Matthew 16:21-28 Take Up My Cross and Follow Me

In the famous words of the late American news commentator Paul Harvey, Matthew 16:21-28 is “the rest of the story”. It is a continuation from Matthew 16:13-20, in which Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God. Now Jesus is telling his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to complete his God-given mission to save the world by dying on the cross.

Naturally this comes as a shock to the disciples. After all, why would God send someone to do something as ungodlike as dying? And if dying was necessary, why couldn’t it be done on the battlefield instead of on a cross. It’s no wonder Peter rebukes Jesus. After all, here he was-a fisherman who believed Jesus, but who could not understand the true purpose of Jesus’ mission. He, like many of the Jews, thought that the Messiah would be a military ruler who would drive out the Romans and restore Israel to the glory days of the reign of King David.

Jesus told his disciples that he was going to lead them into battle-and they should not expect to come away unscathed. In fact, they should not be surprised if they died on the battlefield. They would be facing the forces of evil, and those forces were strong enough to wreak havoc. God would win the ultimate battle against evil, but in the meantime his disciples could expect the fight of their lives. It is a fight we are still involved in today.  

Peter rebuked Jesus because he took seriously his new role as the rock on which the church was built. He took his role so seriously that he thought he had a responsibility to make sure that Jesus’ ministry would be successful. He thought it was his duty to rebuke Jesus, but Jesus put him in his place. His place was behind Jesus as a follower-a role we also have to play.

Peter, like Satan, tried to deflect Jesus from the way of God, and Satan tries to deflect us from God’s way today. Satan has lots of traps to put in our path, and because he is smart, he knows that the best time to trap us often comes after some great victory. In Peter’s case, it was just after Jesus told him that he was going to be the rock that the church would be built on. Peter wanted Jesus to follow the wide, smooth road of a worldly life that leads to death and sin. Jesus knew he had to travel on the narrow, rough road of life with God, and it is the same road we as Christians have to travel today.

Jesus wasted no time in dealing with Satan, and neither should we. Peter had fallen for the enemy’s temptations of allowing his thoughts to turn inward to himself and his desires for the nation of Israel. So Jesus moved quickly to put an end to Peter’s wrong way of thinking. We must never allow the thoughts of pride or sin to linger. We must keep our focus set on God, and ask Him to reveal His perfect will to us. He knows the plan and outcome of our lives. We can trust him fully because He knows exactly what the future holds for us. 

Jesus knew the road he would have to travel would lead to self-denial and the cross, and he urges his followers to be prepared to pay the price and suffer the consequences if they want to follow the same road of life. We as his followers have to sacrifice our own interests in favour of serving Christ. Our personal goals and interests have to take on a secondary importance if we want to receive eternal life. When we do, we will fulfill God’s purpose of giving life. Jesus often motivated his disciples to love and good works by reminding them that He would return one day in great glory to reward all His faithful servants for whatever they had accomplished in His name.

This concept isn’t east to understand. Spiritual growth takes place slowly. It takes a lifetime, and even as we reach the end of that journey, our understanding is far from perfect. For example, Jesus repeatedly told his disciples about the suffering that awaited him in Jerusalem, but they did not understand until after the Resurrection. The Holy Spirit had not yet come, and their eyes and minds were blinded to the eternal things of the Lord. However, after they saw the resurrected Christ, they knew He was the Saviour. God’s Word always bears fruit at the right time.

We take up the cross of Jesus any time we suffer in some way for identifying with Him and His cause. “Cross bearing” does not always include affliction our persecution in general. It may mean denying what we deeply desire in order to do the will of God. When we obey Him, we position ourselves for great blessing. We can take up our crosses and know that the Lord will bear them with us.

When Jesus said that those who want to save their lives will lose them and vice versa, he was right. Our world is full of examples of people who have sold their souls by using sex, drugs, money, careers, possessions or alcohol to find happiness in life, only to be disappointed. Whatever a person is or becomes in his outward life, the particular quality of his or her soul will be the deciding factor in how he or she lives and how others experience him or her. The recent death of singer Amy Winehouse is a good example. She had everything the world could offer-a good career, money and fame-but her drunken binges and tragic death showed the true emptiness of her life. With God, though, there is another way. Through his life, suffering, death on the cross and resurrection, Jesus saves us by showing us the way to a life of God’s forgiveness, love and grace-given with no conditions and no strings attached. God provides for us the chance to live a life with a full range of the possibilities potentially present everywhere. 

