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Who do you say I am?
** People were willing to identify Jesus as someone special but not as God. There can be no compromise on this point **
Date: 1/25/2019 4:22:30 PM ( 5 y ) ... viewed 1244 times Who do you say I am?
Everyone knows of Christ but do they really know who He is?
Until you understand exactly who He, (Christ) actually is, then you do not really know Him!
The following study shows and answers the question of
" Who do you say I Am? "
Matthew 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said Some say that you are John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He said them, But who say you that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I also say unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shalt bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged his disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
" Who do you say I Am?"
Matthew 16:13
Note on Matthew 16:13
I’m sure this wasn’t because Jesus wanted to find out who He was. He was probing His disciples to get their opinion of who He was, and this was His introduction to that subject.
This instance is also recorded in Mark 8:27-29 and Luke 9:18-20, but Matthew’s account is the most detailed.
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 1 at Matthew 16:13: Caesarea Philippi was a small town located about twenty-five miles north of the Sea of Galilee and about thirty miles east of the Mediterranean coast. This area, near the slopes of Mount Hermon, was presented to Herod the Great by Augustus Caesar. Herod built a temple there in honor of Augustus Caesar, and later Philip the tetrarch, Herod’s son, added to the town and named it Caesarea Philippi after himself and Tiberius Caesar and to distinguish it from the Mediterranean port of Caesarea (see note 1 at Luke 3:1).
The town where Herod built his temple was originally called Paneas, in honor of the Greek god, Pan, and was part of a very pagan area. The city today is called Banias (after ancient Paneas).
Matthew 16:14
Note on Matthew 16:14
The disciples reported four different opinions about who Jesus was. None of them identified Jesus as the Messiah or Son of God. The people were willing to identify Jesus as someone special but not as God. There can be no compromise on this point (see my note at John 14:6).
Matthew 16:15
Note on Matthew 16:15
It really doesn’t matter what the public opinion of Jesus is. It’s only what we think about Jesus that determines our relationship to Him.
Matthew 16:16
Note on Matthew 16:16
Peter made his share of blunders. Sometimes it seems like the only time he opened his mouth was to change feet. But give him credit–he hit the nail right on the head this time, and Jesus complimented him for it (Matthew 16:17).
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 2 at Matthew 16:16: The word “Christ” comes from the Greek word “CHRISTOS,” and it means the same as the Old Testament Hebrew word “MASHIYACH” (or “Messiah”) that means “anointed” (Strong’s Concordance). Therefore, the words “Messiah” and “Christ” can be used interchangeably (John 1:41 and 4:25). “Christ” is the New Testament term used to designate the anointed one of God and is used 60 times in the Gospels and 495 times in the Epistles for a total of 555 times in the New Testament, all about Jesus. Jesus applied this title to Himself in John 17:3. Also, the possessive “Christ’s” appears 16 times, “false Christs” 2 times, and “antichrist(s)” 5 times in the New Testament.
Because the word “Christ” means “anointed,” some scholars have argued that Jesus was not the Christ until His baptism by John the Baptist. Therefore, they conclude that the term “Christ” could not refer to the deity of Jesus. However, the angels announced to the shepherds the birth of “Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Also, Luke 2:25-32 states that Simeon saw the “Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26) when Jesus was presented in the temple forty days after His birth. Jesus was Christ at His birth.
The term “Christ” is used interchangeably with the term “Son of God” many times in the New Testament. Examples are Matthew 16:16 (this verse), 26:63; Mark 14:61 (“Son of the Blessed”); John 6:69, 11:27, 20:31; Acts 8:37, 9:20; 2 Corinthians 1:19; Galatians 2:20; and 2 John 3 (“Son of the Father”). As said in note 5 at Mark 1:1, the terms “Son of God” and “Christ” are always about the deity of Jesus.
At Jesus’ mock trial before His crucifixion (Matthew 26:63-66 and Mark 14:61-64), He was asked if He was the Christ. When He answered yes, the high priest rent his clothes and said He had spoken blasphemy (which means He had claimed deity for Himself) and condemned Him to death. Also, in light of 2 John 7-11, the term “Christ” must refer to more than just the humanity of Jesus.
Peter, here, was proclaiming Jesus to be God just as surely as Thomas did after Jesus’ resurrection when he said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus not only accepted Peter’s claims but also blessed Peter for what he said (Matthew 16:17).
Matthew 16:17
Note on Matthew 16:17
The revelation of who Jesus is comes only by the Spirit of God (see my note at John 6:44). Therefore, those who sincerely confess Jesus as the Son of God (see my note at 1 John 4:15) is born of God.
Matthew 16:18
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 3 at Matthew 16:18: Some people have mistakenly interpreted this passage to say that Peter was the foundation on which Christ would build His church. However, that would violate many scriptures that state that Jesus is the “chief cornerstone” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11 - “foundation,” Ephesians 2:20-22, and 1 Peter 2:4-9). Ephesians 2:20 does mention the apostles as being part of the foundation of Christ’s church, but it doesn’t single Peter out above any of the other apostles. That same scripture says Jesus Himself is the “chief cornerstone.” It is implied that the Apostle James, the brother of our Lord (see note 2 at John 2:12), was actually the head of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18; Galatians 2:9, and 12).
