The Great Confession

Luke 9.18-22

Look at verse 51. This was not Holy Week but it was a transitional time in Jesus ministry. His focus had been around Galilee, now His face is set for Jerusalem. The cross becomes His focus. Jerusalem His new destination. Whereas He spent His time in the fishing villages around the Sea of Galilee for the most part. He is preparing for His Death (and Resurrection and Ascension) at Jerusalem.

Matthew tells us that this took place in Caesarea Philippi. Luke tells that it was a place of prayer. 

The place is significant, particularly to the Jews to whom Matthew was writing.

Banias originally called Paneas, in honor of the Greek god, Pan whose shrine is located here. Rebuilt by Herod's son Phillip and called Caesera Philippi after Caesar Tiberias and himself, this is where Peter made the great confession about Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

William Barclay writes, "The area was scattered with temples of ancient Syrian Baal worship. Here was an area where the breath of ancient religion was in the very atmosphere. Here was the place beneath the shadow of the ancient gods.

Not only the Syrian gods had their worship here... by Caesera Phillipi there rose a great hill, in which was a deep cavern; and that cavern was said to be the birthplace of the god, Pan, the god of nature. So much was Caesera Philippi identified with that god that its original name was Panias, and to this day the place is known as Banias. The legends of the Greek gods gathered around Caesera Philippi.

Further, that cave was said to be the place where the sources of the Jordan River sprang to life. Josephus writes, 'This is a very fine cave in a mountain, under which there is a great cavity in the earth; and the cavern is abrupt, and prodigiously deep and still full of water. Over it hangs a vast mountain, and the under the cavern arises the springs of the River Jordan.' The very idea that this was the place which the Jordan River took its rise would make it redolent of all the memories of Jewish history. The ancient faith of Judaism would be in the air for anyone who was a devout and pious Jew.

But there was something more. In Caeserea Philippi there was a great temple of white Marble built to the godhead of Caesar. It had been built by Herod the Great. Later (as mentioned earlier) it was Philip, Herod's son, who further beautified and enriched the temple, changed the name of Panias to Caeserea- Caesar's town- added his own name to distinguish it from the Caeserea on the coasts of the Mediterranean. No one could look at Caeserea Philippi, even from a distance, without seeing that pile of glistening marble, and thinking of the might and of the divinity of Rome.

Here is a dramatic picture. Here a homeless, penniless Galilean carpenter, with twelve very ordinary men around Him, at the moment the orthodox are plotting to kill Him, stands and asks the question, 'Who do men say that I am?' He stands there in an area littered with the temples of the Syrian gods; in a place where the ancient Greek gods looked down; in a place where the history of Israel crowded in upon the minds of men; where the white marble splendor of the home of Caesar-worship dominated the landscape and compelled the eye. And there- of all paces this amazing carpenter stands and asks men Who they believe Him to be and expects an answer, 'the Son of God.' It is as if Jesus deliberately set Himself against the background of the world's religions in all their history and splendor, and demanded to be compared with them and to have the verdict given in His favor. There are few scenes where Jesus' consciousness of His Own Divinity shines out with a more dazzling light."

The remote place of prayer.

Caesarea Philippi today is in ruins. It is part of a large National Park where one can walk for miles on paths. It is beautiful. Away from the hustle and bustle of Galilee, it was to this area Jesus brought His disciples for some rest, prayer and to get away with them.

God is calling us regularly to get away with Him, to spend time with Him alone or with other followers. He bids us come. He has things to reveal to us in the quietness. It was in the secluded place of prayer that the great confession was made. Jesus said to Peter, "Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you , but my Father in Heaven." This revelation came in the place of private prayer. The Revelation of Jesus Christ came to John, the apostle on the Isle of Patmos where he was exiled. John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress in a jail. Paul wrote a whole group of letters termed "The Prison Epistles". Dietrich Bonhoffer wrote letter s from prison and they have been placed in a book by that name.

Make time for prayer. We can be busy in the kingdom to the point where our prayer life suffers.  Jesus shows us how to avoid that. Luke 5:15-16 Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Pray continually. 

Take time to talk to God and to listen to Him. Sit quietly before Him and wait.

Lamentations 3:25-26 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeksHim; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 

It was while they were on this prayer retreat that Jesus asked these two questions. Matthew tells us a little bit more.

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Matthew 16:13-16 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

1. The Great Confession was Personal.

Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is seeking to get people to confess Him as LORD.

He asks.

He does not force, manipulate, coerce, threaten. He asks.

He asks simply, directly, awaiting for an answer.

Peter, the first to do so.

Romans 10.9-10 

Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.

There are the opinions of men. We will speak about the current ones in a moment.

During Jesus' ministry: Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Jesus and Peter had more personal  recorded conversations than any of the other disciples. Peter was the spokesman, John was the writer.

Confessing Christ as LORD, the Son of God is what life is all about. You are not living until yo do that. You may be seeking or getting close but you are not living until you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is LORD. When you do you are saved. Christ comes into your heart and you are made alive in Him.

People you know may be a thousand miles away from Christ today but they are really are only one step. If they turn, look and live!

2.  The Great Confession was in the backdrop of comparison. 

Greek gods, Roman Government

Who do men say I am?

What do they say today?

Liar

Lunatic

Legend

LORD

Great Teacher

C.S. Lewis's quote 

In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call him LORD and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us"

We need to ask  people the question today, "Who do you say Jesus is?"

No one has had more influence on the human race than Jesus Christ.

No one even comes close.

The Fulfillment of the Ages. I Corinthians 10.11 

3. The Great Confession Led to More Revelation vs. 21-22

Where He was going. They were His followers.

What was going to happen there.

The confession of Jesus as the Son of God, His Messiah leads us to discipleship and suffering. It means following Jesus to the cross.

The Calvary Road- I am crucified with Christ.

It is a daily walk.

It is a denial of self walk.

It is a walk with destiny but not always one of awareness of all God is doing.

It involves a cross, your cross- suffering in your life makes you like Jesus.

Matthew 16:13-19 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

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. 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. 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.” 

Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.