Matthew 16:15-16..Ready

Matthew 16:15-16..Ready

16:15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” (Some assume Jesus is preparing them for His departure. What will they say about Christ if they are interrogated? What will they say about him when they are asked about him after His death?) 16  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Peter often gets in wrong, he’s the disciple we often find putting his foot in his mouth. But here he gets it exactly right-(New)  (For Complete Expository See Book)

Extended Sermons 

“Calls for a personal decision for Jesus. Not what your parents say, your church says, your small group leader says, but what do you say!“⇒ A decision for Christ is more than agreeing with church doctrine. It’s more than a code of conduct. It’s more than repeating what others say. It’s more than reciting the Catechism. It’s more than a confession of faith to get you in the door. You can’t get into heaven riding on the coattails of their parents faith. Your Pastors faith, your small group bible study faith. You have to make your own personal faith confession of Jesus. When you get to heaven Jesus isn’t going to ask you what church you were a member of. He’s not going to ask you how much money you gave. He’s not going to ask what title, office. or position you held in the church. He’s not going to ask you how long you served in the church. He’s going to ask you who do you say “I Am”. Your parents can’t answer that for you, Your church can’t answer that for you. Your youth pastor can’t answer that for you. Only you can answer that!  You might have a mother who’s a faithful believer. But that does not automatically make you a child of God. You might come from a long religious heritage, growing up in the Church, but that does not make you a believer. When you stand before the Lord you can’t say “My mama knew you, My daddy knew you, My grandma knew you. But have you personally known Jesus yourself!  That answer will be the difference between life and death. Salvation and judgment. Heaven and Hell.

“Warns no matter how earnest or genuine your faith, if not founded on a correct understanding of Jesus everything else falls short. ” → The foundation of Christian belief rests on a clear and accurate recognition of who Jesus truly is. No matter how deeply you believe or how earnest your commitment may be, misapprehending Jesus means missing the heart of Salvation. If not careful many can fall into “Easy-Believism” or “Cheap-Grace”. Where Salvation requires only intellectual agreement “believing” the facts—“Jesus is the Son of God, who died for our sins and raised to life on the third day” Easy “believism” quires no repentance, nor surrender, no transformed life, just repeat a prayer (sinner’s prayer) raise a hand, respond to an altar call is all that is required. No repentance, no heartfelt conviction of sin, no surrender to the Lordship of Christ  is needed. Getting Jesus’ Divine nature, character, and work right is essential for Salvation. If we misunderstand who Jesus is, then everything else—regardless of how genuine our beliefs may be—ultimately falls short. It is not enough to be sincere or passionate; Salvation depends on having an accurate understanding of Jesus. Misconceptions or errors about Him undermine the very foundation of our faith and relationship with God. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that our view of Jesus aligns with the truth, as this determines the validity and effectiveness of our spiritual journey.

“Teaches faith that is daily surrendered and submitted over to Christ is where the rubber meets the road.”→ The term “Where the rubber meets the road” originated in the automotive industry for the moment of contact between a vehicle’s tires and the road surface, where the theoretical potential of the tires is translated into actual motion to ensure the best performance and safety on all road and weather conditions. At the end of the day, it’s to see how well the tire performed. Metaphorically it implies the transition from mere talk or planning to concrete action. For Christians, the idiom “Where the rubber meets the road” describes the critical moment when theory is put into practice, or when a belief is tested in the real world.  Where the rubber meets the road is where theoretical knowledge moves beyond curiosity or superficial popularity to practice. This is the point where our beliefs move from theory to reality. When challenges arise, our response reveals the depth of our faith and commitment to Christ. Do we respond with love, kindness, and forgiveness, as Jesus taught? Do we hold onto our trust in God when circumstances are difficult or when we are tempted to revert to old habits? Living out our confession means allowing our relationship with Jesus to shape our attitudes, reactions, and the way we treat others. Faith that is active and visible in our daily lives demonstrates the reality of our relationship with Jesus. It’s in these moments—when we choose to obey God, extend grace, or stand firm in our values—that our faith becomes tangible and impactful. This is where the Christian life is truly lived out, not just in what we believe, but in how we embody those beliefs each day.

