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Pentecost 12, 08/27/2017
Sermon on Matthew 16:21-28, by Andrew Smith
Matthew 16:13-20 (ESV® copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.)
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.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
The text for the sermon this morning is the Gospel reading we just heard.
For the past six Sundays we have listened as Jesus has described in parables what the kingdom of heaven, the active reigning of heaven on earth looks like. And we have watched as Jesus worked three important miracles. He fed five thousand men plus women and children with five loaves and two small fish, walked on water and got Peter out on the water too, and healed the daughter of a Canaanite woman with a word. All of that was lead up to this question: “Who do people say that I am?”
It’s a great question. There are multiple answers and the disciples run through the options with Jesus. Some say John the Baptist raised from the dead. But Jesus isn’t John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. That’s interesting because Jesus has done miracles like Elijah did. Still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets. That’s a really interesting conclusion because Jesus is very much like Jeremiah. We could have a whole Bible class looking at the connections between Jesus and Jeremiah and the prophetic role of Jesus. But, no, Jesus is not Jeremiah. That night back on the lake when Jesus walked out to the boat on the water the disciples themselves said that Jesus was the Son of God and they worshipped him. That’s a pretty good indication of who Jesus is. Just last week we heard the Canaanite woman call Jesus, “Lord,” and “Son of David.” We could have another whole Bible class on who had the better answer, the Canaanite woman or the disciples? But even after the night on the lake and meeting the Canaanite woman, Jesus still wants to know who the people and who the disciples say that he is. Up to this point Jesus isn’t satisfied with any of the answers he’s heard so far. It’s a great question and there are multiple answers.
Jesus is not a politician and he’s not talking a public interest poll. He turns his question to the disciples. Who do you all say that I am. That’s actually how the Greek reads, that’s a plural you. “But you all. Who do you all say that I am? And Simon Peter replied…” Now it’s not fair that you know this passage so well because if you didn’t know the passage and you had been reading along in Matthew’s Gospel and all you knew about Peter up to this point was what you had previously read, what would you be expecting? Well, we would be expecting Peter to get the answer wrong. Peter was the double doubter back on the lake that night and now he’s about to answer Jesus’ question. “And Simon Peter replied… you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!” Peter gets it right but he doesn’t get it right all on his own. “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!” Jesus says, “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” There are two things that are important about this little Bible verse and the second most important is this: that no one can truly say who Jesus really is apart from God the Father revealing this knowledge to them. The most important thing is this: Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is God’s Christ.
I said that most of you are probably familiar enough with not only this passage but the rest of the Bible and basic theology to be saying right now in your head, this is the part where the preacher launches into the whole, Jesus is the Old Testament fulfillment of God’s promises part of the sermon. All of God’s old covenant promises find their “Yes” in Jesus. And you’d be right, except that this morning I want to do that a little differently.
On your way to church this morning what did you see? Any car accidents? Maybe not but you know people not only have them, sometimes they can be so dangerous that people die in them. It’s very tragic. I’m reminded of this more and more by these “In Memory of” stickers some people are putting on the back windows of their cars. Injury or death in car accidents is just one example of the brokenness of our world. You probably didn’t see any accidents on the way to church because there are far fewer cars on the road at 8:30 to 9:30 on Sunday mornings than there are at any other morning. The lack of cars on the road on Sunday morning is evidence of the power of sin and rebellion against God and His Word in our world. Maybe you stopped on the way in this morning to visit the grave of one of your loved ones either here or at another cemetery. Or maybe you’re planning to do that after church. Many people visit cemeteries on Sundays. But we should always remember we were not created for death. There was no cemetery in the Garden of Eden. Death is the ultimate example of everything that is wrong with our world and the brokenness of it. Our world is so broken, so twisted some even call death good, they call it relief. Death is not good, it is our enemy. It is the punishment from God for sin.
Oh, how our world is corrupted. Whole peoples are starving and their leaders won’t allow the food sent by the international community to be sent in. Young people burn down buildings just to watch them burn. Entire nations forbid the practice of Christianity publicly. Peoples rise up against other peoples because of the color of skin or the religion they follow and hate them and try to kill as many of them as possible. And politicians prey on that hatred and the fears it generates not to take care of the problems but to stay in office, to stay in power over others. Even the earth itself generates hurricanes and heat waves, blizzards and super storms, earthquakes and tsunamis. Even our relationships are polluted with selfishness. The marriage between Adam and Eve we have turned into an entire culture of hook up, shack up and break up, with whomsoever we please. And we sometimes wonder why were so unhappy. Would that God would come back and straighten all this mess out. Would that God would rend the heavens and come down! (Isa 64:1) Would that God would make good on his promises to bless all the peoples of the earth through his chosen Israel. Would that God would come and dwell with his people and be their God and that there would be no more crying and no more pain, and no more super storms and no more scorching heat and no more starving people and no more political instability because there would be no need for politicians. And no more death. No. More. Death. Would that God would come and rescue us from all these things that terrify us and imprison us and kill us and restore that which he originally intended for us.
And the Good News is, of course, that there is One who came. Prophesied long ago, he was of the house and lineage of David, king of ancient Israel. His birth and his infancy were protected by God. His true identity is not in doubt. There was a genuine prophet of God Most High who came before him to announce his arrival. When he arrived, he was tempted in the wilderness by Satan for forty days and did not give in. He came preaching that the rule of God in heaven was now restored on earth and he proved it by healing countless people of their illness, some of them even incurable, lepers and people born blind and others who had been sick for years and years. And he cast out demons too. He worked against the rule of Satan in this world and freed many people from demonic possession. And when he taught, he spoke as though he were God himself. He had power over nature. He could still storms and walk on water. And he raised the dead. The crowds that had gathered at the little girl’s house had laughed at him when he said she was just sleeping. But he had gone in and touched her hand and the girl arose. Jesus has power over death itself. The one whom God the Father sent, came to make everything that was wrong in this world right, heal the sick and even destroy the power of death. This is who Peter confesses Jesus to be, the “Sent One” of God. Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one of God, sent to restore the kingdom of heaven on earth, sent to destroy even the power of death.
Jesus, God’s Christ has come to reign and to restore the kingdom of heaven on earth. I said before that the people who have a hard time believing that Jesus could do these miracles don’t misunderstand the miracles. They misunderstand Jesus, the Christ of God. Jesus is not just God’s Son. Jesus is not just a good man. He is not just a descendent of the house of David of Israel. He is not just a prophet or miracle worker. Jesus is God’s Christ, his promised anointed one sent to restore his ruling on the earth. He ruled during his earthly ministry in powerful ways. He will come again to bring the Father’s plan to its consummation. Jesus is God’s Christ.
The kingdom of God Jesus came to restore is not a typical earthly kingdom. Matthew makes a point to tell us that Jesus was way up north in Caesarea Phillippi, some 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, in other words, they were about as far away from Jerusalem as they ever were. Jesus kingdom is not centered in Jerusalem. Jesus’ kingdom, at least for now, is an unusual kingdom marked chiefly by the forgiveness of sins. That doesn’t look like much to some folks but it means that what is done here on earth is already done before the throne of God in heaven. God’s Christ was enthroned at the cross in weakness and shame. But it will not always be. For he will come again with greatness and all the glory of heaven.
Jesus is God’s Christ. This is Peter’s confession and I pray it is yours too. Amen.
Please pray with me. Grant us grace, heavenly Father, that we like Peter may confess Jesus to be your Christ and so remain steadfast on the unshakable rock of our salvation. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.