QT 1/6/2022 Matt 16:13-20, Believing is the first step to real change in our lives

 

Matthew 16:13–20 (ESV) —

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.

 

NOTE: The opinion outside of the disciples, or at least what they heard, was quite diverse regarding the identity of Jesus. It is interesting that none of the answers was the "Messiah," suggesting the unpopularity of the belief or unbelief in general. Additionally, one wonders if a "cancel" culture might have existed in Israel for anyone to oppose the religious leaders suggesting Jesus was the Messiah. So, Jesus gets far away from Israel proper to the district of Caesarea Philippi to share the next stage. He asks them who they thought he was and Peter, speaking for the group, says that he is the Messiah (the Christ), the Son of the living God. He did not say, a son of God or God's son, he used a very emphatic statement. They believed, they did not understand everything. They would get a lot of things wrong, but they believed. And the start of change, all change, is believing.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I truly believe Jesus is the Son of the living God? It is an incredible statement if you spend just a little time thinking through the implications.

 

PRAYER: Father, I do believe your Son, a person of the trinity God, somehow took on human form, lived and died and rose again on Earth. It is unbelievable to think. I hope if I had lived in that time, I would have had the courage to join the disciples. But, I do believe today. And I have seen the incredible change in my life that believing in you does to a person. Thank you!