Peter had only just clarified for himself and for the other followers of Jesus Who Jesus actually was: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:14). And indeed, it is this confession of the identity and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth which is at the heart of our faith, the rock on which He builds His Church worldwide, and the keys to the kingdom of heaven for all who will believe it.
But there is one more key aspect to our faith, contained in today’s reading. Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised (Matthew 16:21). Throughout the rest of the New Testament, though it’s clear that any true “spirit” needs to identify Jesus as Messiah, the only-begotten Son of God, it’s also necessary to “test that same spirit” to see if it also confesses Christ crucified and risen. For without this additional confession, there can be no forgiveness of sin, for us, or for anyone, ever. The Scriptures are unified in confessing that the horror of sin can only find its atonement in the sacrifice of Another, of the Messiah, the Son of God, prefigured in the Old Testament sacrifices. The key to the present and future of the world hinges on this. That’s why Jesus was so harsh when Peter, perhaps in his love for Jesus, suggested that Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection weren’t really necessary. That kind of teaching, which we today might consider part of the “diversity” in the church, is actually straight from the pit, and from the mouth of satan himself.
With that fullness of faith confessed, our only response is to live it, as did our Lord, to give up our lives for Him and for others so that we, and they, might be raised to new life: If any want to become My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me (Matthew 16:24).
So what is it about Jesus that you confess to others and to the world? And how is it that you match your heart’s confession with your life’s profession?
