Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20
Given 20 August 2017 at Studley Parish Church

At the beginning of today’s reading, Christ asks: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” and there are various responses from His disciples. Reading this, I’m always reminded of the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland who incredulously asks Alice, “Who are you?”

Who are you? How do you define yourself? Does this align with who others say you are? Have you ever considered who people say you are?

I have a sneaking suspicion many of us have thought of what others think or say about us, but have you ever considered who people say you are? Do they say you are your position? As in a teacher, or a nurse, or a counsellor? Do they say you are your relationship to others? A mother, a father, a sibling, a spouse? Does anybody define who you are as being a follower of Christ?

Who are you? Who would you want others to say you are?

After the opening question, Christ asks, “Who do you say I am?” Addressing His followers, He is asking if they even know who they are following.

As followers of Christ ourselves, who do we say Christ is? I’ll give you a moment to think on that and then I’d like us to share our thoughts… Does this response change based on who we are talking to?

So who do we say Christ is?

We have varied interpretations of who Christ is. When Christ asked His disciples, Simon Peter responded, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Simon Peter recognized that Jesus was the true Saviour of the Jewish nation and He was not only man, but also the son of God. And not just any god, the living God. The God that is greater than any statues or false idols. The God that surrounds us all with His eternal love.

Once Simon Peter responded, Christ said, “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven.” How do we receive the mysteries of Christ? While I hope my words speak to you today, I pray that I am merely a vessel to reveal the glories of God. As we sit in church and listen to the message, it is vital that we listen with more than just our ears. When I finish my talk, we’ll be singing Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord. We should also pray the Lord open the ears of our heart so He can speak to us. We must be active in listening and hearing not only the words of flesh and blood, but also the message of our Father in Heaven.

Once Simon Peter reveals who he knows Christ to be, Jesus rewards him, calling him “Peter”, or the Greek word “Petros” which means rock or stone. Simon Peter’s faith is so strong that Christ chose him as the foundation on which to build His church.

Imagine the rewards we could receive for recognizing who Christ is? We don’t even have to imagine. We’ve already been promised our rewards in Heaven should we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and turn our eyes to Him. These mortal chains are but a temporary burden for those who know the Love of Christ.

And how joyful it is for those of us who know who Christ is? See, after praising Simon Peter, Jesus instructed His disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Self-discovery is essential to growing our faith. This can be said for anything really. How many times have you parents told your children not to touch the hot pan, just to turn around and catch them doing it? The world we live in is just a giant hot pan with the fire of sin surrounding us. Our loving Father in Heaven has given us the tools to follow so we don’t get hurt, but we inevitably find ourselves in situations where we get burnt. While falling from time to time is unavoidable, we have the choice to turn to our Saviour and declare who He is with our thoughts, words, and actions. Once we know in our heart of hearts who He is, it becomes much easier to answer the sceptical caterpillar when he asks, “Who are you?”