“Teaches how confessing Christ is not a one-time decision but a daily decision and moment by moment decision.”⇒ A genuine confession is an ongoing confession. Or to say it another way “Your greatest confession of Jesus, is your latest confession of Jesus.”. Confessing Jesus is one that is lived out in who Jesus is now. Who Jesus is in this challenge. Who Jesus is in this situation. Every day presents new opportunities and challenges that test our commitment to Jesus. Confessing Christ is a continual process—it’s about choosing Him again and again in the midst of life’s distractions, temptations, and uncertainties. Whether in moments of joy or struggle, we are called to reaffirm our faith, letting our actions, words, and attitudes reflect the reality of our relationship with Him. This ongoing confession builds spiritual resilience, deepens our trust, and shapes our character to be more like Christ. It’s not about a single declaration, but about living out our faith authentically, consistently, and courageously, regardless of circumstances. By making this conscious choice to follow Jesus each day, we allow His grace to transform us step by step, moment by moment, growing in faith and maturity for the journey ahead.

“Confessing Christ does not mean you come to it suddenly or perfectly.  It doesn’t mean you have no doubts. It doesn’t mean you have all your questions answered. It doesn’t mean you do things perfectly. But what It does mean is that you come with what little faith you have and place it in Jesus as Lord & Savior however weak and faltering it may be, and then watch God grow it.” ⇒ We have to assume that Peter’s faith wasn’t perfect when he said this. He probably had little sense of the magnitude of what he was actually confessing. We know this due to the fact that just a short time from now we will find Peter renouncing knowing the Lord three times at His trial. In fact one can argue that the rest of Peter’s life would be one of learning what the words he spoke at this moment actually meant. To confess faith in Christ doesn’t mean you got all the nuances of Justification, Sanctification, Redemption, Election, Predestination, etc. worked out. To confess Jesus doesn’t mean need a lot of information to put your faith in Jesus To confess Christ doesn’t mean you’ll live a life perfectly submitted to Him at all times. (No Christian is perfect all the time) Confessing Christ is more about what’s on the heart than what the mind can grasp in the moment. Not fully understanding something doesn’t’ make it any less true.  We can accept something we don’t yet fully understand. That’s what we call faith. Maybe your at this same place. You confessed Jesus as Lord & Savior, but there’s so many things you still struggle with. But we take comfort in knowing just as the Lord would work in Peter’s life in becoming a bold preacher of the Gospel and leader in the church. The Lord is at work in our lives as well. Like Peter we will one day come to understand that transforming grace is not an event, it’s a life long process.

Additional Notes & Applications

Displays how best questions are the probing question that move people to ponder and think.

Displays how every encounter we have with Jesus is getting us ready to answer this question.

Teaches how we should be able to go to our closest friends for support and the honest truth of what others think of us.

Calls for letting the world think what the world will think and do, but where do you stand when comes to Jesus!

Teaches how Jesus demands exclusive rights, It’s either Him or nothing.

Calls for a confession of Christ that will talk about Him with others when He comes up in a conversation.

Teaches how we don’t have a God that is distant, but a living God that is active and present.

Note: When faced with the question of who Jesus is? We have only two options. Either He’s a Lunatic and Lair, because He claimed to be God. Or He is God. The first option we would immediately have to take off the table. Jesus can’t be a lunatic. Lunatics don’t heal sick people and cast out  demons. Lunatics don’t speak the way Jesus spoke, think the way He thought. Lunatics don’t say the most pro­found and wisest words ever recorded. Lunatics who are out of their mind could not be right about so many other things. Lunatics don’t have followers who are willing die for someone they think is crazy and off their rocker. Lunatics aren’t marked by kindness and compassion. Jesus can’t be a liar. Liars don’t teach ethical truths or live morally upright lives. Liars don’t suffer and die, especially death on a cross for what they know is a lie. Very rarely will someone keep up a lie if they knew it was going to get them in trouble, let alone get them killed. Liars don’t expose hypocrisy and false error by their teachings. Liars don’t say seek truth in the scriptures. Liars don’t live poor and humble lives, they lie and cheat to get power, riches, and fame. Liars don’t die, be buried, and come out of the grave. So that leaves only one option, and that is Jesus is who He claimed to be; God!

Note: When Jesus raised this question He had not yet died on the cross or raised from the dead. So the disciples would have to give an answer without having all the evidence. So too with us this is not just an academic question to be answered, but a call to faith.

Notice how Jesus didn’t say; “What do you think of my teachings Or what do you think about my miracles. Or what do you think about my commands.”  All of these would have been a great questions. But it wouldn’t have demanded a deeper personal response. Jesus made the question of who He was absolutely central to His miracles, to His teaching, and to His commands, and to everything that He did and said on this earth. As someone once said, you can remove Mohammed from his teaching and you would still have the basic tenants of Islam. You can remove Confucius from his principles and you would still have Confucianism. You can remove the Buddha from his instructions and you will still have Buddhism. You can remove almost every great philosopher in history from his or her philosophic principles and you would still leave their philosophic system intact. But if you remove Christ from Christianity, you will no longer have Christianity; because Jesus made His own identity the central theme of all that He taught and did and commanded.

