Some thoughts on Matthew 16:13-20

Oddly enough it all begins in the far north of Palestine near a town named Caesarea Philippi. A town named for the Roman Emperor and the current king of the Jews, Philip. It was the home for the cult of Pan, the half-man/half-goat being better known for drunken orgies than theological and spiritual speculation. Yet in this setting Jesus opens the discussion with his disciples about his own identity. Maybe he did this because the truth is that a full understanding of who Jesus is and what he does can only be found while living in the real world, and not locked away in ivory towers of academia or in fortress-like closed communities. Jesus came for the world. Jesus lived in the world. Jesus died for the world. Jesus rose again for the world and sends us, his church, to live, work, preach, teach, and love in the world, so what better place to get his disciples back in 30-something AD and us living today thinking about who Jesus is.

He begins by asking his disciples a simple information gathering the question:

“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

How many times hasn’t each of us asked that question of our friend or family, wondering what other people may think of us? Here Jesus is asking also and so a bit of information gathering is taking place. How do people see me? What do they think? What is their perception of who I am? It is easy enough to answer and the disciples are quick to respond, after all this is only someone else’s opinion and requires no commitment on their part. They are only reporting what others are saying.

John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or some other prophet, are the most common opinions. Not surprising really. John the Baptist was only recently dead and even Herod thought at first that Jesus was John returned from the dead. As for the prophets, well every Jew hoped for Elijah, the prophet’s prophet, whose return would signal the restoration of the kingdom of David and the arrival of the messiah. Others obviously found in Jesus’ teaching and criticisms for the Jews a similarity to Jeremiah who was most critical of the Israel of his day. But the best thing about this question and answer is that the disciples were only asked information and reported information. Everything, including Jesus, was kept at arm’s length.

But Jesus then takes the next step:

“What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”

I get the feeling that at this juncture there was a very long drawn out pointed silence as the disciples looked at one another and their own feet in hope that someone would speak up. To answer this question meant not just making a commitment, but revealing the very core of your faith (or lack thereof) in Jesus. There is no escape and no time for evasion.

And what about you? Too often this same question brings a similar response from us. We talk about faith in Jesus, but what kind of Jesus? Who do you see Jesus as? Rabbi? Moral Teacher? Philosopher? Wise man? Lord? Saviour? Son of God? Is he alive and living in you and through your life?

More often than not, we see Jesus as a historical figure. Someone who has lived and died a long time ago. And even though we believe that he rose from the dead, that too happened a long time ago. We forget that Jesus lives today. In this world. Our world. In us. Through us. Not as a historical figure whose memory, traditions and teachings we are trying to preserve, but as the living, ruling Lord of creation who is actively at work in our lives and the lives of people around us.

I find it interesting that the disciples, standing in the presence of the living Jesus, and we, living almost 2000 years later with the Word of God before us and the many years of evidence of the Spirit’s work in the church and the world, find this a difficult question to answer... “Who do you say I am?”
But Peter speaks into the silence:

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Peter declares Jesus to be the Christ. Wonderfully typical behaviour for him. Peter really is an all in or all out type of person. The question is put and Peter answers clearly, concisely, and firmly. Please note that Peter does not say that he ‘believes’ Jesus to be the Messiah or that he ‘thinks’ or ‘hopes’ that Jesus is the Messiah, but Jesus ‘is’ both Messiah and Son of the living God. No question about it at this time. But we also know that Peter didn’t fully understand what he was saying here, as only a little while later Peter would confront Jesus when Jesus tried to teach his disciples about his impending crucifixion, death and resurrection. This would earn him a very sharp reprimand from Jesus. Even after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter joins with the other disciples in asking when Jesus was going to bring about the Kingdom on earth, his mind still firmly fixed in the restoration of the Davidic kingdom and filled with visions of political, military and financial power. But, be that as it may, in this moment recorded for us by Matthew, Peter gets it right and has the boldness to proclaim it publicly.

There is a challenge for us in Peter’s response. A challenge that touches our lives both as church and as individuals. How willing are we to proclaim who Jesus Christ is? How eager are we? How clearly do we state this fundamental truth of the Christian faith? Jesus...the messiah and son of the living God. At work in the world and in our lives and in this church community. But the challenge is not just about saying the words, but living in this truth. Jesus is Lord, Saviour, Messiah, and living in, through and among us. This should most certainly affect the way we see ourselves, others and the world around us. It should affect our attitudes and our actions, for we are, as church and disciples of Christ, the physical presence and expression of our living Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

There is comfort, too. The reminder that we will not always understand our Lord and his relationship with us. We will not always have the words or the boldness to proclaim or confess what we know to be true about Jesus. And yet God will continue to live and work in and through us, just as he worked through Peter. For ahead lay Pentecost and Peter’s bold preaching. Ahead lay imprisonment...Bold witnessing to Jews and Gentiles...and ultimately death. Eventually Peter lived up to the confession he made that day so many years before when Jesus asked:

“Who do you say I am?”

How do you answer?