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Matthew 16:13-16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
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, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[a] the Son of the living God.”
---
A couple of weeks ago I preached a sermon titled, “where?” The setting of the passage is a moment in time when Jesus’ teaching actually a turned people off and his huge following started to desert him. As the crowds dwindled, Jesus turned to his disciples and asked the question, “will you leave me too?” Peter responded with a question of his own, an existential hum-dinger, “where would we go apart from you?”
Today’s scripture passage strikes me as similar in that an actual real life existential question is asked. It is the kind of question, that when answered, causes a change in your life.
Jesus is alone with his disciples and he asks them a question to which he already has the answer.
“Who do people say that I am?”
Their answer is that people see him as a spiritual rock star. “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
And then he asks, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Who do people say that Jesus is? In the 21st century, in 2020, in America?
Some of the old standby answers include:
An historical figure
A fictional character
A teacher
A religion founder
A swami
A mystic
A magician
Other answers to the question, who do people say that I am?
Some say that Jesus is...
A moral compass. With his guidance, we learn what’s right behavior and what is wrong behavior. I agree with this completely.
I guess, my problem is that the morality and values that some people say Jesus espoused don’t come from Jesus.
It seems odd to me that to many people, the most important things that Jesus teaches us about are,
abortion
and gay and trans people,
even though Jesus never speaks on either of these two things specifically in the gospels.
He does talk a lot about love, acceptance, grace, and compassion and it strikes me that these are the moral imperatives which should serve as our compass.
Some say Jesus is
A revolutionary, a liberator. Many folks my age cut their theological teeth on liberation theology. A prevailing theological construct that places God solidly on the side of the poor. So much of it is helpful and meaningful, but as with any politicized theology, some advocate non-Jesus ideas to help meet the ends that are sought.
I buy wholeheartedly the concept that Jesus is a friend and a champion for the poor, but I also believe, that while Jesus’ his love reaches to all of us regardless of our financial status and social standing.
Some people declare that Jesus is
The defender of the American way.
In this understanding of Jesus, he ceases to be seen as a middle eastern Jewish man thoroughly ensconced in the social milieu of his time and is transformed into a spokesman for the American ideal, even when the Jesus of Scripture teaches against the very things being advocated in our society.
Jesus becomes a national God.
It is all very Tribal.
In the same vain, Jesus is understood as being
On our side
The political leader of our country recently said to a group of evangelical leaders, “God is on our side.”
The statement, God is on our side, is fine, unless we assume that God on our side means that God is against others. there is the connotation that “Our side will win” because God is with us and not with those other people.
This understanding of Jesus enhances the “us against them” motif that is so rampant among Christians.
Some say Jesus is
A righteous warrior
Perhaps you remember singing as child in Vacation Bible School,
I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never shoot for the enemy
But I'm in the Lord's army!
Among favorite hymns in some churches “the battle hymn of the republic,” written by an abolitionist to give courage to the righteous union troops during the civil war and seems to describe the Warrior God wrecking havoc with “the fateful lighting of his terrible swift sword.”
And to be honest, warrior language is biblical.
Some people interpret the book of Revelation to say that Jesus died as Savior but will come back as victorious and vengeful warrior.
But, the kind of warrior Jesus appears to be in Scripture, and the kind of warrior Christians are called to be in Scripture are warriors for love, of peace, of grace.
Some people say that Jesus is
A capitalist,
others say he is a socialist,
still, others say he is a communist
But I say, to assign any economic theory to Jesus is to miss the point.
Some say Jesus is
A republican,
Others say he is a Democrat.
I have been told on several occasions, usually when I am being scolded for being too progressive, that, “you cannot be a Christian and vote for a democrat.”
I am sure that sentiment works the other way as well.
But, Jesus was neither a republican or a Democrat. The kingdom he announced is so much bigger and so much more beautiful than politics.
Some say that Jesus is
A pragmatist
This understanding allows people to adjust their sense of right and wrong, their sense of truth, their sense of rightness according to the popular winds of the moment.
Jesus, rather, was an idealist. His ideals centered around the Kingdom of God, love, kindness and forgiveness.
These are all options for understanding Jesus, and options many accept.
But now the question, gets real serious, when Jesus asks his followers,
“Who do you say that I am”
Peter’s answer is beautiful.
You are the Christ, Χριστός.
The Greek word Χριστός is synonymous with the Word Messiah.
The one anointed by God to bring change to the world. And it is important to note that divinity is not necessary to be the Messiah.
But along with being Christ, Messiah, Peter proclaims
υιός του θεόυ του ζωντος
Son of God of Life
Or as is commonly translated, the Son of the living God.
Υιός literally means “son’” or ‘offspring”
For the New Testament writers, υιός is understood as
‘In the nature of’
‘Containing the being of’
This relationship of Creator and Christ reminds me of the old saying,
‘Like Father, like son,” or more modernly,
“Like parent, like child”
A child who reflects his or her parents is said to be “a chip off the old block,”
When they are quite similar, they are
“Two peas in a pod.”
In the words of Jesus in the gospel of John, “when you see me, you see the Creator”
Jesus is anointed as Messiah to speak the truth of God because in essence, Jesus is the human face and heart of God.
And so, when Jesus speaks, we listen,
Love
Acceptance
Forgiveness
Mercy
Service
Kindness
It is who and what we strive to be because we believe, with Peter, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Amen.