Jesus saves us by his death, by overcoming once and for all the power of sin. Sin no longer has a death grip over us. Christ makes it clear that God will forgive the sin that we confess and from which we repent in the sincere desire to renew our lives. Christ makes us realize that we are the most precious creatures in creation-creatures worth dying for.

As Jesus said, death lurks in the darkness of life. Whatever we hope to find outside of God’s plan proves elusive and temporary. Only by walking with Christ on the path of goodness will we find security and contentment we are seeking. If our lives are more important to us than our faith, our lives will be over.  If our faith is more important to us than our lives, we will be rewarded with eternal life. Our Christian life involves sacrifice because Jesus must come first in our lives. We are to be like Jesus-selfless and obedient, even to the point of death to self and life in Christ. Matthew 25:31-46 tells us that we will be judged according to our deeds of mercy to the needy. We are saved by grace through faith, but Jesus makes it clear that our faith must be shown in good deeds.

Our crosses might not lead to death, but they can lead to other forms of persecution. For example, I subscribe to both a Christian news service called ASSIST News and a magazine published by a Christian ministry called “The Voice of the Martyrs”. Both of these sources regularly publish stories about persecution of Christians throughout the world, especially in Third World countries. Here are some recent headlines:

1.      “Landlord Evicts Church”

2.      “Egypt’s Double Standard Shown in Difference Between Muslim and Christian Abduction Cases”

3.      “0.1 Million Pakistani Christians Living Under Constant Death Threats’

4.      “A Christian Man Booked in an Engineered Blasphemy Case”

5.      “A Cry From Abidjan”

6.      “Afghan Christian Refugees Under Threat”

7.      “Prayer Sought for Students, Missionary Attacked While Sharing the Gospel

Here in our little corner of the world, our persecution might not be as severe. It could be in the form of rejection by friends or family. Our careers might be affected. All of these are a small price that we must be prepared to pay as we take up the cross of Christ on the road of lie-just like Christ and Simon of Cyrene had to carry the cross to Golgotha.

What that will require will depend on our calling. We can discern that calling through prayer, reading the Bible and keeping our eyes and hearts open to see the challenges Christ sends our way. The cross that Jesus commands us to carry is the cross of submissive obedience to His will, even when it includes suffering and hardship and things we don’t want to do. It is a willingness to totally, absolutely, irrevocably and finally yield our lives to Him because we want what He wants more than what we want. When we take up our cross and follow Jesus, we will bring life to those he calls us to serve. In return, he will give us abundant, eternal life.  

Sacrifice and self-denial are synonymous with following Christ. That is why the Prosperity Doctrine is so disturbing. That doctrine essentially says that God will bless your life, finances, business and so on if only you believe in Him. While God has called us to the abundant life in John 10:10 and the prosperity of the soul in Psalm 25:12-13, if God chooses to bless us materially, it will only be as a bi-product of putting His kingdom ahead of our own selfish interests.

The church also needs the challenge of the cross today. The church as the body of Christ and his followers also has a cross to bear as it fulfills Christ’s mission. It involves making decisions that will not please everyone, such as the recent decision our Diocesan Synod made regarding the blessing of same-sex civil unions. Do today’s churches offer a faith strong enough that it can command a sacrifice? Can a church in today’s “me first” culture ask its people to sacrifice something for the sake of the gospel?

The pain and suffering of the cross and the spending of self for Him are a part of the Christian life. The life of self-denial and sacrifice of which Jesus spoke has been real enough for those who would follow him throughout the last 2,000 years. It has filled the meditations of saints and martyrs as well as offering rich metaphors for sacred poetry and hymns of the church.

Today we are reminded that our confession of faith has consequences and shows itself not only in public worship, but through our words and deeds in our daily lives. Peter’s story reminds us that it is not one incident alone that makes a life. Though we fall again and again, it is the getting up that marks the true child of God. So, we offer our lives in surrender to Christ’s purpose. The waters of our baptism still bubble up inside us and enable us to confess with Peter that Jesus is the Son of God. They also constantly renew in us the willing spirit that says, “Yes” to our own taking up the cross to follow Christ.

Bibliography

1.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV

2.      Exegesis for Matthew 16:21-28. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

3.      Dr. Jack Graham, “Understanding the Cost of Being a Follower of Christ”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

4.      J. Randal Matheny, “Spiritual Aspirin”. Retrieved from www.forthright.net

5.      Anne Graham Lotz, “Dying to Self”. Retrieved from www.angelministries.org

6.      Anne Graham Lotz, “The Cross of Obedience”. Retrieved from www.angelministries.org

7.      Dr. Charles F. Stanley, “Making Changes to Fulfill God’s Plan”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

8.      Dr. Charles F. Stanley, “The Narrow Road”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

9.      T.M. Moore, “The Primacy of the Lord”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

10.  Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions: 22^nd Sunday (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

11.  Dr. Ray Pritchard, “How Good Christians Sometimes Do Devil’s Work”. Retrieved from www.keepbelieving.com

12.  Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software program.

13.  Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software program.

14.  Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software program.

15.  Notes from Peter Anthony’s Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew

16.  “Proper Seventeen: Sunday between August 28^th and September 3^rd Inclusive”. Retrieved from www.ministrymatters.com/library/

17.  The Rev. Ken Kesselus, “August 31, 2008-Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 17-Year A (RCL)”. Retrieved from www.episcopalchurch.org/sermons_that_work_99908_ENG_HTM.htm

18.  Dr. Mickey Anders, “Look Good on Wood”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

19.  John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Aug. 28, 2011. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod,org/aarchives/eleventh-sunday-after-pentecost-august -28-2011

 

 

Jeremiah 23:1-8, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43 Long Live Christ Our King

The end is here!

We’ve reached the end of another church year, and it’s fitting that on this Reign of Christ Sunday we celebrate the mystery of Christ’s kingly power. Reign of Christ Sunday is a fairly new religious observance. It was started by Pope Pius XI in 1925. According to the papal encyclical that introduced the Reign of Christ Sunday, Christ the King rules over the church and the whole world---if not now, than at the end of time.

Reign of Christ Sunday is time for us to reflect on our lives and think about how our words and deed will be judged by others and by God. If we have been faithful to God and to our calling, we will be restored. We have to admit our shortcomings as become involved in ministering to others.

Christ is the king who saves us. He associated with sinners so that he could save everyone. The soldiers at the cross wondered how he could save others when he could not save himself. They did not realize that the salvation they wanted was of this world, but the salvation Jesus offered was eternal. Jesus is the king of the cross. He died on the cross but rose again three days later. He died to save us from eternal separation from God. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. When his flock is wandering and lost and without shepherds, God grieves. When the flock is being cared for and is growing in relationship with God, his heart is full of joy.

Jesus is the king because he is the firstborn, just like the oldest male child of a modern king will become king when the current king dies. Jesus has the pre-eminence and the right of inheritance over all creation. He existed before the universe was created and he is exalted in rank above it.

Jesus’ power as king comes not from military power but from inviting us to become one with him. His power is shown in his service to us and his willingness to accept the punishment we deserve as sinners. His everlasting kingdom speaks of the realm of salvation where all believers live in a current and eternal spiritual relationship with God. This relationship will be under the care and authority of Jesus. 

When Jesus said in Luke 23:33-43, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing,” he was referring both to the people who crucified him and us. The thief who asked for salvation had a much more significant salvation than the other thief. Jesus exercised the power of pardon that he has as king. The thief who asked for forgiveness accepted responsibility for his actions, so he was able to ask for forgiveness and receive it. If we believe in Christ and accept responsibility for our actions, we can also receive forgiveness when we ask for it.

We need a Saviour who can bring good news to our sin-filled world. Jeremiah referred to the Saviour in Jeremiah 23:1-8. The people of Israel forgot about the covenant they made with God. They sold out to earthly desires and expected God to forget about what they did. Jeremiah did not want them to forget about the covenant. Their misplaced faith led to judgment. They were faithless, and God was faithful. He showed his faithfulness by sending Jesus. Jeremiah proclaimed what Christ would do. Jesus came to heal the sick, gather the lost sheep, restore the faith and rule with righteousness and justice. The oppressed were restored. Jeremiah was looking to the future, but Christ is here with us today. Jesus is a just and right ruler.

God’s people needed Jesus and so do we. Jesus is our best hope. Jesus is our only hope. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the hallmark of our Christian faith. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus fed us with God’s Word, washed us of our sins and died for us. We are called to be shepherds of Jesus’ flock. We are to follow the model of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. We are to care for Jesus’ flock by sharing the Good News whenever and wherever we can.

The earthly shepherds who are our leaders are sometimes less than what they are called to be. The people under their care experienced the consequences of the evil actions of their leaders. The current Senate expense scandal here in Canada is a good example of poor leadership. God’s plans for the people of Israel were a reversal of what their failed leadership had done. Leadership would become a model of God as a true shepherd of the people.

Christ is the creator king. He created us. We were created to be good, but we allowed sin to pollute our lives. Jesus rules over us. As our ruler, he is the head of the Christian body. Just as a human body responds to the head, we as members of the Christian body have to respond to our head-Jesus. That is the essence of the Christian faith.

Our God is a righteous god. This concept can best be explained by acknowledging its opposite-depravity. Depravity-or our sin-filled world-is the very opposite of how we can best describe God. If we stay faithful and obedient to God, we will receive his blessings. We will not have to fear anything, and we will lack for nothing. We will be fruitful and multiply.  

During the Korean War, Billy Graham visited American soldiers. He visited hospitals and talked and prayed with wounded soldiers. On one visit, he met a soldier who was lying face down in a cradle because his spine had been shattered by a bullet. A hole had been cut in the bottom of the cradle so the soldier could see through to the floor. When Billy Graham was talking to him, the soldier said, “I would like to see your face, Mr. Graham.” Billy Graham got down on his back under the cradle so the soldier could look down at his face. This is a metaphor for what God did for us through Jesus Christ. God the king came down to our level so that we could see what God is like. It reminds us of Paul’s statement that Christ is the image of the invisible God. God came down to our level to reach us and save us.

We are called on to do the Christian work of reconciliation, suffering for the sake of Christ and others, loving the lost and sharing the Cross of Christ even if it means bearing our own cross. We must never give up no matter how difficult things get. When darkness enters our lives and burnout or spiritual fatigue threaten to remove all hope, God will be in his finest hour and the prophet Jeremiah will see his finest vision. God will sustain us. When we have received the redemption, reconciliation and forgiveness that results from Christ’s death and resurrection, Christ will rule our lives. 

In Colossians 1:11-20, Paul clearly states that Christ is the truth, and if we believe in Christ, he will help us avoid the lies that will lead us away from him. We will receive his power and strength, and they come from his glory-a glory that is so overwhelming that we can’t experience it. We will be reunited with God. God has made us fit to receive his power and strength. We have been released from sin’s slavery because of the redemptive power of Christ’s blood. Christ defeated the evil powers of sin and death. When we believe in Christ we join in that victory and his power. This power is greater than any of our human powers. Christ as the head of our Christian body allows us to accomplish great things.

Jesus is God in human form. He is the window through which we see God’s true nature. He is the mediator between us and God. Everything he does and everything he is points to his supremacy as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the one by whom, for whom, and through whom everything was made. He knows what our problems are and he knows how to fix them. He can transform our lives. We as Christians and members of the church will never be in a defensive position as long as we remember that we and the church are the body of Christ through whom He intends to become head over everything else.

Who or what rules our lives? How do we answer that question for ourselves? When we declare that Christ is the king, we mean that Christ is the most important matter in our lives. Christ the king allows us to live by grace, and not by law or our own deeds. When we pursue Christ the king, we are not afraid of being uncomfortable. We are secure enough to take risks and full enough of his grace to spend big on mercy. Jesus responded when a needy person came to him, and we must also respond when a needy person comes to us. Christ’s kingdom is a kingdom where forgiveness is given to anyone who asks for it. The kingdom is a new kingdom of relationships based on equality, justice, forgiveness and compassion.

