“Your ID, please.”  How often in our lifetimes have we heard these words while pulling out some form of identification to prove we are who we say we are?  I don’t think I can count that high!  We must present paperwork, badges from companies we work for, and sometimes health records including certification that we were even born!  There are times when we must acquire more paperwork from “officials” to prove that our previous paperwork is authentic!  Have you ever worked for the military?  Then you understand.  Sometimes when we pay for merchandize with our credit card, we must also show ID to prove we are indeed the owner of the credit card.  We are asked almost weekly in some form or another, “Who are you?”  “Are you who you say you are?”

Jesus clarifies His identity with His disciples along with a forecast of things to come.

Matthew 16:13-28,  The Message

Son of Man, Son of God

¹³ When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

¹⁵ He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

^17-18 Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

¹⁹ “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”

²⁰ He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.

You’re Not in the Driver’s Seat

^21-22 Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, “Impossible, Master! That can never be!”

²³ But Jesus didn’t swerve. “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”

^24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

^27-28 “Don’t be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You’ll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Oh Peter, impetuous, impulsive but dedicated Peter.  Peter gets it right then almost immediately he gets it wrong.  Jesus sees in Peter what Peter does not see—yet.  On the way to being the “Rock” upon which Jesus will build generations of believers called “church”, Peter will be led on a journey that will build him.

“You have no idea how God works,” says Jesus to Peter.  But Peter will learn, along with the others as they watch how God works through Jesus.  Can you admit with me that we also have no idea how God works, but we know He does?  This is one aspect of building our faith—trusting that God knows and that is all we need to know.

Peter does not want his Messiah to suffer.  He is appalled at the idea after seeing Jesus perform miracles of healing and feeding people.  Peter wants life to be on his very limited human terms.  God’s response through Jesus?  “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”  (NIV translation) 

Yikes, do what God says or we will be stumbling blocks in God’s Kingdom work!

Trust God.  Lay down what you want for what Jesus wants to do in us.

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” 

Read that again.  Slowly.  Prayerfully, On bended knees of submission to His will.  Our self will is strong and must be submitted to God’s will.  I assure you it’s a great trade.

I’m reminded of one of passage often quoted by believers that Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ!” What a noble quest, but we must read the entire passage to understand “how God works” in our lives to get the full picture of “knowing” Jesus.   

“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”  Philippians 3:10-11, NLT

Peter’s heart is in the right place but his impetuous thinking was not.  This goes to prove we cannot lead only with our hearts or our feelings.  Jesus tells us our hearts deceive us.  Our feelings change as quickly as the wind blows through then dies down.  We must be led by God.

Messy lives yielded to Jesus result in powerful messages of His grace!  Jesus still called Peter to be the “Rock” upon which He would build His church.  Peter will have ups and downs in his life, (don’t we all?), but Jesus will work in Peter to prevail in ways “hell” and his demons cannot touch.  Because of Peter and the other disciples, to “go and tell” the church was formed and grew—even through persecution!  Peter’s first sermon, in fact, brought salvation to thousands in Jesus Name!  Paul, who persecuted believers before knowing Jesus, would later come alongside Peter to help the church grow in God’s love for each other. 

This is a snapshot of how God works in the lives of the “called.”  AND God calls all of us who believe Jesus saved us! 

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, NLT

“Get behind me Satan!”  Our true identity is in Jesus!  We must go and tell!  We have free access to the Kingdom!  Yes! 

We don’t have to wear a badge, or present ID, Jesus knows us!

Lord,

I love to tell your true story of your love, mercy, and gift of grace.  Thank you for saving our souls.  Thank you for the building our faith through challenging times as well as good times. Thank you for saving me and making me whole.  I found real life and that is You.  Open me mouth and help me tell your story of salvation as clearly as I can as you lead me.  We won’t have to show ID in heaven for you will already know us.  Thank you!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen