WHAT IS IN A CONFESSION

-- { Matthew 16:13-20 }  ¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. -- NRSV

Dear Friend, grace and peace be unto you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.  Amen.

What is in a confession?  God is in a confession!  What is in the confession Melissa and Erin will be making today?  God is in their confession!  How does it come about?  Our gospel for today tells us.  At this point in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus withdrew to be alone with His disciples.  He was facing the end of His earthly ministry and the cross was drawing near.  It was time for them to learn that He was building a Church – an assembly of people, like Melissa and Erin, who would be confessing Him and living for Him.

Jesus is in the area of Caesarea Philippi (16:13)  “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,…”

This setting is significant because it was the area where a shrine to the god Pan, the nature god of Greeks and Romans, was located.  There were other gods as well worshiped here.  The city was named in honor of the Roman emperor (Caesarea) and Philip (Philippi), the son of Herod the Great.  Since the emperor was thought to have god-like attributes, this setting provides a tension between the world’s understanding of divinity and Peter’s confession.

This confession of Peter is not the confession of the world (16:13-14)  Jesus asked to his disciples, “’Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’  And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’”

There were false confessions being made regarding Jesus.  It is clear that Jesus was popular and respected.  He was considered a great man but here was the danger - He was seen only as a man.

1. Some people said Jesus was John the Baptist.  Either John had come back to life or his spirit had entered this man Jesus because he was preaching like John had.

2. Some people said Jesus was Elijah.  Now that was a compliment.  Elijah was considered the greatest prophet and teacher of all time.  But, no, one even greater had come.

3. Some people said Jesus was Jeremiah.  It had always been believed that Jeremiah would return to earth before the Messiah came.  But they got it wrong.

4. Some people said Jesus was one of the prophets.  He had been sent for their day and time.  Wrong again.

It is important to note that these same false confessions about Jesus exist even today.

1. There are people who think Jesus was only a great man who was martyred for his faith.  Wrong.

2. There are others who think that Jesus was only one of the great teachers and prophets of history.  Here we have “The DaVinci Code” deception.  Wrong.

3. There are those who think that Jesus was only a great man, who revealed some very important things about God.   Wrong.

4. Still others think that Jesus was just a great man and prophet sent to the people (Jews) of His day.  He isn’t relevant for us.  Wrong.

We see that Peter’s confession was a personal trust in Jesus (16:15-16)  “He (Jesus) said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’  Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’”

When Jesus asks this question He uses the plural form of the Greek.  He is asking all of the disciples as a group and yet also individually.  

Peter’s confession is a personal confession set in the corporate community of faith.  Confessing Jesus is never only personal.  It is also corporate because it joins one with other believers.  The confession Melissa and Erin make today is a confession binding us together.

Peter probably did not understand all that was involved in Jesus being the Son of God – that the cross and resurrection were in the picture – but he made his confession as a step of trust in Jesus.  Peter confessed:  “I believe you are…”  the Messiah, not a mere man, but the Son of God, sent by God, to fulfill all that the prophets foretold.

The question of Jesus is not only for that time but for all time and all people.  It is a very personal question.  It is directed to you and me, and every one out there:  “Who do you say that I am?”  Every one of us, individually, has to answer, and our eternal destiny depends on our answer.  

But it is not a confession about Jesus that Jesus is after.  He is after a belief, faith, a confession of His deity, a trusting of His saving grace.

St. Paul says in Romans 10:9-10, “…if you confess 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 confess and are saved.”  This was the case for Peter and must be the case for Melissa and Erin also.  Some things don’t change!

This confession is revealed by God alone (16:17)  “And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!  For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.’”

Here is where we Lutherans shine.  We have this nailed down with Martin Luther’s explanation to the third article of the Apostles’ Creed.

Peter’s confess was not of his own making.  It was a gift from God Himself – the way confessions of Jesus always come.  Only God’s grace can move the heart and lips to confess trust in Jesus.  We don’t make any decision of faith.  God works the decision in us.  It is like having our eyes opened.  We can’t help confessing Jesus.  All we can say is, “Oh, my… now I see.  Thank you, Lord!”

Martin Luther says, “I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him.  But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.”

This confession is the foundation of the Church (16:18)  Jesus continues, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

What did Jesus mean?  Probably that the rock was Peter and his confession, not simply Peter and not simply his confession.

1. Peter himself was the rock in two senses:

1. He was the first person to grasp who Jesus really was - the first in the line of faith in Jesus.

2. Peter was the one who launched and laid the foundation of the church.

2. Peter’s confession was the rock.  There is no doubt that the Church is built on the sure foundation Rock, Jesus.  Jesus builds His Church only through faith and trust in Him.  St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

The true Church is catholic (meaning universal).  It is made up of all who genuinely confess Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God.

This confession assigns great responsibility to believers for the Church (16:19)  Jesus continues, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The steward of a house is given the keys or the responsibility for the house.  The steward has the responsibility to close (bind) and to open (loose) the house.  The key is the gospel, the message of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  It is your business and mine, as Christians, to proclaim and teach the Gospel to people.  By sharing this means of God’s grace, in Word, we open the door to the kingdom of heaven for people.  By not proclaiming the Gospel we shut the door.  All you and I are called to do is open the door – share the Gospel.  As Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”  From that sharing and witness God brings people to saving faith.

This confession must be understood before being shared (16:20)  “Then he (Jesus) sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.”

There are several reasons for this:

1. The disciples still needed more preparation.  They did not yet know the full Gospel – Good News of God through the cross and resurrection.

2. The disciples needed the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit that would be given at Pentecost to empower their witness.

3. The people around the disciples at that time misunderstood the prophecies of the Messiah and would become confused.  The time was not right.

What is the life application for Melissa and Erin, and us from this text?

What is in a confession?  God is in a confession!

1. Peter is a model for your faith development.

2. You must ponder Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?”

3. God will give you His grace through the Holy Spirit to give the right answer.

4. You will confess, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

You will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.

  Amen.