I want us to turn then to the
Gospel according to St. Matthew and in chapter 16 reading
verses 13 to 23 Matthew 16 from verse 13, When Jesus came
into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying,
Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they said, Some
say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah,
or one of the prophets. He said unto them, But whom say
ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and
said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for
flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which
is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that
thou art Peter. And upon this rock I will build
my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,
and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man
that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus
to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem
and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then
Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee,
Lord, this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said
unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto
me, for thou savest not the things that be of God. but those that
be of men I want to say something this morning with regards to
the confession that Peter makes in these verses Peter's confession
of faith and in a sense I have a double text this morning we
have this confession here at verse 16 Simon Peter answered and said,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. But then it
is also repeated in that portion that we read in John chapter
6 at the end of that chapter at verse 68. Lord, to whom shall
we go? says Peter. Thou hast the words
of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art the
Christ, the Son of the Living God. And so, having as it were
this twofold text, Matthew chapter 16 and verse 16, and again in
John chapter 6 and verses 68 and 69. Now, Peter is making
a remarkable confession of faith, a bold confession of faith in
each of these portions. But when we come to consider
the context here in Matthew, we see that it was not long previously
when the Lord had rebuked him because of the smallness of his
faith. Back in chapter 14, remember
that incident when The Lord is walking upon the waters, and
Peter, so bold, so impetuous, climbs out of the boat, when
he knows it's the Lord, and begins himself to walk on the waters
towards Christ. But then we're told in verse
30 of chapter 14, when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid,
and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me! And immediately
Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto
him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? It's the same man that we have
here in chapter 16 and yet there just two chapters previously.
Now the Lord speaks, we might say rather sharply to him, O
thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And yet now
how the Lord pronounces him as one who is so blessed, blessed
art thou Simon Bar-Jonah for flesh and blood hath not revealed
it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven or do we not see
here how things can so quickly change in the experiences of
the people of God, bold as a lion one moment and yet on another
occasion so weak, so feeble, just like the Cones, those little
folk who make their houses in the rocks. But we're not to be
surprised at the experience of Peter when we take these matters
into account. The life of the child of God
is very much a life of many changes. And though the Lord is rebuking
him previously in chapter 14, yet there, there is evidence
of that faith that is so very real. The request that he makes
as he cries out, Lord, save me. Why, in the very next chapter,
chapter 15 and verse 25, we read of that Syrophoenician woman,
that Canaanitish woman, and what are we told there? that she came
and worshipped him, she worships the Lord saying Lord help me
or to utter even a feeble word of prayer if that prayer be a
genuine prayer And Peter's prayer was so similar to that of that
woman. She says, Lord, help me. And Peter says, Lord,
save me. Let us not despise then that
faith that seems to be so weak and so feeble, so little. We are told quite clearly by
James that the prayer of faith shall save. Oh, it's not the
greatness of our prayers. Even feeble prayers are hurt. What was the problem with Peter
previously in that 14th chapter? He takes his eye off the Lord.
He is not looking onto the Lord. It's not faith that saves, it's
that one who is the object of our faith. It must always be
that looking onto Jesus, that looking away onto Jesus, that
looking only onto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And surely here in the portion
that I want to draw your attention to more particularly this morning,
we do see the blessed reality. of the faith of this man, his
confession of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So first of
all, to see how this man responds, how he replies to that question
that the Lord is putting to the disciples. Here in Caesarea Philippi,
he asks them, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? And
they tell him what were the opinions of the multitudes. Some said
this was John the Baptist, risen again from the dead. Some said
this was Elias, Elijah, the great prophet. Others said it was Jeremiah,
or another of the prophets. And then the Lord asks His own
disciples specifically, Whom say ye that I am? And it is this man, this man
who is so impulsive, so ready to speak, who answers the Lord. and says in verse 16, Thou art
the Christ, the Son of the living God. And two things we observe
with regards to his reply here. Firstly, to think about the manner
of his thinking. This was really a considered
reply that he is making. There's not that rashness. that
on other occasions we might see with him. Why? We see something
of it shortly after this, when the Lord, after that great confession,
begins to speak of the work that he had come to accomplish. In
the confession we see Peter acknowledging who the person of Jesus of Nazareth
is. He is the Christ. He is the Son
of the Living God. He is God, manifest in the flesh. And as Peter is acknowledging
the wonder of his person, so the Lord subsequently goes on
to speak of the work. All salvation is in the person,
and in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we're told at
verse 21, that from that time forth, Jesus begins to show his
disciples how that he must go onto Jerusalem and suffer. Oh,
he must suffer many things. He must be killed. He must die
that cruel death of the cross. And then we see how Peter so
rashly stands forth again and now he rebukes the Lord Jesus. Peter took him and began to rebuke
him. saying, Be it far from thee,
Lord, this shall not be unto thee. That was not a considered reply.
