Identity Crisis

18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” – Luke 9:18-22 ESV

After recounting the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, Luke jumps ahead in his narrative to a scene that took place sometime later. A comparison with the other synoptic gospels reveals that Luke chose to skip over a series of other significant events that occurred before Jesus had this important conversation with His disciples. It seems that Luke was attempting to focus on the questions surrounding Jesus’ identity. It began with Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, who was perplexed by all the rumors he had heard concerning Jesus. One of the most concerning conclusions he had heard was that Jesus was actually the resurrected John the Baptist. That prospect would not have thrilled Herod since he was the one who had ordered John’s beheading.

There were others who were speculating that Jesus was actually the prophet Elijah. They were basing their conjecture on the prophecy recorded by Malachi.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” – Malachi 4:5-6 ESV

Another rumor circulating among the people was that Jesus was “one of the other prophets risen from the dead” (Luke 9:8 NLT). But as all these wild opinions filtered into Herod’s palace, he was left with a perplexing question:

“…who is this about whom I hear such things?” – Luke 9:9 ESV

That same question filled the minds of many of those who were present at the feeding of the 5,000. They too were perplexed by this Rabbi from Nazareth. His miracles and messages intrigued them, but they were having difficulty comprehending exactly who He was. It should not be overlooked that the rumors and speculations of the people did not include Jesus being the Messiah. In fact, when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” (Luke 9:18 ESV), they too omitted any mention of Jesus being the Messiah. 

And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” – Luke 9:19 ESV

Despite the many miracles Jesus had performed, it seems that the people were not ready to crown Him as their new king. They fully recognized that there was something supernatural and other-worldly about Jesus, but He did not meet their long-held expectations concerning the Messiah. Jesus didn’t look like a conquering king. He obviously had power, but he lacked an army. He was an impressive orator, but He wouldn’t be able to talk the Romans into surrendering. In their minds, Jesus appeared to be much more like an Old Testament prophet than their long-awaited Messiah. After all, He had shown up on the scene preaching a message of repentance, and He had performed miracles much like Elijah and the other prophets had done. So, they concluded that Jesus must be the opening act for the main attraction. Since He didn’t act in a messianic manner, they assumed He must have been sent to prepare the way for the Messiah.

As always, Jesus was most concerned with the thoughts of His 12 disciples. He had chosen these men for a reason and was heavily vested in their training and preparation for the future. So, when they had answered His question, Jesus focused His attention on them, asking, “But who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:20 ESV).

These men had spent their every waking minute with Jesus. They had seen every one of His miracles and had heard all of His messages. They enjoyed intimate access to Jesus and the privilege of hearing Him explain some of His more cryptic parables. So, Jesus wanted to know who they perceived Him to be. What was their conclusion regarding His identity? And the ever-impulsive Peter was the first to respond.

“The Christ of God.” – Luke 9:20 ESV

The term “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of “Messiah.” Peter was confessing that Jesus was the Messiah. And in his gospel account, Mathew records that Peter added the further description: “the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 ESV). Peter, speaking on behalf of all the disciples, acknowledges Jesus to be the Messiah but also the Son of God. His words revealed a level of understanding and insight that the rest of the people did not share. But Matthew lets us know that Peter did not come to this conclusion on his own. Jesus reveals that Peter had received divine insight from God the Father.

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 16:17 ESV

God had opened Peter’s partially blinded eyes so that he could see the truth of who Jesus was. This statement from the lips of Peter was like an unexpected epiphany. Even as the words came out of his mouth, Peter must have wondered whether he truly believed them. And He would go on to reveal that his understanding of who Jesus was and what He had come to do was still cloudy and indistinct. He would continue to wrestle with the weight of his own words and the expectations of his own heart. But the time would come when he and his fellow disciples would see everything clearly and distinctly.

This confession earned Peter a blessing from Jesus and yet, Jesus warned the disciples to keep this news to themselves.

…he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. – Matthew 16:20 NET

Luke adds, “he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one” (Luke 9:21 ESV). But why? What prompted Jesus to command His disciples not to disclose His true identity to the people? If He was the Messiah of Israel, why would He not want everyone to know?

