Who Do You Say That I Am?
Matthew 16:13-19 (NIV) (see also Mark 8:27-30 and Luke 9:18-20)
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’
They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’
‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’
Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And 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. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
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This account of Jesus asking the disciples about the nature of His identity is significant enough that it appears three times in the gospels: once in Matthew, once in Mark, and once in Luke. These passages aren’t simply about Peter stating what he thinks about Jesus. They reveal spiritual principles at the heart of the faith.
There is a contrast between the opinion of the crowd and the disciples’ opinion of Jesus. There were, and are, lots of opinions about who Jesus Christ is. Jesus’ question to the disciples, “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” is our question. He is not interested in us having a relationship with Him that is dependent on the opinions of others. He asks for each of us to have an ongoing personal revelation of Him as God and Savior.
This personal revelation can come only from intimacy with God. Others’ revelations, thoughts, and opinions about God can only be aids in our own personal journeys of knowing Him in a living and personal way. Jesus praises Peter’s answer not because Peter states the truth, but because of the heart behind the answer. Peter’s response to the question did not originate in the natural (“Flesh and blood'“), but the spiritual (“Father in heaven”). The blessing that Jesus gave Peter did not become present after he declared Jesus as Messiah. Jesus was speaking to the reality that Peter was already blessed. He was blessed because he had received personal revelation from the Father that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, which Peter was able to articulate with his words (See Romans 10:9). Peter’s opinion is independent of the opinion of the crowds, who had other ideas about who Jesus was.
We must all have a living, personal relationship with our heavenly Father. So often our views on God do not come from a personal knowing of Him, but from the opinions and teachings of others. Our entire lives are spent feeding on the revelation of others. We must all learn how to receive our own revelation about God directly from the Source. Peter truly knew God. He was not taught by men, but God.
An experiential knowing of the Father releases spiritual authority into our lives - the “keys of the kingdom of heaven.” It allows us to move in identity, power, and authority in order to continue the ministry of Jesus. No intimacy with the Father means no spiritual authority. Feeding on the thoughts, opinions, or revelations of the crowd can never lead us into true life. Jesus instructs the crowds “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah” (Matthew 23:8-11, NIV).