Christ’s kingdom is a mystery. It is a mystery that was hidden for thousands of years. It was revealed in Christ’s death and resurrection. Christ’s kingdom lives in us because of the Holy Spirit, but only if we are like the repentant thief and accept him by faith as our Saviour. In a world where evil reigns and we feel that there is no hope, we can take comfort in the knowledge that Christ the king is in charge. Our ultimate destiny is in the hands of the one true God who loved us enough to die for us, and the only thing he asks for in return is that we live for him. Long live the king!

Bibliography

1.      Exegesis for Luke 23:33-43. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

2.      Alton Wedel, “And He Shall Reign”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

3.      James Merritt, “Israel: |The World’s Invincible Nation”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

4.      John Wayne Clark, “The Shepherd King”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

5.      R. Kevin Mohr, “Shepherds Who Will Shepherd”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

6.      Mark Ellingson, “Salvation Includes Social Justice”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

7.      John R. Brokhoff and Robert W. Stackel, “God’s Kind of King”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

8.      Richard E. Gribble, CSC, “Conversion to Christ”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

9.      Dr. Harold Sala, “Jehovah Tsidkenu (God, the Righteous One)”. Retrieved from www.guidelines.org

10.  Bayless Conley, “Richer Blessings”. Retrieved from www.answersrbc.org

11.  Guest, J. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 19: Jeremiah/Lamentations (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1988)

12.  Joseph M. McShane, “The Magic Kingdom”. Retrieved from www.religiononline.org

13.  Exegesis for Colossians 1:11-20. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

14.  Dunnam, M.D & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

15.  MacArthur, J.F. Jr. : The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)

16.  Rebecca Barlow Jordan, “Supremacy”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

17.  Anne Graham Lotz, “Fixing What’s Wrong”. Retrieved from www.angelministries.org

18.  Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Christ the King, Year C”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

19.  Exegesis for Jeremiah 23:1-8. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

20.  King Duncan, “Christ the King”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

21.  Donna Schaper, “When Christ is King”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

22.  Johnny Dean, “The Invisible God”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

23.  Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Christ the King, Year C”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

24.  John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Reign of Christ, Year C. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org

25.  Daniel Clendenin, Ph.D., “They Say There’s Another King, One Called Jesus”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net.

 

 

Matthew 16 verses 13-20 Who AM I?

The Gospel reading from Matthew 16:13-20 takes place in the region of Caesarea Philippi. It was a territory where pagan gods were worshipped, and it is there that Jesus asks Peter a question about his identity; not in some safe territory, but in a non-believing location. Perhaps that is why Jesus told the disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Messiah, but I think the real reason is because Jesus had a special sense of timing about his ministry. He did not think it was time to reveal his true identity to the world. He was well aware that his claim was volatile in nature, and it was the claim that ultimately led to his crucifixion.

We as believers today have to answer the same question Jesus asked the disciples-“Who do YOU say I am?” We also have to answer it in a similar location-a world which is often hostile to Christianity. We can’t just coast on our faith, for it is not merely something handed down to us from our parents which we automatically carry with us for the rest of our lives. Our answer will not be made in words or church doctrine. It will be made by how we live and die. Peter’s faith gave him strength to follow Christ all the way to dying like Christ. In fact, the story is that Peter was also crucified, but he was crucified upside-down because he did not feel worthy enough to die in the same way Jesus did. Peter imitated Christ in his daily dying to himself and living for Christ. It is on faith and example like Peter’s that Christ has built the church.   

Peter expressed the full belief he and his fellow disciples had that Jesus was the long-expected Messiah. This contradicts the view that others had of him at that time, and the view some people have of him today; namely, that Jesus was the reincarnation of Elijah or John the Baptist, or that he was a prophet or a good person. Peter did not know the theological implications of his words, and we might not know them either, but we can still make a commitment to know him and follow him until we do understand them. Jesus will teach us about what they mean.