It all had to do with expectations. Jesus knew that the Israelites were longing for the coming of the Messiah, but their understanding of the Messiah’s role was misguided. They had been raised to believe that the Messiah would come as a conquering king and a powerful military figure who would set them free from their oppressive Roman overlords. Even the 12 disciples were hoping and praying that Jesus was the kind of Messiah they had been taught to expect. It’s likely that Peter hoped his confession would prompt Jesus to get down to business. It was time to stop performing miracles and delivering messages. Like the rest of his companions, Peter wanted Jesus to start acting like a Messiah.

But what Peter failed to understand was that Jesus came to suffer and die, not rule and reign. He had come to sacrifice His life so that they might be freed from their captivity to sin and death. Little did they know that their real problem was not the presence of the Romans but the pervading presence of sin in their lives. Their enemy was not a foreign power but their own fallen natures. And Jesus disclosed to them the part of His mission they had failed to understand.

“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” – Luke 9:22 ESV

We know from Matthew’s account, that Peter did not take this news well.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” – Matthew 16:22 ESV

Peter was appalled by Jesus’ disclosure. He found it so reprehensible and unacceptable that he basically vowed to keep it from happening. And Jesus delivered a stern rebuke to His impulsive, yet well-meaning disciple.

“Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” – Matthew 16:23 NLT

Peter did not realize that his rash response reflected a total disregard for the will of God. In a matter of seconds, he had gone from speaking under the influence of God to contradicting the very will of God. He had let his own personal opinion and perspective get in the way. Peter had preconceived agenda for the Messiah and it did not match that of God Almighty. None of the disciples had a concept of the Messiah as a suffering servant. They had no need for a martyred Messiah. What good would a rejected and murdered Messiah do for their dreams of national deliverance and personal prominence?

But Jesus was beginning to reveal the true nature of His incarnation. He was disclosing the part of His coming that they had failed to comprehend. And even as Jesus began to open their eyes to the reality of His mission, they were unable to hear the most important part. He clearly told them that He would die but be raised again on the third day, but all they heard was the bad news. His disclosure regarding His coming resurrection went in one ear and out the other. And these men would continue to wrestle with the news that their Messiah was destined to suffer and die. They had no way of knowing that Jesus’ glorification as the Messiah must be preceded by His humiliation and execution. His death would be the key to eternal life. His sacrifice would result in deliverance. And His ultimate victory would be over sin and death, not the Romans. But Peter and his companions still had a lot to learn.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Who Is Jesus?

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. – Matthew 16:13-20 ESV

In this passage we see Jesus traveling as far north as He will ever go in His earthly ministry. He and the disciples journeyed all the way to Caesarea Philippi. At this remote location, far removed from the capital city of Jerusalem and beyond the reach of the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus isolated Himself with His disciples in order to prepare them for the events that were soon to take place. It would not be long before He began a return trip to Jerusalem, but it would be in order to sacrifice His life on behalf of sinful mankind.

It appears that one of the objectives behind this excursion to the very borders of Jewish influence was to get the disciples alone and allow them time to process all that they had seen and heard. From the moment they had answered the call to follow Jesus, they had been on a whirlwind journey marked by head-scratching messages and mind-blowing miracles. They must have been confused by the confrontations between Jesus, a man they obviously admired, and the religious leaders, for whom they had deep respect. It had to have been disconcerting to see the Pharisees and Sadducees reject Jesus and to hear Jesus refer to these seemingly righteous men as hypocrites. If Jesus was the Messiah, as the disciples believed Him to be, why weren’t the religious leaders of Israel embracing Him with open arms?

Knowing that His followers were wrestling with all kinds of questions and their own doubts about who He was, Jesus removed some of the pressure by asking the disciples a fairly easy question:

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” – Matthew 16:13 ESV

And the disciples were more than happy to answer the question.

“Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” – Matthew 16:14 ESV

There were a lot of opinions out there. And notice that each of the three options provided by the disciples involves dead men. John the Baptist was the most recently deceased, but all three of the possibilities given by the disciples involved men who were no longer living. This provides a glimpse into the mindset of the average Jew. They believed that the miracles performed by Jesus were best explained as the byproduct of a resurrected prophet. They believed Him to be somebody of great renown who had been raised back to life and been given supernatural powers.

