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| (Updated 06/11/2009)
Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-20
Please read the text before the sermon.
Sermon
Past couple months we’ve been reading texts from the Gospel of Matthew. These texts were telling us about Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, his home region. But if we would take the time to read the whole Gospel from the beginning to end, we would find out that between chapters 13 and 16, Jesus together with his disciples tries to leave the region of Galilee 10 different times.
Why is Jesus trying to leave? The answer is quite simple. Jesus wants to spend some time alone with his disciples. Something big is about to happen, and so Jesus needs some time with his disciples to refocus, to talk, to pray to get ready for what’s about to happen. Jesus tried to leave 9 times and didn’t succeed. There was always someone in need that came to him asking for help.
And so finally on the 10th try Jesus goes with his disciples far north. He goes into the region where he’s not recognized by anyone and He gathers the disciples to ask them the most important question they’ve been ever asked.
Who do people say that the Son of Man is? By the Son of Man Jesus means himself. And so the disciples answer: Some say that you’re John the Baptist. King Herod wasn’t the only one who thought that the executed John the Baptist rose from the dead in Jesus. But others said that Jesus was Elijah. In Malachi 4,5 we hear about the Prophet Elijah being sent by God before the great and dreadful day of the Lord’s coming. Some said that Jesus was the Prophet Jeremiah. There was a tradition saying that the Prophet Jeremiah was guarding the arch of the covenant in one of the caves surrounding Jerusalem. And so some thought that Jeremiah became Jesus.
But of course there were other opinions among the people that the disciples didn’t mentioned. Some simply thought that Jesus was crazy, that he’s a drunk who likes to hang out with sinners, that he’s a dreamer, blasphemer or a rebel.
No matter what the opinions were, they signified one very important thing. That the people didn’t see Jesus as the Messiah. His personality, his deeds, and teachings didn’t quite fit their idea of a Messiah who was supposed to be a heroic king saving them from all the oppression. (pause)
What is the opinion of today’s world about Jesus? He is recognized as the teacher of great morality, the biggest spiritual and religious genius of all times, of course in the limited sense of his time. He’s recognized as one of the biggest prophets. Yes this is the view of Jesus in the minds of thousands of educated people of today. But very few see him as the One, with capital O, the one who was sent by the Father, the only begotten Son of God. This is how it is now; this is how it was then.
And so Jesus knowing this takes his disciples to an abandoned, deserted place and full of trust he puts his disciples into contradiction, into an opposition with all these above mentioned opinions. He addresses them very personally separating them from the rest of the world, saying: “But who do YOU say I am?” Who do you say I am? Do you feel the weight of this question? Can you sense its importance, not only for the disciples, but for the whole ministry of Jesus, for the whole human kind? In this question and the answer that followed the history of human kind has started a new era. This is the breaking point. Jesus asking his disciples: “Who do you say I am?”
In the contrast with the rest of the world that denied Jesus Peter answers: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Let me repeat the answer one more time, for it is the answer that changed everything. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter uses the word Messiah, which means Christ, or in our language Savior. In other words Peter tells Jesus, you are the One, you yourself are the living God.
In these words dear friends we can see the end of the old times, and we can see a new bright beginning of something great and spectacular. In this moment we can see the actual birth of Christ’s church, in a simple confession of faith of a simple man, Peter. (pause)
What is our answer, dear friends to the very same question of Jesus? For Jesus asks every single one of us the same thing: “But who do you say that I am?” Are we willing to put ourselves in the contradiction, the opposition, the contrast with the rest of the world? Will we have the courage to be different? Will we have the faith to answer Jesus out loud: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God?!” Will we be able to stand up for what we believe? And if we doubt, will we be able to put aside the doubt and finally put all of our trust and faith in the only Messiah, the Son of the living God?! (pause)
Peter did, and Jesus’ answer to Peter was: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! Blessed are you for this answer, blessed are you for your faith, blessed are you for your courage. But know one thing: Flesh and blood had not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.
Yes Jesus calls Peter the rock, on which he will build His church, but Peter can be the rock for Christ’s church only when he himself stands on Jesus Christ. Martin Luther said: If you want to explain this place of the Bible properly, you need to learn here from Christ, that the church is only there where there is this rock, meaning the confession and faith like Peter’s.
On the faith of his followers Jesus builds His church, His ecclesia, which in Greek means to be called out. Jesus calls all of us out of our broken worlds to join His church, a community of believers called out to live out their faith, called out to carry each others burdens, called out to bare each others pain, called out to be one with Christ in compassion, forgiveness, love, peace and hope. Christ calls every single one of us by His Spirit and through His Holy Word He gives us the gift of faith, so that all of us can become one body in Christ.
Jesus after Peter confessed said: on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. The death and hell was viewed in Jesus times as a fortress with gates. Once you entered the gates of Hades there was no coming back. Until Jesus, who defeated the death and came out through the gates of Hades back to life. And because of Him and His glorious resurrection His whole church will defeat the gates of death. That’s the promise given to all of us today by our Lord Jesus Christ. For the final victory belongs to Jesus and his followers.
But then Jesus says to Peter one last thing. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” In other words Jesus tells Peter: with your message of Gospel you’ll free many, but many will be bound in their rejection and ignorance. The message of the church about God’s forgiveness and love will give the new life and hope to many; (pause) the judgment for those who reject this message will be done by God.
The church today continues in the apostolic tradition of Peter and other apostles, it still has the living Word and the keys of the kingdom of heaven as long as it stands on the one and only cornerstone Jesus Christ. May you always find comfort, acceptance, love, peace and hope in this church. And may God by His Spirit always give you plenty of faith, that when the moment comes and you’ll be asked by Jesus: “Who do you say I am?” You’ll be able to answer: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
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