God was the one who put those words into Peter’s mind and mouth. God’s actions were a product of Peter’s faith and reflection. The revelation that opened Peter’s eyes to see and his tongue to proclaim Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” is our gift as well as we run into the gates of hell. We can see the inscription over these gates: cynicism in dealing with others; despair as we face the issues of violence, war and terrorism; greed that puts ourselves first on the list; indifference to the pain of others; cowardice when our faith is challenged; conformity when prophetic witness is called for; and lukewarm religious practice that has stalled through neglect and other reasons.

Peter took a leap of faith when he answered Jesus’ question, and we also have to take a big leap of faith when we answer the same question today. Peter reminds us that even when we want to do our best and when we are sure we can handle things, we are prone to our own human weaknesses. If we are to call ourselves Christians, then we will accept Christ crucified and rose from the dead not only two thousand years ago, but crucified and rises inside our own lives as well. If we do, we will be dead to our own sinful lives and alive in Christ. Then and only then are we dealing with the real Jesus. The only way we can come to confess Jesus as the Son of God is by the road of faith. 

What does the word “church” mean to us? It means that the body of people and the congregation, and not buildings or properties. For example, Christians thrived in the first and second century, under persecution, when they met secretly in small, informal home settings. The same situation still exists in many countries today, especially because of persecution. Denominations were formed when groups of people formed. The church is not ours to build as we like. It is God’s church, and we as humans have to build it the way he wants us to build it. That means making difficult decisions. As the rock of the church, Peter and the disciples had to make decisions that would not please people, just like Jesus had to make decisions that did not please people. Church leaders today still have to make decisions that do not please everyone.

Peter became the rock of the church and just like Jesus was his rock, Jesus is also the rock on which we can build our faith. Living rocks are the building material of Jesus’ church. Peter himself called Christians living stones who serve as building material for a spiritual house and priesthood. All the living stones are fitted into place around a living cornerstone, Jesus Christ.

Just like Jesus overcame his foes, we as the church will be triumphant over our enemies. God wants to give us the keys to his kingdom to help us spread the Good News of his love and forgiveness and to help us to fulfill the Great Commission. The problem is that we often do not know how to unlock the doors. The master key will open these doors, and it is the same key Peter used-namely, our confession. If we confess God’s Word in our lives, we will open kingdom doors and release God’s power in everyday situations. The other keys are faith, love, obedience, prayer and witnessing.

The keys Jesus promises Peter are meant to unlock the world’s longing for celebration and liberation. They were never intended to keep undesirables out or to rid God’s realm of the unworthy. If that was the case, Jesus would never have promised them to someone like Peter, and they would never have landed in pockets like ours. It’s like the loving parent who hands over the keys of the family car to someone he or she loves dearly and whom he or she knows has not always fared well in training and has yet to be tested by the hurdles of real life. Knowing this, Jesus still promises Peter and us the keys and says, “Use them wisely”.

Peter and the church will open the door of faith to the world, and it is our duty as Christians to keep that door wide open to the entire world. We have the keys to open the doors and windows of the church to the world, but we have to figure out what to do with them, what doors to open and what windows to unlock. We must make sure that they are open to everyone, not just people like us.  

Jesus calls on us today to answer the question, “Who do you say that I am?” He is not interested in dispassionate, hypothetical views regarding his life and work. Instead, he wants to know what his followers and disciples think of him today. He demands a decision-accept him or reject him. He demands a clear answer that does not have to be certain. Jesus is outside the dogmas of neat religious minds. He is free, and we are truly free only when we allow Jesus to be free. Cage Jesus and we imprison ourselves. Categorize Jesus and we find ourselves in another pigeonhole, another religious clone. Maybe the image in our churches should not be an immoveable Jesus on a statue or a cross or a stained-glass window.  The best image for the church should be the empty tomb with the inscription, “Christ is not here. Christ has gone before you”.

The only way we can adequately answer this question is to study the record of his life as it is found in the four gospels. Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He made astounding claims concerning himself-claims that he backed up with deeds because he IS the Son of God. He had supernatural powers to perform miracles because he IS the Son of God. He rose from the dead and transformed lives because he IS the Son of God. Jesus asked the disciples what the people say the Son of God is in order to give us a hint of his concern for the whole world-a concern that he will make explicit in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20.

