Peter Encounters the Suffering Savior

Matthew 16:13-23
I. INTRODUCTION
The Only Christian Nation in Asia?
-quick search online”Christian Nation in Asia”Philippines among the topPew (2010) 1st Asia, 5th world
-BUT despite this, when we look at our country corruption, EJKs, drug abuse, political bickering, social inequality
-QUESTION: If we are supposedly the most Christian nation in Asia, why do we act so unchristian as a nation?
-PICTURE: A letter from a South Korean went viral”You go to church every Sunday but nothing has changed”
-writer’s diagnosis there is no change because we don’t love our country, we lack patriotism
-there is merit to this diagnosis let me move it further
We don’t know Jesus
-We go to church every Sunday, we are ranked among the top “Christian” nations but we are so unchristian in our actions, our
nation drowns in social ills—why?
-Many Filipinos only know facts/information about Jesus, they don’t really KNOW Him!
-Marami lang tayong alam tungkol kay Hesus, hindi natin talaga Siya kilala
-simply being part of a religion vs having a relationship with the redeemer
PICTURE: Malacanang papasukin niyo ako dahil marami akong alam tungkol sa Presidente vs kilala ka ng Pres.
-that’s the effect when we know the president, how much more when we really KNOW JESUS

The What of our Passage?

-today, as we follow the life of Peter, we will see a broadening (culmination) of his understanding of Jesus’ identity
-but it wasn’t yet a complete KNOWING of Jesus, but a greater Knowing nonetheless
-for today we witness Peter in a smooth and bumpy journey in KNOWING Jesus as the Savior who must suffer

The Why of our Passage

- And I would say, if we as a nation truly want change, or even more personal, if you desire transformation, spiritual change, a
180-degree turn in your life (sin to deepening love for the Lord) this is what you need—to KNOW Jesus as who He really is
—our Suffering Savior.
-Incidentally, these will be our two main points this afternoon. To say that you KNOW our Lord (not just in the intellectual
sense but in a relational/personal sense), you must
1. Acknowledge the Identity of Jesus
2. Share in the Mission of Jesus
Why reiteration: those who do are the ones who truly respond in faith to or trust in the Savior all by God’s grace
-and they are the ones whose lives are transformed and continuously being transformed by God for His glory
PICTURE: as that catchy tagline goes, “KNOW Jesus, Know peace. No Jesus, No peace”