Those were foolish words. And now does the Lord answer
in verse 23. He turned and says to Peter,
Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto me. For thou
savest not the things that be of God, but those that be of
men. So often Peter will say things
unadvisedly, foolishly. Why, subsequently in chapter
17 we see how together with James and John he is taken by the Lord
into a high mountain. He's going to witness the transfiguration
of Christ. He's going to see through the
veil of his humiliation, through the veil of his human nature,
something of the glory of the divine nature of the Lord Jesus
as he is transfigured there before him and again Peter speaks verse 4 of
chapter 17 Peter says unto Jesus Lord it is good for us to be
here if thou wilt let us make here three tabernacles one for
thee and one for Moses and one for Elias. Now, those were very
impulsive words. In Luke's accounts, Luke 9 verse
33, we read that he said these things not knowing what he said. Peter says those words, it is
good for us to be here, he wants to make it a permanent thing,
he wants to erect tabernacles. for the Lord and for Moses and
for Elijah but he doesn't know what he is saying. They're not considered words.
He is an impulsive man and yet to come back to the words of
our text this morning I say that these are considered words. He He has given some thoughts
to what He is saying in this great confession, Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the Living God. It's not only recorded here,
as I said, it's also there at the end of John chapter 6. Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou
hast the Word of eternal life. and we believe and are sure that
thou art that Christ, the Son of the Living God." Now, those
words in chapter 6 of John were spoken shortly after the feeding
of the 5,000. As I said in our reading, we
didn't read the opening passage, but The former part of John 6 is
the account of Christ feeding the 5,000, the miracle. And it's shortly after that,
that Peter makes that confession. But here, this is some time after. This is some little while after.
Look at what we're told previously. He warns his disciples to beware
of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Verse 8, when Jesus was saved,
he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves,
because ye have brought no bread. Do ye not yet understand neither
remember the five loaves and the five thousand, and how many
baskets ye took up, neither the seven loaves of the four thousand,
and how many baskets ye took up." We have to go back to chapter
14. and there at verse 15 following
we have the record of the feeding of the 5,000 which is spoken
of at the beginning of John chapter 6 but then here in chapter 15
at verse 32 following we have another miracle where there is
a miraculous feeding and there chapter 15, 32 following we read
of how 4,000 are fed there have been two particular miracles. This is some little while later
than the feeding of the 5,000. Peter has already made a confession
and Peter is reiterating those words. This is a considered statement. He's given some thoughts concerning
just who Jesus of Nazareth is. He's not acting in his normal
impulsive manner at this time. And how important that is. Oh,
how important that is. God has not given us the spirit
of fear, says the Apostle, but of power and of love and of a
sound mind. God gives his people a sound
mind. God communicates gospel truths to us by and through our
mind, by our understanding. As the psalmist says, be ye not
as the horse or as the mule that hath no understanding, whose
mouth must be held in by meat and bridle, we are to be thinking
people. And we are to ponder the great
truths that are set before us here in Holy Scripture. And this
is what Peter is doing. We're not always to dismiss some
of Peter's actions as that of a man who is so impulsive. He
is that. That's a characteristic of the
man and yet he's also a man who makes careful statements, considered
statements. Always important then that we
engage our minds. We have to think about the things
that are written and revealed to us. here in Holy Scripture. And so Peter's reply. Thou art
the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He's given thought to this.