Two different Greek words are used for “Peter” and “rock” respectively in this verse. The word used for “Peter” means “rock” but signifies “a detached stone or boulder” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). In contrast, the word translated “rock” signifies a massive rock; that certainly refers to Jesus, the “chief cornerstone.”
Some have suggested that the foundation rock referred to was this confession that Peter made that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Although it is true that people do have to confess Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10) to enter God’s kingdom, in light of the O.T. prophecies and N.T. references to Jesus being the “chief cornerstone,” this passage of Scripture must be referring directly to Jesus as this “rock” upon which He would build His church. Compare this with other statements Jesus made about Himself in the third person (John 2:19; 6:32-33, 50, and 58).
Note 4 at Matthew 16:18: This statement about the gates of hell not prevailing against us shows that the church is supposed to be on the offensive, not the defensive, in our spiritual warfare. We shouldn’t be just trying to hold out behind our own defenses until Jesus comes to rescue us, but we should be pressing the battle to the very gates of hell itself. The devil and his “imps” should be in retreat and hiding behind their walls, not the church.
Matthew 16:19
Note on Matthew 16:19
Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 18:18. See my note at that verse.
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 5 at Matthew 16:19: The word that is used for “bind” (Greek - “DEO”) is the same Greek word that Jesus used when He spoke of binding the strong man (or controlling demon) and spoiling his goods (Matthew 12:29 and Mark 3:27). This binding, then, is actually speaking of spiritual warfare.
A key symbolizes authority or power. Whoever has the key has the authority to open or close whatever is locked. Likewise, Jesus gave us the authority to bind demonic powers and loose people from their dominion (see note 5 at Matthew 18:17 and note 6 at Matthew 18:18).
Matthew 16:20
Note on Matthew 16:20
I think there were some reasons for Jesus telling His disciples not to tell anyone He was Jesus the Christ. First of all, Jesus hadn’t said this about Himself at this time. Later, He did say this very thing (Matthew 26:63-64), and so did His disciples (John 20:31; Acts 8:37, 9:20; 2 Corinthians 1:19; Galatians 2:20; and 2 John 3). Declaring that He was the Christ led to His crucifixion. So, probably one of the reasons for this instruction to His disciples was because He knew that once this truth was clearly stated, His time would be up, and He hadn’t yet finished what the Father had given Him to do.
Jesus wasn’t like so many people who proclaim who they are or who they think they are. Jesus let His actions speak louder than His words (John 5:36; 10:25, and 37-38). He wanted the disciples to do this too. Jesus was meek and lowly of heart (Matthew 11:29), and although He came so that people could believe on Him (John 3:15-16), He did it in a way that only those who were sensitive to God would receive (Matthew 13:13-15).
Also, Jesus didn’t commit Himself and the proclamation of who He was to just anyone (see my notes at John 2:24-25). The disciples weren’t ready yet. They needed to be empowered by the Holy Spirit first (see my note at Acts 1:8).
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Note 5 at Acts 1:8:
The Greek word used for “power” here is “DUNAMIS,” and it means “miraculous power” (Strong’s Concordance). This word was also translated as “ability,” “might,” and “strength.” It is the root word from which we derive our words “dynamic” and “dynamite.” This clearly speaks of the presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit as being the power source in the believers’ lives.
It was this anointing power of the Holy Spirit that worked miracles in the life of Jesus (Acts 10:38). We receive the same Holy Spirit power, and we can expect to see it accomplish the same miraculous works that Jesus did (John 14:12) if we will believe.
Note 6 at Acts 1:8:
The Lord has empowered us to be witnesses, not the judge and jury. Witnesses simply relate what they have experienced, thereby providing evidence to the truth of something. We are to witness in word and deed to the truth of Jesus is alive in us, and let God be the one who convicts (see note 76 at John 16:8).
Note 7 at Acts 1:8:
Jesus specified an orderly progression in the way we should be His witnesses. First, we start in Jerusalem (i.e., where we live). Then, we go to Judea (i.e., those nearby). Finally, we take the Gospel to Samaria (i.e., every religious and racial group throughout the whole world).
There are some very practical reasons for becoming witnesses in this way. Jesus testified that prophets are honored everywhere except in their hometowns among their families and friends (Mark 6:4). Typically, home is the hardest place to witness. Starting with those who know us best will cause us to humble ourselves and give God all the glory.
Also, if rejection comes, this tempers us and our witness so that we will be more effective and more resilient when we go to the uttermost parts of the earth. People who have a desire for the millions overseas to be converted yet are unconcerned over the condition of their own families and friends, have a problem and will not be the kind of witnesses that Jesus needs. Those who are waiting for a worldwide ministry and are not actively pursuing the opportunities at hand will never be used. We need to be faithful in little before God will give us the “many things” (Matthew 25:21).
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.
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