Reverend Doug Webster: Matthew 16:23 - 16:28

In our society, there is a prevailing concept of the self that basically says "I think, I feel, I desire, or I dream, therefore I am.” We decide who we are. Identity, meaning, worth and purpose—all are self-selective. The existential self is an imperial self that sets up self-rule and declares, “Long live me!” In this section of Matthew, Jesus is at a critical point of his life with his disciples in clarifying who he is and what he will accomplish: He is establishing his self-identity. What does this mean for our own identity, and how does the identity of Christ establish the message of the gospel?