But we need something more than a clear head when he comes to
the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he comes to fight
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Or what does the hymn writer
say? Opinions in the head true faith by far excels as body differs
from a shade or kernels from the shells. It's not just a matter
of right opinions. It's not just a matter of an
intellectual belief of the truth. Where there is saving faith there
is something more than that. And so what we have here to consider
is what I can only describe as Peter's theology or look at just
what he is confessing here thou art the Christ the Messiah the promised one the anointed
of the Lord thou art the Christ but then something more thou
art the son of the living God he says and he says really exactly
the same in that portion at the end of John 6. Lord, to whom
shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. And we believe and are sure that
Thou art that Christ, the Son of the Living God. It's a two-fold
confession of His faith. And what does He acknowledge?
He acknowledges here that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, and
he acknowledges that the Christ is that one who is God. That great mystery of real religion,
the mystery of godliness, that God was manifest in the flesh,
and now he knows it. All that Christ is God I can
avouch. and for his people care, since
I have prayed to him as such, and he has heard my prayers."
Now wasn't that Peter's experience on that occasion when the Lord
rebuked him? That he not cried to him when
he was sinking there, the wind boisterous, full of fear, beginning
to sink, he cries, Lord, save me, and immediately immediately
Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto
him, O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou dare? but we knew
that this man was true almighty God he had prayed to him and
the Lord had heard his prayer and the Lord cared for him and
saved him and so boldly he He makes that confession. Thou art
the Son of the Living God. And this was such an offense
to the Jews. Why was it that the Jews so hated
Jesus of Nazareth? Why was it that they were so
intent on his death? Because they considered him to
be a blasphemer. or they understood the significance
of the things that he said concerning himself when he called himself
the son of God. Remember John chapter 5 where
the Lord heals that man, that lying man at the pool of Bethsaida
and it's a Sabbath day and he tells the man to take up his
bed and walk and the man is obedient and the Jews are so offended
and they seek to kill him. But what does it say there John
5.18? The Jews sought them all to kill
him because he not only had broken the Sabbath, their perversion
of the Sabbath day, it was not even right to do good works.
It was not even right to heal a man who had been lame all those
many years. All they sought them all to kill
him because he not only had broken the Sabbath but said that God
was his father making himself equal with God. And here is Peter
confessing that very truth. Thou art the Son of the Living
God. For this man is no blasphemer. It matters not what the Jews
are saying. And how many times they would
have stoned the Lord to death. Again in John 10, 33, for a good
work we stoned him not, they say, but for blasphemy. and because of thou being a man,
make us thyself God that was the charge, he was a blasphemer
in that he declared himself to be God and so when they bring
him before the Roman governor and they want to see him crucified,
remember the charge that they lay against him, we have a law,
they tell pilots And by our law, he ought to die, because he made
himself the Son of God. And this is what Peter is confessing.
Jesus of Nazareth, this is that One promised, the Messiah, the
Christ. And who is the Christ? He is
the Eternal Son of God. Oh how the Lord makes these things
so plain, remember, Later here in chapter 22, there verse 41, while the Pharisees
were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, what think
ye of Christ? Really it's the same question
he's now putting to the Pharisees that he had put to his own disciples. No difference. The Lord asked
them, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? And they say
unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, O then doth
David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my
Lord, Set thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy
footstool. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
And no man was able to answer him a word, neither doth any
man from that day forth ask him any more questions. For they
answer are right, you know, these Pharisees. Whose son is he? They say unto him, the son of
David. He is the son of David. We have it there at the beginning
of Romans. He is the son of David according to the flesh. He comes, the seed of the woman,
the seed of Abram, the seed of David. is the seed of David according
to the flesh but he is declared to be the son of God with power
according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the
dead is what Paul says there at the beginning of Romans and
how the Lord challenges them for they say that he is David's
son and the Lord then asks them How is it that David in spirit
calls Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Set thou at
my right hand? He is David's Son, He is David's
Lord, He is David's Saviour, He is David's God, He is the
Eternal Son of God. This is the doctrine of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And this is the the theology
that we have in this confession of Peter it's the same as we
find in John but as John says, whosoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God neither abideth
in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the
Son or the person the person of Jesus of Nazareth, a man,
yes but this man is none other than the Eternal Son of the Eternal
Father. Why? He is very God of very God. And how it's by degrees that
these disciples of the Lord begin to see these things, to understand
these things, to believe these things. Remember how later in John 14
Philip comes with that question and says Lord show us the Father
and it suffices us and how does the Lord answer Philip have I
been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip
he that hath seen me hath seen the Father O sayest thou then
show us the Father believest thou not that I am in the Father
and the Father in man Oh, he is that one you see who has come,
the image of the invisible God. And so turning from Peter and
Peter's reply to the Lord's question, whom say ye that I am, and this
great confession, this wonderful theological statement that this
man makes, this considered word of Simon Peter, thou art the
Christ, the Son of the Living God. What does the Lord say?
