February 26, 2010
where do you find your identity?
Matthew 16:13-20
Matt Smith
Central Truth
When we come to Jesus and believe in faith that He is the Son of God as revealed by the Father and make that confession in our hearts, our identity is completely changed. And that identity is founded upon the rock of our faith, belief, and confession of Christ.
Key Verse | Matthew 16:18
"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." (Matthew 16:18)
Matthew 16:13-20
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
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 1 16:18 The Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar I will build my church, and the gates of hell 2 16:18 Greek the gates of Hades 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 3 16:19 Or shall have been bound shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 16:13-20
I know there's some debate over what Jesus was saying about His definition of "the rock" in this verse. Some say Jesus was talking about Himself, some say Jesus was talking about Peter's faith, some say it was Peter's confession, some say it was Peter himself. For a good summary of the views and a suggestion that Jesus was speaking of Himself as the Rock of the Church, see http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/matthew.pdf at pages 217-19.
What I enjoy most about this verse, though, is how once Simon made his confession, Jesus poignantly called him by his new name Peter. "I also say to you that you are Peter." (Matthew 16:18a) In that moment Jesus shared with Peter the certainty that, based upon his belief and confession, his identity had been changed forever.
When we put our trust in Christ and confess as Peter did that Jesus is the Son of God and our savior, Scripture tells us that we are made new. The old man has passed away, the new one has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We have a new identity, and that identity is based upon complete acceptance and total forgiveness through Jesus.
This concept is somewhat countercultural as our society makes it easy to find our identity in things besides Christ: money, relationships, appearances. Having success in any of these areas is not bad in and of itself. But when any of them is the measure of our identity, it becomes very harmful in our walk with Christ. They are external standards for creating an identity that is measured by how the world judges success.
For many years that is where I lived, always trying to measure up to some preconceived idea of what I thought success should be in hopes of finding my identity there, while judging others based upon those same ideas. When I read this verse, it makes me want to reverse Jesus' question and ask, "Who does Jesus say that I am? Where is my identity?" These questions prompt another question, "What does Jesus ask of me in fleshing out this new identity in Him?"
Discussion Questions
1. Who does Jesus say I am? If you are really honest, what are some areas or vehicles in your life that you are using to find your identity apart from who you are in Christ?
2. What Scriptures would you have to believe and integrate into your life to find your identity in Christ?
3. What does Jesus ask of us in fleshing out this new identity? Read Luke 9:18-27. These verses are Luke's account of Jesus' conversation with His disciples about who He is to them. Focus on Luke 9:23. What does this verse say about how we are to flesh out our new identity in Christ.
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What was Peter’s answer when Jesus asked him, “Who do you say that I am?”
2. What would your answer be if you were asked the same question?
3. What would your answer be if you were surrounded by a group of people from school?