Note: When it comes to confessing who Jesus is, or if He was even a real person. What do we have to go on. They didn’t give people birth certificates in those days. There’s no DMV records, He didn’t have a drivers license. We don’t have His social security number. We don’t have His Facebook or Twitter profile. So how do we know Jesus was an historical figure. One way we can know is that people who lived during Jesus’ time wrote about Him. Cornelius Tacitus, a contemporary Roman historian wrote of the crucifixion of Jesus by Pontius Pilate. Mara Bar-Serapion, a Syrian historic philosopher. Wrote a letter around 70 A.D. to His son from prison. Mentioning Jesus as a “wise king” who was unjustly executed, which led to the fall of Jerusalem. The Jewish historian Josephus Flavious, in His book “Antiquities of the Jews”-(93-94 A.D.) Described Jesus as “a wise man who performed miraculous deeds who was crucified by Pontius Pilate. But those who loved him did not forsake him, and that he appeared to them alive on the third day.”  And Christians, who were named after him, still exist to this day.”-(Ant. 18,3) Josephus also mentions John the Baptist in Antiquities 18.5. Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman historian, mentions Jesus’ execution by Pontius Pilate.  Pliny the Younger, a Roman official and governor of Bithynia. In his letter to Emperor Trajan. Describes Christians as meeting before dawn on a fixed day to sing hymns to Christ, and to bind themselves by oath, not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery. The Talmud,-(4^th century) a collection of Jewish writings, contains references to Jesus, although often in a negative light, which still indicates Jesus’ historical existence and the impact of His teachings. Even today there’s no legitimate historians who disputes the existence of Jesus. Therefor we have ample proof that Jesus was a real historical person. But what about when it comes to who Jesus is and who He claimed to be. What do we have to go on. For that we have to look to the Gospels. The Apostle John, one of the Twelves disciple and part of inner circle of three closest to Jesus. In the beginning of his Gospel. John declares Jesus as God; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.-(John 1:1-3) The disciple Thomas, who at first doubted Jesus resurrection. But then after seeing Jesus said; “My Lord and my God!”-(John 20:27-29)  Peter when asked by Jesus ,who do you say I am. Responds “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.-(Matt. 16:15)  In the Gospel of John when Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus responded “If you have seen me you have seen the Father. For me and the Father are one”.-(John 14:8-9. 10:30, 8:58, ) Then we have the Apostle Paul in His letter to the Colossians church declares Jesus as; “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.-(Col. 1:15-17. 2:9, Cf. Phlip. 2:5-7, Heb. 1:3) The Gospels also recount numerous miracles performed by Jesus, such as healing the sick, calming the storm, and feeding thousands, which  demonstrate divine power. Not only that, but one of the strongest evidence for the truth of Jesus is prophecy and the predictions of God. The Gospels also recount numerous miracles performed by Jesus, such as healing the sick, calming the storm, and feeding thousands, which demonstrate divine power. Did you know there are over 400 prophecies in the Old Testament that have been fulfilled in Jesus. Many of these prophecies are very specific. Such as the place of Jesus’ birth being Bethlehem,-(Mic. 5:2) and the events around His birth, being born of a Virgin.-(Is. 7:14) His miracles in opening the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind.-(Is. 35:5) His crucifixion, that He would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.-(Zech. 11:12) that He would be crucified with thieves.-(Is. 53:12) That He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb.-( Is. 53:9) Isaiah prophesied Jesus as; “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.-(Is. 9:6) All of theses things are not something a person could control or force to come true about themselves unless they were God. The ability to foretell the future and precisely orchestrate events is seen as a divine attribute, further supporting the belief that Jesus is God! The last and greatest evidence we have to go on that Jesus is who He claimed to be is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit on a persons heart. As Paul proclaimed in his letter to the Corinthian church; “Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.-(1-Corn. 12:3)

WHAT CONFESSING CHRIST MEANS 

• It means seeing Jesus as Lord & Savior

• It means giving up any hope of Saving yourself to trusting Jesus to Save you

• It means confessing Jesus’ divine rule & authority over your life

• It means confessing Jesus’ sinless nature and character, having lived a perfect life

• It means giving all worship, devotion, and glory to Jesus

• It means confessing Jesus openly and publicly before others

• It means a committed to follow Christ

• It means you serve Jesus as King who rules over your life

• It means fully submitting and obeying Christ

• It means you follow and obey Jesus’ teachings

• It means giving up your right to run your own life to letting Jesus rule it

• It means following Jesus no matter the hardships or sacrifices

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