Jesus is the Son of God-a member of the Trinity. The role of Jesus in the Trinity is to show us what God is like. The primary word of God is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We are to imitate Jesus’ life, death and resurrection in our own lives by dying to ourselves and our old, sinful ways of life and rising to a new Christian life in Jesus. He is the Saviour of the world. He is our High Priest. If we do not accept this reality, if we do not act on our belief and commitment to follow him in our everyday life, we are automatically against him.

If we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, he will call us to serve. We might have to serve dangerously. We might have to serve uncomfortably. We might have to serve quietly. If we obey his call, our lives will be a blessing to many, and we will contribute to the building of God’s kingdom, and we will have a special place in God’s kingdom both now and for eternity. 

There are challenges and conflicts in our lives today that do not reflect the Holy God in whom we believe. They are placed in our lives as tests to examine what we will declare about Jesus. Can we say that despite the hardships, conflicts, struggles and stresses in our lives, Jesus is our Christ, the son of the living God? Does Jesus impact our lives daily, making a difference in the way we think and feel and what we say? If our faith is wavering in belief, all we have to do is ask God to reveal to us who Jesus is, just as he did with Peter. People and circumstances will change with seasons and times of life, but when all is said and done, we want our faith and convictions to be as solid as rocks so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against us.

Is Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour of our lives? Can we also say, “You are the Christ…?” Only you can say, one way or the other, but make no mistake-professing our faith is of utmost importance. If we can, are we willing to make the life-changing investment Jesus requires of us as disciples? If we say “You are the Christ…” we as individual members of the church are saying to him, “I believe you are here with us today, in this congregation, calling us to be a loving and just people. I believe the poor have a priority in your plans and I will do my best to serve them in your name. I believe you are offering me freedom and a truer self, so that I can turn from false, worldly securities and look to you for my true identity as a child of God, and an important part of God’s people. I believe that as you were anointed by God to do God’s will, through my baptism, so am I---called to be a sign of God’s kingdom on earth where all are brothers and sisters.”

Answering this question is the sign of mature faith. We can’t let others answer for us, nor can we let others’ answers stand as our own answers. We have to decide, we have to say it and claim it and live who Jesus is. Like Peter, we are followers of Jesus. Like Peter, we sometimes have deep faith, and, at other times, a lack of faith. Jesus saw in Peter the same thing he sees in us-building material that can be shaped into a people of faith to serve his reign.

 Bibliography

1.      Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Matthew 16:13-20. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

2.      Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

3.      Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

4.      Phil Ware, Heartlight Daily Verse, Matthew 16:15-16. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

5.      Notes from Peter Anthony’s Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew.

6.      Dr. Ray Pritchard, “Who is Jesus Christ?” Retrieved from www.keepbelieving.com

7.      Exegesis for Matthew 16:13-20. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

8.      Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 1^st Sunday (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

9.      The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “Can You Keep a Secret?” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

10.  Dr. Mickey Anders, “What and Where?” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

11.  The Rev. Amy Butler, “Remembering What We Believe”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

12.  Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “The Unspoken Question”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

13.  T.M. Moore, “Whose Church? Whose Vision?” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

14.  J.M. Njoroge, “The Recalcitrant Jesus”. Retrieved from www.rzim.org

15.  Dr. Charles F. Stanley, “The Name of Jesus”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

16.  Dr. Charles F. Stanley, “Jesus: To Believe or Not to Believe”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

17.  Dr. Bill Bright, “Don’t Forget Your Keys”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

18.  Richard Inness “Is Jesus the Son of God, Part III”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org

19.  The Very Rev. Dr. Ian Markham, “How Do We Know What God is like?” Retrieved from www.day1.org

20.  The Rev. Dr. Gary Charles, “Keys”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

21.  The Rev. Luis Leon, “Sermon for the 13^th Sunday after Pentecost”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

22.  Carey Kinsolving, “Is Peter the Rock upon Which the Church is Built?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com/religionandspirituality/kidstalkaboutgod/s-928200?print

23.  John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Aug. 21, 2011. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/tenth-sunday-after-pentecost-august-21-2011