As He answers here in verse 17, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood I have not revealed it unto thee, but my
Father which is in heaven. Here we have a revelation. It
is that revelation that God has given to this man O no man hath seen God at any
time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the
Father, He hath declared Him. O the only begotten, the eternally
begotten Son of God, the One who is in the Father's bosom,
the One who came out from God, He is that One who comes to reveal
God to men. And now Peter's eyes have been
opened. It is a work of grace, it's a
miracle of grace. It's not of flesh and blood,
it's not of man. No, it's my Father, which is
in heaven. Did we not read those words there
in that portion that we read in John 6? the Apostle quotes from the book
of the Prophet Isaiah and they shall be all taught of God and they shall be all taught
of God every man therefore that has
heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me says the Lord
John 6.45 there is the promise that is to be fulfilled and was
fulfilled and is still being fulfilled in the day of grace
in the gospel dispensation. They're all taught of God. If
you're a Christian this morning, it's because you're taught of
God. It's not of ourselves, it's the gracious work of God and
of God alone. Again we read those works, John
6, 29, this is the work of God that ye believe on his name.
how the Lord has to show us that and teach us that that we cannot
of ourselves produce faith. Well that was my experience.
That was my experience. I have no doubt at all if I have
any other doubts and I have many doubts concerning Sabbath but
that one thing I'm absolutely sure that I had to learn that
I could not of myself believe when the Lord shuts us up to
what we are when he shuts us up to all our unbelief and all
our sin and our case is so utterly hopeless and helpless thou turnest
man to destruction says Moses thou turnest man to destruction
and sayest return ye children of men or when the Lord says
return the word of a king is it not a powerful word it is
at faith of the operation of God and it's true of all those
who are Christians the Lord himself grants that revelation out was
Paul's experience such an enemy a persecutor of the early church
thinking that he was doing the very service of God in seeking
to destroy those who were believers that Jesus of Nazareth is the
Christ. But what does Paul say to those
Galatians? Oh, when he pleased God. Oh,
when he pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by His grace to reveal His Son into me. Why he acknowledges
God was the one who was there in his natural birth, when he
was separated from the womb of his mother, when he was born
into the world, And it was God who was there when he became
a Christian, when he was born a guy, when he pleased God to
reveal his Son in him. O God, hath revealed them unto
us by his Spirit, says the Apostle. The Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God. What man knoweth the Spirit of
God? man but that spirit that is within him. Likewise the things
of the Spirit of God knoweth no man but by the Spirit of God."
How we are such poor dependent creatures, dependent upon the
Holy Spirit, dependent upon the Father, that there might be in
us that gracious revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as
we're dependent upon the Father, it's the Father here, is the Father who has revealed
it. There in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verses 10 and 11 Paul speaks
of it as the work of the Spirit but then also it is the work
of God the Son himself. No man knoweth the Son but the
Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he
to whom the Son will reveal it. All this revelation, it is a
mighty work, it's the work of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Blessed art thou, Simon bar Jonah,
Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood have not revealed it
unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And what is this revelation?
Well, it's the blessing of real conversion it's the blessing
of real conversion remember what the Lord says to Simon when he
is first introduced to the Lord it's his brother Andrew who brings
him there in John chapter 1 thou art Simon the son of Jonas thou
shalt be called Cephas which is, by interpretation, a stone. Oh, he's not that rock upon which
the church is built. As the Lord goes on to say, here
thou art Peter, or Cephas, upon this rock I will build my church.