Background
Life of Peter
*Gospels are not strictly Chronological—differing view
John 1:35-42 Andrew, the brother of Peter, met Jesus through the testimony of John the Baptist, and he brought Peter to
meet the Savior | “We have found the Messiah” | “You are Simon, Son of John, you shall be called Cephas (Peter) 
prophecy of the role that Peter will play in the future
- they didn’t immediately follow Jesus, it takes at least another encounter to fully convince them
*at least: because some include Jesus’ visit and healing of Peter’s mother-in-law as another encounter
Matthew 4:18; Luke 5:3-11, Mark 1:16 Jesus calls Simon and Andrew, James and John through the miraculous catch of fish
| “Do not fear, from now on, you will be catching men, When they brought their boats to land, they left everything and
followed Him”
-from then, on, they were travelling around with Jesus, witnessing His miracles and hearing his teachings
Salient miracles: healing of a leper, exorcisms, dead back to life, paralytic, blind, calming of a storm, feeding of 5000, 4000
Salient teachings/debates: Sabbath, tradition of the elders, Sermon on the Mount,
-mixed reactions: some were astonished by his authority (Mat. 7:29), some believed, some said he’s allied with demons
(Mat 9:34), he is a teacher from God (John 3)people are confused about Jesus
Transition
-makes our passage all the more relevant, because in the midst of differing voices, it directs us to two truths about Jesus,
effectively answering what I would say as one of the most important questions in this life: “Who is Jesus?”
-let’s go to our passage and prayerfully, we will be able to encounter Christ through His Word
*To say that you KNOW the Lord, you need to…
II. BODY
A. Acknowledge the IDENTITY of Jesus (vv. 13-20)  Confession of Peter
POINT: Jesus is the Savior, He is the Son of God (truly man and truly God), He is the builder/cornerstone of the Church
PROOF: 1. Setting and Characters
Characters: Jesus and His disciples (Peter)—busy itinerary (moving around Galilee Gentile regionspreaching, healing
feeding 5000 and 4000 people walking on water debating religious leaders
Setting Ceasarea Philippi (14-hour walk north of Sea of Galilee), predominantly Gentile, center of worship for the
Canaanite god Baal, the Gk god Pan and the first Roman emperor Augustus, near Mt Hermon (Transfiguration?)*impt later
travelling on foot from the Sea of Galilee (Bethsaida), they are tired, and they are resting together in private
2. Discussions
- then, Jesus begins a discussion
First Discussion: Question(v. 13): “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
-Son of Man: it is the Messianic title that Jesus uses most often humanity and humility (suffering servant) of the
Savior but also of His glory at Judgment in the end times (Daniel 7)
-Jesus first asked in general terms, not in a casual way because the Gk of asking (interrogating)
-Picture: Like a teacher employing the Socratic method—wanting to know people’s opinion about His identity
Answer (v. 14): a. John the Baptist- (resurrected- John 14:2)
b. Elijah- prophecy of the return of Elijah (who was taken up in heaven body and spirit) before the final judgment
(Mal 4:5), some believe Jesus fulfilled this because of His preaching about the coming Kingdom as well as
similarities in Elijah’s and Jesus’ miracles (providing bread, raising the dead back to life CSB)
c. Jeremiah- like Jeremiah Jesus preached judgment and repentance (Luke 13:3; Mat 11:21)
d. One of the Prophets- Like John the Baptist, some people considered Jesus a prophet or even the Prophet whom
God promised to send (John 6:14 cf. Deut 18:15)
-Picture: We are not so different in our time and day—Jesus is the all-loving bro (accept you, even if you live in utter
rebellion), cosmic judge (waiting for you to fail to condemn you to everlasting fire), genie, Jesus is the
religious icons, paintings, sculptures, talismans that we see (as if wood, metal, paint can hear us when we
pray), most radical feminist, founder of communism, brother of satan, lives right now in Davao, Rizal
Second Discussion: Question(v. 15): “Who do you say that I am?”
