The Most Important Question In All The World
Matthew 16:13 – 18 NLT
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,”
they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and
others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked
them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You
are (Christ) the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied,“You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my
Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this
from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter
(which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church,
and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
Last week we were in Galilee (Luke 5) and Jesus was having
dinner with Levi the tax collector and his friends. Now we are in
Caesarea Philippi, about 25 miles north of Galilee. This is not the
Caesarea that is on the Mediterranean Sea, but this is a border
town and a Gentile worship center. It was a place of anything
goes spirituality; a place where all gods and any god was exalted –
all except for the One True and Living God.
It is in Caesarea Philippi that the Jordon River has its beginnings;
flowing out of a cave. Thus that spot came to be seen as a place
where the gods gave life.
Jesus, the real life-giver took his disciples there, not to visit
Caesar’s Palace, a magnificent marble temple built for the worship
of Caesar Augustus. Nor did they go there to check out all the
latest idols of the day and see who was bringing their offerings to
worship their favorite idol.
He took them there – to this ungodly place that was filled with
little g gods, to ask them the most important question in all the
world.
This would be like walking through Caesar’s Palace today in
Atlantic City or Las Vegas; looking at all the offerings being
brought to that place and asking, “Is this it? Is this what life is all
about? Is the chance to win big what makes life worth living? Is
there anything or anyone else worth serving? Is there a God who
deserves my all”
I think Jesus brought his disciples to that ancient place of idolatry
that was so much like our modern places of idolatry, in order to
confront their world view. He wanted them to compare what
man had to offer with what God had to offer.
So he asks them two questions, a safe one and a dangerous one.
The safe question was: “Who do others say that I am?”
Safe; because to answer it required no conviction, no
commitment, and no risk! All it requires to answer the safe
question is a bit of curiosity, or perhaps cynicism. It’s the “they
say” question. What do they say?
Apparently there had been a lot of speculation and rumors; a lot of
opinions among those who listened to Jesus —most of it well off
the mark. It’s pretty much the same today; lots of half-truths.
Who do people today say Jesus is? Jesus is a great leader. Jesus
is a teacher. Jesus is a good man. Jesus is a prophet. All true, but
only half the truth!
You can create your own little Jesus to fit your opinions and ideas.
That’s much safer than the real Jesus!
For example: (There’s a bit of truth in some of these, but not the
whole truth.)
There’s the Republican Jesus who is against tax increases and
activists judges, and for family values and owning firearms.
There’s the Democrat Jesus who is against Wall Street and WalMart, and for reducing our carbon footprint and printing money.
There’s the Therapist Jesus who helps us cope with life’s
problems, heals our past, tells us how valuable we are and not to
be so hard on ourselves.
There’s the Starbucks Jesus who drinks fair trade coffee, loves
spiritual conversations, drives a hybrid and goes to film festivals.
There’s the Open-minded Jesus who loves everyone all the time
no matter what, except for people who are not as open-minded as
you.
There’s the Touchdown Jesus who helps athletes run faster and
jump higher than non-Christians and determines the outcomes of
Super Bowls.
There’s the Martyr Jesus, a good man who died a cruel death so
we can feel sorry for him
There’s Gentle Jesus who was meek and mild, with high cheek
bones, flowing hair, blue eyes, and walks around barefoot,
wearing a sash and looks very German.
There’s Hippie Jesus who teaches everyone to give peace a
chance, imagine a world without religion, and who helps us
remember all you need is love.
There’s Yuppie Jesus who encourages us to reach our full
potential, reach for the stars, and buy a boat and believe for a
mansion on this side of heaven.
There’s Spirituality Jesus who hates religion, churches, pastors,
and doctrine; and would rather have people out in nature, finding
the “god within” and listening for God in nature’s sounds.
There’s the Platitude Jesus, good for Christmas specials, greeting
cards, and bad sermons; he inspires people to believe in
themselves, and lifts us up so we can walk on mountains.
There’s the Revolutionary Jesus who teaches us to rebel against
the status quo, stick it to the man, and blame things on the
“system.”
There’s Guru Jesus, a wise, inspirational teacher who believes in
you and helps you find your center.
There’s the Good Example Jesus who shows you how to help
people, change the planet, go green, and become a better you.
And then there’s Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God!
Not just another prophet. Not just another Rabbi. Not just
another wonder-worker. He was the one they had been waiting
for; the One we’ve all been waiting for!
The One to deliver us from sin’s bondages, the one to establish
God’s reign and rule, the one to heal the sick, give us eyes to see,
freedom to the prisoners and proclaim good news to the poor, the
lamb of God come to take away the sins of the world.
