Seeds for 10/11/2023 - Matthew 16:13-16
Scripture: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Observation: Life changing words come in many forms. A bit of advice. An overheard remark. A succinct instruction. A memorable proverb. Is there anything ultimately more powerful than a question?
Caesarea Philippi is thirty-five to forty miles north of the town of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. They had travelled some ways from home base in order to be there. Jesus begins with more general question, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” The implication is that He and the “Son of Man” are one and the same. This is a “what’s the word on the street?” or “what’s in the rumor mill?” kind of question.
The disciples have heard a variety of opinions, as their answer shows.
Next, Jesus makes the question more pointed in two ways. One, He narrows the scope from “what people say” to “what about you.” Two, He shifts from inquiring about the “Son of Man” to Himself, making it exceptionally clear what He is asking them.
This is the question for all of humankind: Who is Jesus?
Is Jesus a prophet, a moral reformer, a spiritual exemplar? Is He a religious radical (left, right, center, or outside those categories)? Is He a failure or a success? Options abound, yet the question still faces each of us: “Who do you say that I am?”
It’s a question we answer with our minds as we consider the doctrines of the Christian faith, understood from the scriptures and summarized in the creeds. It’s a question we answer with our hearts because it isn’t enough to understand beliefs about Jesus, one must trust Jesus. Finally, we answer with our lives. Our mind can know things, our heart can feel things, but unless our life evidences faith, dependence, love, trust, obedience, devotion, servanthood… we have not yet answered the question in the affirmative.
To put it differently: Doctrines matter because they clarify who it is we are talking about. Declarations matter because they clarify who it is we trust. Devotion matters most because it brings together doctrine and declaration into a life that is shaped by what we say we believe.
In this moment Peter saw Jesus for who He was and answered accordingly. Will we?
Application:
Who do some of the people you know think Jesus is?
How do their opinions compare with what we are seeing in Matthew’s Gospel?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, keep me facing this life-defining question about your true identity, and answering well. Help me to answer with mind, heart, and life. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
If you liked this post from Seeds of Faith, why not share it and/or subscribe?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™