-no longer a general question not in the third person very personal one that demands reflection
-btw, the “you” here is plural (addressed to all the disciples) moment of silence, as they considered the question
Answer (v. 16): Peter was the brave one who confessed:
a. Christ- Messiah, Anointed one, Savior
b. Son of the Living God- Jesus had a unique relationship with God (He is beloved by the Father Mat. 3:17); Jesus
and the Father are one (John 10:30)—full divinity of Christ; Living God in contrast to idols/pagan gods
-Practice: I can pause here and ask you the same question—“Who do you say Jesus is?” “Sino si Hesus sa iyong
buhay? you’ll have to answer this question sooner or later (your answer eternal life or eternal death)
-the answer that Jesus demands is not simply intellectual (parroting back data about Him), but one borne from a
genuine seeking and reflecting and asking from God
-Picture: This is my constant prayer about my walk with the Lord. I have the tendency to be all up in the head. The
things I know manifest so slowly in my heart, in my hands (constant prayer—may my relationship with you be
true) most of you who grew up in Christian families or those who’ve been Christians for a time can relate
-Practice: If you have the same struggle as I do, or perhaps you don’t KNOW Jesus yet, you don’t have a relationship
with Him yet Jesus reveals the key for us to KNOW Him as who He really is
(v. 17) we are utterly dependent on God’s grace in order to KNOW Jesus ask God to grant you the desire to
KNOW Jesus to grant you the means to KNOW Jesus to open Your eyes to Spiritual realities
-after you’ve done so, act in faith that God is answering even as you learn more about Jesus through the
Bible, through fellowships, sermons, the church family, daily experience
-Problem: How do you even begin asking God if you don’t have any desire in your heart? (Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25)
-May we truly come to know Jesus
c. Builder and Cornerstone of the Church- third reality about Jesus, comes from His very lips
-Proof: (v. 18) Peter-Rock: Play of words here because Peter (petros) means small rock while Rock (petra) means
bedrock/foundation/boulder
-I say to you small rock (Peter), upon this bedrock/foundation/boulder, I will build my church
-Problem: What is the Petra? Some interpret it as Peter himself (against Eph. 2:20)
-Some interpret it as Peter’s boulder-like confession about the identity of Christ
-but I align myself with those who say that the Petra refers to Jesus Himself (Eph. 2:20; 1 Peter 2:4-7;
Peter refers to Jesus as the Living Stone, the Corner Stone, and the other living stones are built on Him)
 Why is this important? --> church: not the building, but “assembly of people gathered in Jesus’ Name (not
Peter’s or the apostles’ or the prophets’,” related to the OT assembly of Israel at Mt. Sinai, but now
referring to believers of Jesus  “I will build my church”
-Picture: a. (v. 18b) Jesus’ Church is more powerful even against Hades (death) Incidentally Caesarea Philippi in
those times is known as a gateway to the realm of the dead their presence there is very deliberate
b. (v. 19) Jesus’ church has authority (represented by the key given to Peter, but also extended to all
believers Matthew 18:18) bind and to loose (in the context of Matthew 18, must be understood as the
authority, guided by God’s Word to proclaim heaven’s judgment whether a person is forgiven or not)
-that is, looking at the principles laid down in Scripture, a duly constituted body of believers is guided
by the Word and the Spirit to determine if a person is unrepentant (bound by sin) or already
repentant (loosed from sin)
RESTATE: There is so much happening in vv 13-20 but I don’t want you lose sight of the main point
-Here, Jesus wants us to acknowledge His IDENTITY: He is the Christ, the Son of God, the Builder and Cornerstone of the Church
-Through the Confession of Peter
-these are wonderful truths, but why does this section end with Jesus forbidding them to preach about His identity? (v.20)
We’ll find out in the next Point… *To say that you KNOW the Lord, you need to…