This Jesus was the Creator come to earth and the beginning of a
new creation. He embodied the covenant, fulfilled the
commandments, and reversed the curse. This Jesus is the Christ
that God spoke of to the serpent, the Christ guaranteed to Moses
before he died, the Christ promised to David when he was king,
the Christ revealed to Isaiah as a suffering servant, the Christ
predicted through the prophets and prepared for through John the
Baptist.
This Christ is not a reflection of the current mood, current culture,
or the projection of our own desires. He is our Lord and God! He
is the Father’s Son, Savior of the world, and substitute for our
sins–more loving, more holy, and more wonderfully terrifyingly
awesome than we ever thought possible!
And that is why every one of us must answer the dangerous
question for ourselves. That is why for this healing service we
are talking about the person of Jesus and what we do with Him,
because if He is not here today; if He is not present and walking in
our midst; if He is the not Lord who saves us and heals us; then
this is a waste of time!
Jesus’ question is an invitation to take personally and seriously the
necessity to stop taking refuge in the answers of others and answer
for ourselves.
So, the big question – the dangerous question – is not what do
others say about Jesus, but what do you say?
In 1998, Kathe and I were in Israel and we visited Caesarea
Philippi and walked among the ruins of the gods and the
goddesses, and the ruins of Caesar’s palace. If that’s all you live
for, some day that’s what it is – just a pile of ruins that people visit
and wonder about why this was all so important to the people who
lived and died there thousands of years ago.
Jesus wanted his disciples to have more than an opinion about him
that would be do different than opinions about hundreds of little g
gods. He wanted them to have a life transforming encounter with
truth and with the One who is the embodiment of all that is true
and holy and loving and awesome.
So Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Now this is not
about what others say, this is personal.
And Peter has a supernatural moment, a God-encounter. He
answers the dangerous question, “You are the Christ, the son of
the living God!”
Peter moves from the realm of opinion to a realization, to
revelation, to proclamation, and to transformation. Because who
Jesus is changes everything!
Jesus is asking, “What about you – who do you say that I am?”
Your answer will reveal something about you, because who
you confess Jesus to be, defines who you will be.
N.T. Wright says, “What you say about Jesus affects your entire
worldview. If you see Jesus differently, everything changes.”
Without this confession, the church is just a club where you hang
out and pay your dues.
But Jesus says that this confession is the stuff He can build His
church and His Kingdom on. The church is built on confessing
people. The word is eckklesia and it means we have been called
away from all the other little g gods to serve the big G, one and
only God. We are His redeemed people!
And Jesus said that even all the demons in hell would not be able
to put down His church and His people, because what He builds
does not turn to ashes and ruins some day. What He is building
wins and what He is building lasts, and we get to be part of it. We
get to be living stones in His church. There will never come a day
when people will walk among the ruins of the Kingdom of God
and ask what these people lived for, because His Kingdom will
never fall or fail or crash; it is everlasting and we get to be part of
it by faith in Jesus.
It’s sad and funny the things people have said over the years about
the church of Jesus Christ. For example:
1. In 1710 English thinker Thomas Woolston said that Christianity
would be gone by 1900.
2. In the 1800’s, Frederich Engels predicted that a socialist
revolution would cause Christianity to evaporate soon.
3. In 1822 Thomas Jefferson predicted the demise of Christianity
in favor or Unitarianism. He wrote, “There is not a young man
living in the United States who will not die a Unitarian.”
Currently less than ½% of the population is Unitarian.
4. Both Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud predicted that Christianity
would disappear.
5. And that great philosopher, John Lennon said, “Christianity
will go. It will vanish and shrink.”
And Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living and Most High God
said, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not
conquer it!”
In the midst of all the 9/11 stories of this past week, there’s an
interesting story you probably haven’t heard unless you read
World News Magazine. Melanie Kirkpatrick, a former Wall
Street Journal editor, who escaped 9/11 reports about what God
has been doing in New York City in the ten years since 9/11.
Since that day major felony crime in the city has dropped from
over 162,000 a year in 2001 to 105,000 in 2010. A 35 percent
decline. The media has reported that. What they haven’t reported
is that over 40 percent of the evangelical churches in the city were
started since 2000.
And in September and October of 2009, one new evangelical,
Christ exalting church opened its doors for worship every
Sunday.
What’s the point? Where Jesus is exalted, the works of
darkness are defeated! Where the name of Jesus is confessed
and proclaimed, the powers of hell are vanquished! Where
Jesus is worshipped and where His name is lifted in prayer,
lives are changed and hope is born, and healing happens!
So here’s the most important question in all the world for you:
Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?”