WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I AM? – April 2019
TODAY’S REFERENCE: Matthew 16:1-17
16 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.5 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some 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 answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
We have often heard it said, “A penny for your thoughts”. How much importance do we place on people’s opinion of us? By the same token, Jesus asked the disciples about people’s opinion of Him.
The disciples followed Jesus closely and often were amazed that He told them what they discussed among themselves. It is reasonable to think that as Jesus interacted with them, He observed their actions, gestures and conversations. He already knew each one’s tendency, yet from time to time, He questioned them. Judas was cunning; James and John needed much love; Andrew and Philip were obedient evangelists; Thomas second-guessed; Bartholomew adhered to the law; James, Thaddeus, and Simon were all not very vocal nor active; Matthew was a dishonest tax collector and Peter was bold.
Jesus saw these traits that earmarked each disciple. Peter’s temperament made him suitable to be the one to take initiatives and become the spokesman on several occasions (Luke 9: 33, Mark 8:29, Matthew 14:28, Matthew 26:35, Acts 3:6).
Jesus, the Master Teacher, taught His disciples from the known to the unknown. They understood the relationship between bread and hunger and that is as far as their mind had gone. Yet, Jesus directed them to another level in their walk: the level that dictates that the Word was a vital part of their existence (Matthew 4:4). When Jesus spoke of leaven, He addressed the real need of man: that to denounce sin and embrace the Bread of Life. It is on that level that we will hear what The Spirit says (Revelation 2:17). On that level, faith must be exercised so that we can please God.
Faith in action means that we expect to see The Word literally work for us. Exercising faith can be equated with one’s placing the key in the ignition and expecting the engine to start. Whenever we get in a vehicle that is in good working condition, we don’t usually raise the hood to check for the battery, dipstick, alternator etc. These things are taken for granted and all systems should be go. Why then do we underestimate the potency of God’s word?
The disciples placed great emphasis on the word/doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Although their beliefs were somewhat contrary to what Jesus demonstrated (signs and miracles), the Jews (including the disciples) were persuaded by the letter of the law (The Pentateuch – Genesis to Deuteronomy). Each sect had their own belief in the resurrection or none; traditions; prejudice against non-Jews; mankind’s free will; priests and their political influence; and that head knowledge was the end all. Jesus therefore cautioned His followers against the impact of those beliefs. Instead, He diverted their attention from bread to food for thought.
Jesus took the disciples away from the crowd over to the other side even as the Pharisees and Sadducees asked for a sign. He had their total attention then, so it was the perfect time to share a life’s lesson. The foundation of their lifestyle lay in the answer to the question: “Who do you say that I am?” He waits and gets us in a place where He can commune with us and reason with our spirit. Where is that other side that He wants us, just to Himself?
It is easy for us to look outward and point to others, therefore Jesus used this tactic by first asking them, “Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Since the disciples interacted in the streets, it took very little time for them to respond. They informed Jesus that He was considered to be John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, a great prophet. Those prophets made declarations about the Messiah and preached in order to prepare the way for His coming. Jesus, being present among them, was confirming His divinity via miracles, although they did not recognize that.
What about us? Can we identify Him by what He does for us? The revelation of His Sonship could be seen only by those who were spiritually aware (John 3:2). Even then, Nicodemus said, God was WITH Jesus, NOT that Jesus was the Son of God, being a part of the God-head.
When the disciples had gotten it out of their system to tell what others said, Jesus had them look inward to their own hearts. His question then became, “BUT, whom do YOU say that I am?” In other words, Jesus gave them the opportunity to disregard what others said about Him. He already knew their character, persuasion, and temperament so He dealt with them accordingly, and He does the same with us. He knew the weariness of Peter, James and John; the tenderheartedness of John; the dishonesty of Judas; the disbelief of Thomas; the cowardice of Bartholomew (Nathanael), among others, but He wanted them to verbalize their opinion of Him, based on the relationship they had with Him.
There is something about words. When we speak, we activate other senses, our spirit and our mind. While they were thinking about the answer, the Spirit prompted Peter to say, “You are the Christ, Son of the living God.” This Christ, the Anointed One revealed to them the prophecy of Isaiah 61: 1-3. In essence, Peter recognized and announced the divine authority that graced Jesus.
The things that Jesus both said and did demonstrated God’s indwelling might. The signs testified that the Man that walked with them and always sought His Father, had to be the expected Messiah. There was no rationale as to why Jesus did not fit the bill. He knew their thoughts; healed the sick and afflicted; spoke to illnesses from afar; made wine from water; multiplied food; prophesied His death and resurrection; related to Abraham; granted forgiveness; did not discriminate; and most of all, gave them a promise of His return.
The Son of the living God submitted to His Father in every aspect in His life and in turn was sanctioned by God. All these were proof positive to Peter and others of Jesus’ divinity. Now, who do YOU SAY that Jesus is?
Isaiah 9:6 says, “His name shall be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Does He assume those functions in our everyday activities? As we reflect on our experiences, does our spirit remind us of the times when Jesus has been all of those and more to us?
The Sanhedrin (Jewish Council) had the authority, therefore the law of Moses and the importance of traditions, were dominant in the culture. Since man was created with a hunger for the divine, pagan worship was the norm. Gods of wood and stone were respected and celebrated throughout the land, although the religious Jews still expected Messiah, Redeemer.
Peter’s announcement discredited the religious customs while giving credence to the fact that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, the expected Messiah. Can we imagine the astonishment on the other disciples’ face? Maybe, Peter himself, was amazed that those words came from his lips (Psalm 19:14). The atmosphere must have been tense when Jesus immediately responded to Peter’s declaration by saying, “Flesh and blood did not reveal that to you, Peter.” They were all aware that Messiah should come, NOT that He HAD come.
There was no bread for their stomachs, but again Jesus reverted their attention to bread for the soul. Only through the Holy Spirit will we learn some truths, if we allow Him to be the dominant teacher in our life.
Jesus was viewed in different aspects to different people: the Samaritan woman… a man who discerned her lifestyle (John 4:28,29); the woman with the issue of blood… a great physician (Luke 8:43-44); Mary and Martha… the Resurrection and life (John 11:25); the bride and groom at Cana…the winemaker (John 2:10);the merchants in the Temple… a menacing target (Matthew 21:12, 13); Pontius Pilate… a faultless convict (John 19:4); and the soldiers at the cross… truly the Son of God (Mark 15: 39).
When we sit exams, we would be extremely successful if the answers were embedded in the questions. In Matthew 16:13, both the inquiry and the response were given. Today, we are still being asked, “Who do you say that I am?”
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
According to our confession of who Jesus is to us, how do we demonstrate the said relationship with Him? Give at least three examples.