Cephas, Peter, that's a stone! Or the blasphemies of the Roman
Church. saying that Peter, who they reckon
to be the first Pope, and yet they have no historical evidence
to establish that, they say Peter is the rock upon which Christ
built the church. That's not true. Presently I want to say something
about what that rock is, but he is Cephas, he is a stone.
His name initially is Simon. But what is the Lord saying there
in John 1.42? He is speaking of that conversion.
Thou art Simon the son of Jonas, thou shalt be called Cephas.
There's going to be a change. He'll be a new man in Christ
Jesus. It's not of nature the natural man receives, it's not
the things of the Spirit of God, they're foolishness to him, neither
can he know them. Because they're spiritually discerned. But how blessed this man is.
How blessed this man is, a new creature in Christ Jesus. The
psalmy says, blessed is the man whom thou choosest and cause
us to approach unto them. And is there not the evidence
here that this man Simon Peter is an elect vessel of mercy,
one chosen of God as he comes and makes his great confession
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. He's a blessed man. O blessed
is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no guide. O friends, what do
we know of that blessing? The blessing of God that maketh
rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it. What does He say to
Abraham, the father of all believers, the Father of all them that believe,
in blessing I will bless thee, you see. And here is this man,
you see. Oh, he is truly a child of Abraham. Not just because he is naturally
descended from Abraham, not because he is a natural born Jew, but
because he is that one who is born again by the Spirit of God. Blessed are they. Simon Bar-Jonah. And then the consequence of this revelation
we're directed to that foundation of all real religion which is
the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 18, I say also unto
thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my
church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,
of the foundation can no man lay than that which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ the Lord." Or what is the foundation? It
is that confession that Peter has made, thou art the Christ,
the Son of the Living God. It is the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ It's that belief, you see, that Jesus is the Son
of God, that he is God. Who is he that overcometh the
world? asks John. But he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God. That's the foundation. And O
Peter knew it. O Peter himself, remember, when
he writes in his first epistle and makes mention of that foundation? There in 1 Peter 2 verse 4, "...to
whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men,
but chosen of God and precious, he also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." All Christ
is that living stone, that foundation stone. Believers built upon that foundation
of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone. And this is a message that is
to be proclaimed. Verse 19, I give unto thee the
keys of the kingdom of heaven, whatsoever thou shalt bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven, whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven. It's nothing at all to do with
the Romish Confession. It has to do with the proclamation
of the message that Peter has just made confession of concerning
whom Jesus of Nazareth is, the Christ, the Son of the Living
God. These words are not only spoken
to Peter but they're spoken to all the apostles of the Lord. Look at what we read later in
chapter 18. 18 Verily I say unto you, whatsoever
ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever
ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again
I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching
anything that they shall ask, it shall be given them of my
Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst, or the
Lord is in the midst. and that message is to be proclaimed
and where there is a proclamation of the message centering in the
person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ there are the keys
of the kingdom there salvation comes to sinners for what is
bound on earth is bound in heaven what is loosed on earth is loosed
in heaven and all centers in Christ He
is that one that is to be proclaimed. He is that one who is to be set
forth as that great foundation of the church. Or that we might
be brought in to acknowledge with Peter to make
this same great confession of faith. When the Lord comes and
asks that question of us Whom do you say that I am? He says unto them, Whom say ye
that I am? And that question comes to us. What think ye of Christ? And
Peter's great confession, Thou art the Christ, the Son, of the
Living God. O God, granted by the Holy Spirit
we might be enabled to make that same confession and to say that
Jesus Christ is Lord. May God bless His Word to us.
Let us now sing that hymn of John Newton's 1149. The tune
is Russell 763. What thinking of Christ is the test to try both
your state and your scheme? You cannot be right in the rest
unless you think rightly of Him. As Jesus appears in your view,
as He is beloved or not, so God is disposed unto you, and mercy
or wrath are your lot. Some take Him a creature to be,
a man or an angel at most. Sure these have not feelings
like mine, nor know themselves wretched and lost, so guilty.
So helpless am I, I durst not confide in His blood, nor on
his protection rely unless I was sure he is God. 1149