’s ready to die for Jesus; another time he denied even knowing Him. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold. But here we see Peter in one of his finest moments. Speaking for all the disciples he makes a bold and beautiful confession of faith.
He confesses that Jesus is “the Christ.” This is the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah,” which means “the anointed one.” This title calls to mind the Old Testament custom of pouring oil over the head of a spiritual leader as a visible way of proclaiming to the world that this person has been set aside by God for a special duty.
The little word “the” is key here. While there were many anointed ones throughout the pages of Scripture, the Anointed One was a reference to the Savior who had been long promised and prophesied. He was the One the people had been waiting for. He was the One God had set apart for the special duty of removing the guilt of sin.
Since we are talking about fundamentals, let’s review the basics: Man is estranged from God for one reason: Sin. It is sin (disobedience to God’s desires and will as stated in His Word) that disqualified and continues to disqualify mankind from both a right relationship with God in the present and the future life that follows.
Man can ignore God or pretend He doesn’t exist or rationalize Him into some nameless energy force, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t there. Because He is. The complexity of the world and the stars and the sky and the human body stand as a testimony to His power and wisdom. God is there, and He expects to be obeyed. If not, just as a father warns his child, there will be consequences.
But God doesn’t want to exact those consequences. So He devised a plan. Enter Jesus. He is the One whom God “anointed” or set apart to make things right between Himself and mankind. And as Peter confessed, Jesus is more than a great prophet or an enlightened teacher or a rabble rousing rabbi who got on the wrong side of the right people; He is “the Son of the living God.” In other words, Jesus is God Himself. He claimed it countless times. His miracles proved it. And now Peter beautifully and boldly confessed it.
And we know what the Son of the Living God did. He lived the sinless life God asks us to live. He died the death we deserve. And He did it all as our substitute. “God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us…” writes the Apostle Paul.
“Son of the living God” is a pretty weighty title. But one that Jesus accepted. He didn’t suggest that Peter was gushing or making an overstatement or flattering Him; rather 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. And with this statement Jesus reminds us that not only is His work on our behalf an act of grace; the very coming to understand Him as the Son of the Living God is also an act of God’s grace.
After this word of blessing Jesus goes on: 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock (note: there is some word play here because both “Peter” and “rock” sound almost the same in the original language of the New Testament) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. If you are familiar with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church you may be aware that this passage is cited as proof that Peter was the first pope, and that it was on the person of Peter that Christ went on to build His church.
Certainly Peter was instrumental in the early church. In fact it can easily be said that Peter was considered first among equals when it came to the rest of the disciples. But to read this interpretation into it is more than a bit of a stretch. A much better and more natural understanding – and one certainly more in line with what we find in the Book of Acts – is that the rock the church is built upon is the same kind of confession Peter made.
And that right there tells us what the primary purpose of the church is. It exists to preach, proclaim and confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. In other words, it has a spiritual purpose. The Church exists not to bring about reform or confront all the evils of society; the purpose of the church is to save sinners.
That being said, the social aspects of Christianity will naturally follow and flow as a grateful response. Proclaiming and living the Gospel manifests itself in many ways. Motivated by the Gospel individual Christians always have been and always will be moved to acts of kindness and charity and the confrontation of evil in society.
Maybe
you saw the movie Amazing Grace a couple of years ago. It’s the story of the English statesmen
William Wilberforce and how, due to his Christian convictions, he tirelessly
worked to end the slave trade in
Moreover, Jesus tells us that as long as the church stays the course and carries out its mission it will not be deterred. In fact, “the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Christianity has always had its detractors and enemies. Jesus certainly did. In the end, however, they will be gone and God’s Word will remain…
Just like Robert Ingersoll. He was a vocal atheist who lived in the mid 19th century who just ridiculed Christianity. At one time he predicted that within ten years he could make the whole country forget about God with his anti-Bible campaign. He’s gone. One question: ever hear of him before this sermon? “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” says Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.
Continuing his dialogue with Peter as the spokesman for all the disciples, Jesus speaks of the special authority and power He has given to the church. 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.” If you grew up studying Luther’s Small Catechism, you may remember these words referred to as “the Ministry of the Keys.”
What Jesus is simply telling us here is that through its people and its pastors the church is to continue to preach the Gospel – which is the key to opening (or “loosing”) heaven for those who believe it, and the key to closing (or “binding”) it for those who don’t. And we are reminded once again that the primary role of the church is to proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus. The Gospel is the key.
Finally our text concludes with something Jesus often did that might at first seem a bit curious: 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. Why? Jesus obviously knew that many were still hoping for a national and political Savior. Because they did not have a right understanding of who He was and what He came for, it was best not to disclose these words until they could be understood against the backdrop of His death and resurrection. Then it would all make sense.
So what have we learned in this text? Two fundamental questions are addressed and answered.
As to who is Jesus? He is more than a man. More than a prophet. More than a crusader. He is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” He is the Savior who came to this earth to live, die and rise again so we might have fullness of life with Him now and forever. Are we sinners? Yes. But we are forgiven sinners. Spotless in the eyes of God because of the work of Jesus Christ. This is our greatest comfort.
It is also a great comfort to know that the same all powerful, almighty, living and loving Jesus continues to watch over our lives. Even in our darkest and scariest and most uncertain moments, the living Christ will never leave us or forsake us. Why? Because we are His.
Secondly, what is the role of the church – or to put it personally, what is our role as the church? By our words and deeds, by our attitudes and our actions, by our vocal testimony and our silent witness we exist to rejoice in and confess the Gospel message of Jesus Christ before a watching world.
He is God and we are His to happily confess His name. That is Jesus’ definition of Himself and the Holy Christian Church, of which we are a part. God be praised. Amen.