Two Questions Matthew 16:13-16
We are all here because we believe in God. We believe what the Bible says. We believe that Jesus died and rose again. This is a great start, but are we what would be described as disciples of Christ?
The Bible is full of information and answers as to how we are to live as Christians, but to know if we are disciples of Christ, we must look at our answers to pivotal questions Jesus asks. How we answer these questions goes to the heart of the bigger question, are we disciples of Christ? The first question is here in our reading, Matthew 16:15, “Who do you say I am?”
Imagine someone later today asks you, “Who is Jesus? What will your answer be? Jesus is the son of Joseph and Mary. Jesus is the one who died on the cross. Jesus was born on Christmas. All of these are true, well we can debate the Christmas one. Scripture says there were shepherds in the fields with their flocks, this puts Jesus’ birth in the spring, around the same time as Easter. Pope Julius 1 set the date at December 25 in 350 AD, and the popular reason why is because the church was Christianizing the pagans who worshiped the sun god, Sol Inviticus, around that time and the church wanted to replace this with a Christian celebration.
Anyway, all the answers I gave to this simple question, “Who do you say I am?” are true. They are factual but they don’t make those giving the answers disciples. What sets Peter’s answer apart from these is his is not a description of earthly facts; verse 16, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
Peter declares Jesus is not from earth, he declares Jesus is from heaven. He declares Jesus is from the one true and ever living Almighty God. Whether Peter understands it or not he is articulating Jesus is the embodiment of God’s plan laid out in Genesis 3:6, the plan of a seed of a woman would crush the head of the serpent.
Now, we need to look at the details of where this question is asked, verse 13, “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi…” This area is important to understand the depth of Peter’s answer to Jesus. This area had many cliffs and caves, and it had many statues to pagan gods in the cliffs. It was also the location of the Cave of Pan, the place of the pagan’s gates to the underworld. When Peter acknowledges here that Jesus is the Son of God, he is stating for the world that Jesus comes from, and is, the one and only God. Peter is stating that all the statues and idols of the pagans are just carved dead stone with no power, but that Jesus is the Living God and all powerful. Peter is stating that Jesus stands before, and he conquers the very gates of hell. By calling Jesus the Son of the Living God here among these hills and caves, he is declaring “This is the one to whom total allegiance is to be given, there is no one above Jesus.” And this makes Peter a disciple.
Again, I ask how would you answer, “Who is Jesus?” Is your answer a culmination of tangible facts we’ve learned such as “He is Joseph and Mary’s son.” If that is the case, you may very well be a believer.
Matthew 8:28-29, “When he arrived at the other side…two demon possessed men…met him. ‘What do you want with us, Son of God?’” Even demons believe in who Jesus is but they could never be called disciples.
Who is Jesus? He is the one who frees me from eternal damnation. He is my Lord and Master. He is the one I give my praise and worship to. He is the one I follow. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the approach to the Father. These are not earthly facts, these are spiritual truths that can as Jesus says are “not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17) If you respond this way, with the spiritual truth of Jesus, then you are a disciple.
The spiritual truth of Jesus cannot come from our head, it must come from our heart. And like he does with Peter with this next question, he does with us; Jesus knocks on the exterior of our heart to see what answers. John 21:17, “Do you love me?”
Jesus shows us through Peter that admitting he is the Messiah is a requirement to discipleship. Now using Peter again, Jesus delves into what a disciple of the Lord is.
This conversation between Jesus and Peter likely took place in Aramaic but it is recorded in scripture in Greek, and it’s the Greek that opens this exchange to its deepest understanding for us.
John 21:15, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” This question has two sides. First, the word “love” is translated from the Greek word “agapao.”
We may fall in love with someone out of attraction, agapao love is much more than this. Agapao is love that is unconcerned with self and is concerned only with the greatest good of another. Agapao love is the love Jesus displayed as he went to the cross in our place.
Do you love me? Peter replies in John 21:15, “Yes Lord…you know that I love you.” But Peter uses the word “phileo” which is the love of friendship, a love born out of similar interests.
John 21:16, “Again Jesus said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’” And again, Peter answers “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” (John 21:16) And again, Jesus uses agapao while Peter uses phileo. Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him above all else, forsaking everything and everyone else in his life. And Peter’s response? “I love you as one of my dearest friends.”
Even after everything they’ve been through, Peter seems to be short of what Jesus asks of him. At first glance it would appear Jesus would get mad at Peter.
Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…” Jesus fully understands that true agapao love does not come naturally to us
and rather than get angry, Jesus acknowledges our humanity; John 21:17, “The third time (Jesus) said to him, ‘Simpon, son of John, do you love me?’” And this time Jesus uses the word phileo. “Peter, do you love me like family?” And once again Peter replies, “…you know that I love you.” (John 21:17)
It is important to note that after each of these three questions and Peter’s response, Jesus tells Peter to tend to his flock. All of this has important meaning for us and for our discipleship.
Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, one for each of Peter’s denials. By this we are taught that no matter how many times we deny Jesus by our sin; each time we have the opportunity to re-declare our love for him. And as many times as this may happen, Jesus still trusts us to do his work among men.
So now we must ask ourselves, do we think of Jesus as a culmination of earthly facts or do we think of Jesus as our spiritual savior, as Lord over our lives? Do we think of Jesus as someone we give attention to only on Sunday mornings, or is he as engrained in our life as our most dear and intimate family and friends?
Jesus loves you above everything else in the universe. Jesus will never abandon you. Jesus will always trust you to do his work among men. Each person who believes must ask themselves, am I just a believer, or am I a disciple?
Each of us must answer these two questions posed by Jesus for ourselves, “Who do you say that I am,” “Do you love me?”