B. Share in the MISSION of Jesus (vv. 20-23)  Correction of Peter

POINT: Jesus is the Christ, the Savior. But what does this mean? It means that Jesus is the substitutionary sacrifice, the
ultimate offering to pay for the sins of God’s people He will suffer, die but be raised back to life
PROOF: Peter’s confession about Jesus’ identity is pivotal, in fact, in Matthew, chapter 16:21 begins the close of Jesus’ public
ministry moves the story towards the passion week &  moves the teaching from public to private (disciples)
(v. 21) What is the first thing that He teaches after identifying as the Christ?
a. Jesus must go to Jerusalem the seat of the Jewish religion, temple, fulfill His mission
b. Jesus must suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and scribes religious leader (arrested, imprisoned,
scourged, made to carry the cross)
c. Jesus must be killed by crucifixion at Golgotha, the most cruel, humiliating, painful way to die (excruciating)
d. Jesus will be raised up on the third day Resurrection
-Jesus is very aware of the things that are about to happen Son of Man He comes as the Suffering Servant
(v. 22)How did Peter respond?
-he rebuked Jesus! (“charge to change, to turn, to cease from sin”)
-to him, Jesus’ pronouncement about the Christ is sinful, not according to God’s will (He missed the resurrection!)
-Problem: Why did Peter respond this way?
-you remember v. 20 (forbidding)? During that time, the Jews had a totally different understanding of the Savior
-to them, the Savior is not a “suffering servant” but a “conquering king,” a military and political leader
(Is. 9:7; Jer. 23:5) Christ will thwart Roman Rule
-Peter shares this view that’s why he can’t accept Jesus’ pronouncements of suffering
-this is also the reason why Jesus forbid them to share about His identity openly because the people will
misunderstand (John 6:15)
(v. 23) How did Jesus react to Peter?
-sharp correction: “Get behind me Satan” (Peter was being used by the enemy to thwart God’s redemptive plan, to
convince Jesus to avoid suffering cf. Mat. 4:1-11)
“You are a stumbling block to me” – a hindrance, “a rock that could cause a fall and obstruct a path” (RSB)
-a sharp contrast from the commendation he received in vv. 17-19
“you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”- Peter’s motive fueled by the human
understanding of the Messiah (conquering king)preserve his status as a servant of the Christ? (Lk. 22:24ff)
PROBLEM: Why must the Christ die in the first place? And what will happen to the prophecies of His Kingly rule?
Rom. 6:23a (Wages of sin is death) God is infinitely Holy and glorious, so rebellion against Him (sin) would merit infinite
judgment (death—not just physical but spiritual, eternal | death separation)
-so if you sin even just once, you would have to face eternal justice for offending an eternal God
-the only way to escape is if someone takes your place, who has no sin to pay for, and who can provide a sufficiently
eternal sacrifice acceptable to an eternal God
-only one fits Jesus (without sin, cf 2 Cor 5:21), God Himself (able to provide an eternal sacrifice, acceptable to God)
-proof that God accepted it Jesus rose again from the grave! (Acts 2:24)
-there’s no contradiction bet the Suffering Servant and Conquering King  1st Coming and 2nd Coming
PICTURE: Why did Jesus share about His suffering?
-those who will follow Jesus must be willing and ready to share in His mission, to suffer as He did (vv. 24-25)
-Those who KNOW Christ must understand the reality of suffering for Him and the Gospel (2 Tim 3:12)
 EX. China Gospel message goes against the Communist Party, because it preaches KING Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven
N. Korea Christians are arrested for simply owning a Bible (forbidden book)
Muslim Nations You can get arrested and caned if you are caught sharing the Gospel of Jesus
-Peter may have not understood it yet here, but later in his life, we see that he’s willing to follow Jesus even to death
PRACTICE: Do we experience this persecution in the Philippines? In UP?
-not much (mockery by friends, teachers, restrictive university rules | but not death or imprisonment)
-Persecution is also a gift China has never learned bec. the greater the persecution, the more explosive the growth
-healthiest churches, strongest Christians found mostly in persecuted countries (irony)
-Comfort has become a curse takot tayo magshare kasi baka mapahiya tayo (they share at the face of death); wala
tayong oras mag-disciple kasi busy sa career (they offer even the last moments of their lives encouraging other
believers); hassle ang involvement sa ministry kasi uncomfortable (venue, activities under the tree, caves, in prison
cells); katamad manalangin (we are praying for you) heed v. 26 (What does it profit a man to gain…)
RESTATE: Jesus came to suffer and die and be raised back to save God’s people. We KNOW Him if we are willing to share in
His Mission.

III. CONCLUSION
-Today, we continued following the life of Peter, but the passage is really very Christ-centered
-I go back: If we truly desire change (all levels) the heart of this message is what we need KNOW who JESUS Really is.. our
Suffering Savior.
-You truly know JESUS if you
A. Acknowledge His Identity  Christ (Savior), Son of God, Builder and Corner Stone of the Church
-We learned this in Peter’s Powerful Confession
-Warning: ask God to move you beyond head-knowledge to a true love for the Savior

B. You share in His Mission involves suffering, with the promise of glory
-we learned this in Christ’s Correction of Peter
-learn from the persecuted church (persecution.org; opendoors.ph); read books about persecution, pray for them God
will use these to change your perspective and make you more bold, willing to suffer for Jesus

-If you KNOW Jesus in this way, your life will be changed. Probably not in the way you’re imagining change from eternity,
knowing that at His return He will tell you, “Well done! My good and faithful servant”
-If you don’t KNOW Jesus yet, alam mo bang ang Gospels are written precisely so that we’ll know Him? I pray that God will use
this message and the Bible to draw you to the Savior, until by grace you will believe in Himsaved
-Who is Jesus to you?

I’M (I AM) Identity, Mission