Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
St. Peter at the Pearly Gates is a stock-in-trade for humorists. In one story, a man was
permitted to bring a small overnight bag into heaven, so he filled it with gold ingots. When he
got to heaven, St. Peter examined the bag and asked, "Why did you bother to bring paving
material?"
In another story, St. Peter asked if a man had done any good deeds. The man replied, "As a
matter of fact, I have." The man went on to tell about seeing a biker beating his girlfriend. He
told how he had thrust himself in the middle to protect the woman, and had even punched the
biker in the nose. Impressed, St. Peter asked, "When did you do that?" The man replied,
"About ten minutes ago."
If you wondered where St. Peter got his reputation as heaven's gatekeeper, today's Gospel
lesson should answer that question. I'll get to that, but first let's start at the beginning.
Jesus had taken his disciples to Caesarea Philippi, a city in the far north––far from the scribes
and Pharisees who had been nipping at Jesus' feet. Jesus had chosen this quiet place to meet
with his disciples––to bring them more fully into his confidence. He was finally ready to give his
disciples a glimpse into the core of his being.
Jesus started by asking his disciples a question: "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
(v. 13). In other words, "What are people saying about me? Who do they think I am?"
The disciples gave several answers, all of which reflected what people were saying about Jesus:
• Some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist. In one way, that was an odd answer,
because Jesus and John were cousins and had grown up together. Jesus had chosen John to
baptize him. How could Jesus be John? But in another way, it wasn't so odd. John had been a
great prophet––the first great prophet that Israel had seen in many years. John had run afoul
of King Herod––or, more precisely, King Herod's wife––so Herod had him beheaded. Now
people were thinking that Jesus had inherited John's prophetic mantle. In fact, Herod
wondered if Jesus might be John reincarnated (14:2). But Jesus was not John the Baptist.
• Some people thought Jesus was Elijah. Elijah had been a great prophet. He was a dramatic
figure––capable of great faith––of great courage––but also subject to great depression. Elijah
had crossed swords with Ahab and Jezebel––a brave thing to do. But he also felt sorry for
himself and complained to God (1 Kings 19:10). I love the stories about Elijah , because he was
so human––so up and down––so capable of facing down the king, but also capable of doubt.
Aren't we all like that!
On one occasion, Elijah challenged Ahab to a contest. "Bring all your prophets of Baal to Mount
Carmel," Elijah challenged, "and I'll take on the whole lot of them, no holds barred." Ahab
brought 450 prophets of Baal to the mountain, where Elijah told them to prepare a sacrificial
bull––and to lay it on a bed of wood. Elijah said, "You call on the name of your god, and I will
call on the name of Yahweh (Israel's God). The God who answers by fire, let him be God" (1
Kings 18:24).
So the prophets of Baal danced and shouted all day long, but nothing happened. Finally, when
they had given up, Elijah doused the offering with water. Then he prayed this simple prayer.
He prayed: "Yahweh, ...let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your
servant, and that I have done all these things at your word" (1 Kings 18:36).
As Elijah concluded that brief prayer, fire came down from heaven and "consumed the burnt
offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water (from) the
trench." The people who witnessed this Godly fire fell on their faces in respect, saying,
"Yahweh is God, he is God!" Elijah had the people seize the prophets of Baal and kill them.
Fifth grade boys love that story. Good guys and bad guys! Fire from heaven! What more could
you ask! I like it pretty well myself.
Some people were saying that Jesus was Elijah reincarnated. That was quite a compliment––
but Jesus was not Elijah.
• Some of the people thought Jesus was Jeremiah, another great prophet. But Jesus was not
Jeremiah.
But Jesus' first question, "Who do men say that I...am?" simply set the stage for his second
question. Jesus asked, "But who do you say that I am?" (v. 15). The "you" in that question is
emphatic––"But who do YOU say that I am?"
That was the all-important question––"Who do YOU say that I am?" Jesus had spent many
months training his disciples, preparing them for what lay ahead. Now the training was coming
to an end. Jesus was about to begin his journey to Jerusalem (19:1) where he would die. The
issue for Jesus was, "Are my disciples ready?" He knew that they didn't really understand him–
–and wouldn't really understand until after the resurrection. But what did they understand. So
he asked, "Who do YOU say that I am?"
Jesus posed his question to all of his disciples, but couldn't have been surprised when Peter
answered. Peter was a mover and shaker. You could always count on Peter doing something.
He wasn't one to let the grass grow under his feet.
Of course, Peter was also a bit of a bull in a china closet. He was quick to jump, but often in the
wrong direction. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter
would draw a sword and whack the ear off one of the servants, so that Jesus, before dealing
with the soldiers, would first have to put the servant's ear back in place (Luke 22:50-51). And
then, of course, there would come a time when Peter would deny Jesus three times (Matthew
26). As I said, Peter was always quick to move, quick to jump––but not always in the right
direction.
But those things lay in the future. This time, when Peter jumped in quickly with an answer, he
nailed it. To Jesus' question, "Who do YOU say that I am?" Peter responded, "You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God" (v. 16).
Let's not move too quickly past Peter's answer, because it summarizes in a few words the heart
of the Christian faith. Peter said that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." Let's think
about that.
First, Jesus is the Christ. Some translations say Messiah. Christ is the Greek Christos, and
Messiah is the Hebrew masiah. Both mean the same thing––anointed––set apart by God.
Israel anointed prophets, priests, and kings––set them apart for Godly service.
But when Peter said, "You are the Christ," he was going one step further––one giant step.
Israel had, for many years, been looking for God to send a savior––someone like King David of
old, who had led Israel to greatness. Israel was looking for God to send a Messiah to do that
again––to make Israel great again––to save Israel from oppressors such as Rome. When Peter
said, "You are the Christ," he was saying, "You are the savior for whom we have waited for
centuries. You are the one whom God has sent to save us."
Peter was right, of course, but he was also wrong. He was right when he said that Jesus was the
one who had come to save them, but he was wrong when he limited that salvation to Israel.
Jesus had come, not just to save Israel, but also to save the world. But I'm getting ahead of
myself, so let's see how Jesus responds to Peter's confession.
When Peter says, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus says: "Blessed are you,
Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in
heaven. I...tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my (church), and the gates of
Hades will not prevail against it" (vv. 17-18).
Then Jesus added this––and this is how Peter came to be known as the heavenly gatekeeper.
Jesus said: "I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on
earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been
released in heaven" (v. 19).
If there is one thing that I would like for you to take home from this sermon, this is it. Christ will
not allow the gates of Hell to entrap those of us who accept him as Lord. He came to free us
from the clutches of evil. That, in a nutshell, is our hope of salvation.
Just remember this verse, "On this rock I will build my (church), and the gates of Hades will not
prevail against it." That's Jesus' promise. He will not allow the gates of Hell to entrap us. He
came to free us from the clutches of evil. He has done that––and he will do that. Amen.