But notice that no one was claiming Jesus to be the Messiah. He was great, but not that great. At this point, Jesus turned His attention to His disciples. He wanted to know what they thought.

“But who do you say that I am?” – Matthew 16:15 ESV

This was the more important question of the two. Jesus knew full well that there were very few of the Jewish people who were willing to recognize Him as their Messiah. They had been blown away by His miracles and left wondering at the authority behind His teaching and the radical nature of His words. But He didn’t seem to measure up to their preconceived notions of how the Messiah would appear and act.

It shouldn’t surprise us that Peter was the first to speak up in response to Jesus’ query. He was an outspoken and sometimes rash individual for whom tact seemed to be a missing character trait. Peter was always quick to speak and sometimes His tendency to put his mouth in gear before His brain was engaged got him into trouble. But in this instance, Peter gave a commendable answer.

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16 ESV

His response stood in stark contrast to the common perceptions of the people. Peter boldly and unapologetically proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah. The term “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of Messiah. So, Peter was unequivocally pronouncing his belief that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. And, if you recall, John used very similiar words when he opened up his gospel account.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. – Matthew 1:1 ESV

But Peter refers to Jesus as the Son of the living God, not the son of David. This was an acknowledgement of Jesus’ deity. He was not just a man who had been sent by God, He was the actual Son of God. In other words, He was divine.

This statement by Peter was remarkable and Jesus acknowledged it as such.

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 16:17 ESV

In this statement, Jesus chose to refer to Peter in a manner that emphasized his humanity. He called him Simon Barjonas or Simon, son of John. And then Jesus revealed that Peter’s answer had not been the result of human wisdom or teaching, but because of insight provided by God Himself. God had opened Peter’s eyes and helped him recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Peter wasn’t smarter than the scribes and Pharisees. He wasn’t more spiritual than the Sadducees. He didn’t possess more discernment than the rest of his Jewish neighbors and friends. But God had made possible Peter’s astounding insight into Jesus’ true identity. Remember what Jesus had stated earlier in Matthew’s gospel:

“No one truly knows the Son except the Father…” – Matthew 11:27 NLT

And so, it is God alone who can reveal the identity of His Son.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” – John 6:44 ESV

“This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” – John 6:65 ESV

Peter had been drawn to Jesus by God. He had been convinced by God that Jesus was the Messiah. And it was this confession that led Jesus to say:

“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.” – Matthew 16:18 ESV

In this statement, Jesus used a play on words. He refers to Peter’s name, which in Greek is Petros and means “rock.” But He used different Greek word when He referred to “this rock.” It was the word petra. Jesus was placing the emphasis, not on Peter, but on Peter’s testimony. It was what Peter had said about Jesus that was critical. In other words, the church of Jesus Christ would be built upon the testimonies of those who expressed faith in Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. Contrary to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, Jesus was not setting up a system of apostolic succession and establishing the office of the papacy. The real “rock” in this passage is Jesus Himself. He is what Paul later refers to as the cornerstone of the church.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. – Ephesians 2:19-21 ESV

And Peter echoed that same sentiment.

For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone…” – 1 Peter 2:6-7 ESV

Ultimately, the church is built upon the rock of Jesus Christ. He is our foundation and the one who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17). And to all those who build their lives on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, He promises to give “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19 ESV).

Jesus switched from talking about their present view of His identity to the future nature of their authority. He was referring to the millennial kingdom, not the temporal period commonly referred to as the church age. There is a day coming when all those who are children of God will experience the full power and authority available to them as heirs of the kingdom of God. And Jesus clearly articulates the nature of that power and authority when He says, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19 ESV).

To a certain degree, the disciples were going to experience some of that power and authority in their earthly lives, as they proclaimed the good news and released people from captivity to sin and death. They would have God-given authority to cast out demons and heal the sick and the lame. But the greatest fulfillment of Jesus’ words are in the millennial kingdom to come when Jesus will sit on the throne of David, ruling in righteousness and justice. And all those who place their faith in Him as Messiah will rule alongside Him.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Ultimate Question.

Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21“But who do you say I am?" – Matthew 16:15 NLT

It had been a long day, and Luke tells us that Jesus left the crowds behind and was on His way to find a place to pray. The disciples were walking along with Him and so He took advantage of the moment and asked them a question. I don't think this was in order for Jesus to get information He was lacking, because I think He already knew the answer. He was simply engaging His disciples in a conversation that was directed at revealing what their true perception was of Him. They had been with Him for years now and had seen Him do some remarkable things. He had made it clear to them who He was. They had even heard demons call Him the Messiah, the Son of God. But Jesus knew there were still doubts in the minds of the disciples. While they hoped and prayed that he truly was the Messiah, so much of what He said and did was so unlike what they expected from the Messiah. He was not the conquering hero they had long anticipated. He was not regal, kingly, or a warrior like David had been. He was obviously as wise as Solomon, but He had no royal retinue and lacked Solomon's vast wealth.

So Jesus asks them a simple question: "Who do people say I am?"

The disciples immediately share all the various opinions that were floating out there. "Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead" (Luke 9:18-19 NLT). In Matthew's account, they throw in the name of Jeremiah. Obviously, the people were having a hard time coming to grips with Jesus being the actual Messiah, so they had come up with a series of viable options to explain who He was and how He was able to do the things He did. Interestingly enough, all of their options involved someone having to be raised from the dead. John the Baptist had been killed by Herod. Elijah and Jeremiah, both Old Testament prophets had been long gone. So the people didn't seem to have a problem with Jesus being miraculously sent from God. They just had a difficult time believing He was the Messiah.

But Jesus cuts to the chase and asks the disciples the more revealing and important question: "But who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15 NLT). They had each been personally chosen by Jesus. They had walked with, learned from and lived alongside Him for over three years at this point. They had had intimate communication with Him and heard things from Him that the others were not allowed to hear. He had explained His parables to them. He had given them power and authority to cast out demons and heal the sick. They had seen Him raise the dead and walk on water. They had watched Him calm the storm and feed the multitudes. They had listened as He condemned the religious leaders and easily handled their attempts to discredit Him as a fraud and a lunatic.

Now Jesus was asking them the most important question of their lives. It isn't surprising that Peter was the first one to speak up. He was the always the first to open His mouth. Most of the time, that habit got him in hot water. But this time, He said the right thing. "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God" (Matthew 16:16 NLT). Jesus blesses Peter for His answer, but before Peter can get a big head, Jesus lets him know that he didn't come up with this on his own and he didn't learn it from anyone else. It was revealed to him by God. In other words, this awareness of Jesus' true identity was divinely inspired. God had made it known to Peter and the other disciples. If left to their own devices, they would have come to the same conclusions as the people had. They would have rationalized away any thoughts that Jesus was the Messiah. But God had made it possible for Peter and the others to perceive and accept Jesus' claim to be who He said He was – in spite of any misgivings they may have had.

Even our ability to believe in Jesus comes from God. He must soften our hard hearts and breathe life into our dead souls in order for us to recognize and respond to the priceless gift being offered to us – His Son. Like the crowds, if left to the whims of our own intelligence, we would come up with all kinds of explanations or rationalizations to account for the Jesus as He is revealed in the Bible. We would conclude that He was a good man, a great teacher, a moral icon, and a worthy example to follow, but we would never conclude that He was the Son of God. Only God can reveal that to us. Living with Jesus for over three years was not enough. The disciples still needed God to open their eyes. Going to church your whole life is not enough. You still need God to open your eyes. Jesus made this perfectly clear when He said, "For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up" (John 6:44 NLT).

God calls. We respond. Jesus saves. God opens our eyes so that we can see His Son standing right in front of us, and He opens our ears so we can understand the offer He makes to us – and along with Peter we say, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." We have nothing to boast about. It is all the work of God.

Father, You made it all possible. You sent Your Son. He died in my place. Then you open my eyes and ears so that I can hear the message and respond. Otherwise, I would never hear. I would never choose Him. But through Your Spirit, You revealed Your Son to me. You did for me what I could not have done on my own. And Jesus paid a debt for me I could never have paid on my own. Thank You. Amen.