WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM (1 OF 5)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20
This content is part of a series.
Who Do You Say That I Am (1 of 5)
Series: Meeting Jesus
Jeff Strite
Matthew 16:13-20
OPEN: St. John's University is apparently known for being a theological school where intellectualism is highly regarded. Someone wrote the following graffiti on one of the walls there:
Jesus said unto them: ''Who do you say that I am?''
And they replied: ''You are the escha-tological manifestation of the ground of our being, the kerygma in which we find the ultimate meaning of our interpersonal relationships.''
And Jesus said: ''What?''
APPLY: Whoever wrote that graffiti - they were basically complaining about some of the names and expressions that men had invented to try to define who Jesus was.
Now I can understand how hard it would be for men to come up with ONE specific definition for who Jesus is. After all, Billy Sunday once noted: ''There are 256 names in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.''
I.But there was one time when Jesus asked His disciples to give a name that would sum up ALL that He was.
Jesus asked them: ''Who do others said that I am'' and they replied, ''Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'' (Matthew 16:14)
But then Jesus said: ''Who do YOU say that I am?'' and ever faithful Peter responded: ''You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'' (Matthew 16:16)
Now, that was not a just a good answer that was a great answer. Jesus literally slapped Peter on the back and exclaimed:
''Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.'' (Matthew 16:17-18)
There are some who mistakenly believe that Jesus was saying that Peter was to be the foundation of His church. But of course, that couldn't be true because Paul w ...
Series: Meeting Jesus
Jeff Strite
Matthew 16:13-20
OPEN: St. John's University is apparently known for being a theological school where intellectualism is highly regarded. Someone wrote the following graffiti on one of the walls there:
Jesus said unto them: ''Who do you say that I am?''
And they replied: ''You are the escha-tological manifestation of the ground of our being, the kerygma in which we find the ultimate meaning of our interpersonal relationships.''
And Jesus said: ''What?''
APPLY: Whoever wrote that graffiti - they were basically complaining about some of the names and expressions that men had invented to try to define who Jesus was.
Now I can understand how hard it would be for men to come up with ONE specific definition for who Jesus is. After all, Billy Sunday once noted: ''There are 256 names in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.''
I.But there was one time when Jesus asked His disciples to give a name that would sum up ALL that He was.
Jesus asked them: ''Who do others said that I am'' and they replied, ''Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'' (Matthew 16:14)
But then Jesus said: ''Who do YOU say that I am?'' and ever faithful Peter responded: ''You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'' (Matthew 16:16)
Now, that was not a just a good answer that was a great answer. Jesus literally slapped Peter on the back and exclaimed:
''Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.'' (Matthew 16:17-18)
There are some who mistakenly believe that Jesus was saying that Peter was to be the foundation of His church. But of course, that couldn't be true because Paul w ...
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