After that very impersonal question asked by Jesus, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’, Jesus turns the question much more personal and asks his disciples: “But who do you say I am?” A question that we probably know well, a question we might even have asked ourselves – particularly in times of difficulty, but here Jesus asks his disciples this question after much journeying, addressing of crowds, instructing of the disciples, including a lot of explaining after their many misunderstandings, including of course the many parables – they arrive in Caesarea Philippi, a city near Mount Hermon, 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. It’s at the boundary of the Gentile world, and Jesus seems to go there to escape the Galilean crowds, to give him space to talk to his disciples and perhaps prepare them for his journey to Jerusalem – a journey as we know, that will lead to his death and resurrection.

So, having escaped the crowds, the question is asked of the disciples, “But who do you say I am?” – and who jumps in quickly with the answer? The disciple that is often the spokesperson – Peter. How did Peter know this? Where had this information come from? In their journeying the disciples witnessed Jesus’ teaching, preaching and performing many miracles, surely they must have chatted amongst themselves and wondered about this man who had asked them to follow him? However, we hear in the gospel that this wasn’t revealed by what they witnessed, Peter was told by God, by Jesus’ Father in heaven.

Jesus then reinforces his name as Peter, we know he was known as Simon and Simon-Peter, but here Jesus confirms him as Peter, and goes on to say that upon this rock he will build his church. At face value that sounds like quite an amazing statement. He rates and respects Peter so much after his pronouncement that he will use him as the bedrock, the foundation of his church? Of course, as we know, Peter, or Petros in Greek, means rock, so is this just a play on words, or something more symbolic?

Some argue that this couldn’t have been the biblical meaning due to grammatical differences between the male, Petros and female, Petra – whilst both mean rock, gendered versions of the word are used differently. There’s also evidence in the use of ‘this’, this rock, rather than ‘you’, which would relate to an object rather than a person. Therefore, it seems that most theologians are agreed that it isn’t Peter that the church is to be built upon, but on his statement – that incredible declaration: ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”’ Jesus is the architect, the builder, the cornerstone, we, along with Peter, are the building material.

We read in the gospel that the powers of hell (Hades) will not overcome the church – and here we are, all these years later, still professing the faith, evil hasn’t overcome the church, it has persisted. How and why has this happened? Because people of the faith, like you and I, have through the ages been Peters. Peter got it wrong a lot – and not long after his incredible declaration, later in the chapter, we learn he is chastised by Jesus, does that ring bells with us? Do we have times when we feel on top of our faith, as if we are walking hand in hand with Jesus, only to trip on the tiniest thing, and feel an utter absence of God?

Jesus never abandons Peter, never gives up on him – and Peter goes on to find the courage to live out his confession of faith. Often it can take courage to be a Christian standing for the faith in this secular world we inhabit, especially knowing what a benefit faith might be to so many others.

Our initial confession of faith might have come as early as when we were baptised as an infant; it might even have been made for us. What is important is, that as Christians we aim to live that out, regardless of the difficulty. The road of a Christian is rocky, it is a journey into the unknown, it is only trust in our Lord Jesus that makes us put one foot in front of another some days – but that trust is rewarded.

Do we each know where we are on that journey?

Have we confessed our faith recently?

Well, yes, we do it every Sunday that we’re in church as we say the creed, and if we just take a little sneak preview of the next page of our service book, we will see that the section where we profess Jesus as Lord is the biggest out of the three. All Jesus went through for us, is summed up there, showing us His place in the Holy Trinity, the one God who underpins our faith – helping us to know who Jesus is to us.

When we say the creed together, do we feel the power in Jesus? A power that calls us to live our lives in a way that often opposes conventional wisdom. In a minute or two we will affirm that we believe in Jesus Christ, who calls us to give away what we have; to heal the world; to love our enemies; to make promises – will we go out and do that? Living out our faith as others have done beforehand?

At any time, but particularly if we are in a low place, we can remind ourselves of that question and ask it of ourselves – “But who do you say I am?” – who do I say that Jesus is, for me, at this time, right now?

Answering that question for ourselves, might just help to lift us and it might bring our faith into focus.

Our answer doesn’t need to be theological, or based on history, although for some this might help – it is about how we experience Jesus, and that will be different for each of us – it is about how we feel Him in our hearts, hear Him in our heads and experience His transformational power in our lives.

It is about our relationship with Him – think of how his relationship and trust was built with his disciples, including Peter, throughout the time they spent together – yes, they were together physically, but we worship a living God, a God who we can talk to, listen to and give our hearts to.

Peter’s declaration used the word Messiah, a word that means someone who is expected, someone who comes to fulfil a promise, a promise to bring God’s love to each one of us.

We all have the ability to recognise Jesus as the Son of God and to receive his love. Just like Peter, whatever we do, Jesus doesn’t leave us, reject us, deny us, or give up on us. He isn’t ashamed of us, He doesn’t abandon us.

Gathering here on a Sunday, making our confession corporately, just as Peter did, is a big part of being a Christian, of our faith – and it will support us in building our relationship with Jesus. To confess Jesus as the Christ is to know him in our hearts and to walk in his footsteps. The closer our relationship with Jesus, the more others will see Him shining out of us and know that we are one of His disciples. The more we live as one of his disciples, the more complete our lives will be. Amen

Service: Reverend Rebecca Yates – 27th August 2023

Referenced Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20