JESUS GETS US: GOT THE SON?

We continue this week with our sermon series, Jesus Gets Us with the sermon Got the Son?  It is our unshakeable belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God.  Yet, this simple statement is not without its’ historical or modern challenges.  There are many opinions about Jesus.  Although many people may like some of things he said or how he loved people unconditionally, they may not believe that he is God’s only Son, or the Lamb of God sacrificed for our sins.  Admiration is not the same as affirmation!  What does this matter?  Jesus became human in order to show grace for our living, but he is the Son of God so he can show us the way to the heavenly Father.  Jesus gets our need for the chains of sin to be broken and our lives to find transformation.  We turn to Matthew 16:11-22 and Peter’s confession that Jesus is the “Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Although this is a simple confession, it is also the power of faith.  We readily accept that God wants to give us grace because “he get us,” but Jesus also recognizes that we need a Savior.  The question that Jesus asks his disciples is still one that all us have to answer intellectually and spiritually, “Who do YOU say that I am?”  This is challenging because we are like Peter, we may have moments of insight but we are still a trainwreck. Yet, these moments help us find clarity and the strength of faith!   As the Father revealed this to Peter, he is still at work to clarify our thoughts, calm our minds, and encourage our hearts.  The same power and presence that transformed Peter is at work in us!  This is our earnest prayer for you; may you sense this power at work in your heart as you read Matthew 16:11-22:

How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ 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.” ²⁰ Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.