View all episodes
By Pastor Steve MechemMatthew 16:13-16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
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, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[a] the Son of the living God.”
---
A couple of weeks ago I preached a sermon titled, “where?” The setting of the passage is a moment in time when Jesus’ teaching actually a turned people off and his huge following started to desert him. As the crowds dwindled, Jesus turned to his disciples and asked the question, “will you leave me too?” Peter responded with a question of his own, an existential hum-dinger, “where would we go apart from you?”
Today’s scripture passage strikes me as similar in that an actual real life existential question is asked. It is the kind of question, that when answered, causes a change in your life.
Jesus is alone with his disciples and he asks them a question to which he already has the answer.
“Who do people say that I am?”
Their answer is that people see him as a spiritual rock star. “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
And then he asks, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Who do people say that Jesus is? In the 21st century, in 2020, in America?
Some of the old standby answers include:
An historical figure
A fictional character
A teacher
A religion founder
A swami
A mystic
A magician
Other answers to the question, who do people say that I am?
Some say that Jesus is...
A moral compass. With his guidance, we learn what’s right behavior and what is wrong behavior. I agree with this completely.
I guess, my problem is that the morality and values that some people say Jesus espoused don’t come from Jesus.
It seems odd to me that to many people, the most important things that Jesus teaches us about are,
abortion
and gay and trans people,
even though Jesus never speaks on either of these two things specifically in the gospels.
He does talk a lot about love, acceptance, grace, and compassion and it strikes me that these are the moral imperatives which should serve as our compass.
Some say Jesus is
A revolutionary, a liberator. Many folks my age cut their theological teeth on liberation theology. A prevailing theological construct that places God solidly on the side of the poor. So much of it is helpful and meaningful, but as with any politicized theology, some advocate non-Jesus ideas to help meet the ends that are sought.
I buy wholeheartedly the concept that Jesus is a friend and a champion for the poor, but I also believe, that while Jesus’ his love reaches to all of us regardless of our financial status and social standing.
Some people declare that Jesus is
The defender of the American way.
In this understanding of Jesus, he ceases to be seen as a middle eastern Jewish man thoroughly ensconced in the social milieu of his time and is transformed into a spokesman for the American ideal, even when the Jesus of Scripture teaches against the very things being advocated in our society.
Jesus becomes a national God.
It is all very Tribal.
In the same vain, Jesus is understood as being
On our side
The political leader of our country recently said to a group of evangelical leaders, “God is on our side.”
The statement, God is on our side, is fine, unless we assume that God on our side means that God is against others. there is the connotation that “Our side will win” because God is with us and not with those other people.
This understanding of Jesus enhances the “us against them” motif that is so rampant among Christians.
Some say Jesus is
A righteous warrior
Perhaps you remember singing as child in Vacation Bible School,
I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never shoot for the enemy
But I'm in the Lord's army!
Among favorite hymns in some churches “the battle hymn of the republic,” written by an abolitionist to give courage to the righteous union troops during the civil war and seems to describe the Warrior God wrecking havoc with “the fateful lighting of his terrible swift sword.”
And to be honest, warrior language is biblical.
Some people interpret the book of Revelation to say that Jesus died as Savior but will come back as victorious and vengeful warrior.
But, the kind of warrior Jesus appears to be in Scripture, and the kind of warrior Christians are called to be in Scripture are warriors for love, of peace, of grace.
Some people say that Jesus is
A capitalist,
others say he is a socialist,
still, others say he is a communist
But I say, to assign any economic theory to Jesus is to miss the point.
Some say Jesus is
A republican,
Others say he is a Democrat.
I have been told on several occasions, usually when I am being scolded for being too progressive, that, “you cannot be a Christian and vote for a democrat.”
I am sure that sentiment works the other way as well.
But, Jesus was neither a republican or a Democrat. The kingdom he announced is so much bigger and so much more beautiful than politics.
Some say that Jesus is
A pragmatist
This understanding allows people to adjust their sense of right and wrong, their sense of truth, their sense of rightness according to the popular winds of the moment.
Jesus, rather, was an idealist. His ideals centered around the Kingdom of God, love, kindness and forgiveness.
These are all options for understanding Jesus, and options many accept.
But now the question, gets real serious, when Jesus asks his followers,
“Who do you say that I am”
Peter’s answer is beautiful.
You are the Christ, Χριστός.
The Greek word Χριστός is synonymous with the Word Messiah.
The one anointed by God to bring change to the world. And it is important to note that divinity is not necessary to be the Messiah.
But along with being Christ, Messiah, Peter proclaims
υιός του θεόυ του ζωντος
Son of God of Life
Or as is commonly translated, the Son of the living God.
Υιός literally means “son’” or ‘offspring”
For the New Testament writers, υιός is understood as
‘In the nature of’
‘Containing the being of’
This relationship of Creator and Christ reminds me of the old saying,
‘Like Father, like son,” or more modernly,
“Like parent, like child”
A child who reflects his or her parents is said to be “a chip off the old block,”
When they are quite similar, they are
“Two peas in a pod.”
In the words of Jesus in the gospel of John, “when you see me, you see the Creator”
Jesus is anointed as Messiah to speak the truth of God because in essence, Jesus is the human face and heart of God.
And so, when Jesus speaks, we listen,
Love
Acceptance
Forgiveness
Mercy
Service
Kindness
It is who and what we strive to be because we believe, with Peter, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Amen.