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2025 Study of Matthew’s Gospel

YOU ARE THE MESSIAH,

THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD

Matthew 16:13-28

Key Verses 16:16

1. Why do you think Jesus took his disciples to the region of Caesarea Philippi (13a)? Why did Jesus first ask his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (13b) In what ways did people compare Jesus to prophets like John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah (14)? Who do people say Jesus is today?
2. Why is Jesus’ second question, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” so important (Ro 10:9-10; Jn 20:31)? What was Simon Peter’s response, and what does it reveal about his personal faith in Jesus (16)? What does the title “the Messiah” mean in the context of Jewish expectation? What does the confession “the Son of the living God” mean? In what ways is Peter’s confession a turning point in the gospel story?
3. How was Peter able to make the right confession about Jesus (17)? How did Jesus bless Peter after his confession (18-19)? What does each of these mean: “on this rock I will build my church,” “the gates of Hades will not overcome it,” and “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven”?
4. What did Jesus begin to teach his disciples about the way of the Messiah (21)? Why did Jesus sharply rebuke Peter, calling him a “stumbling block” (22-23)? What does Jesus mean when he says that anyone who wants to be his disciple must “deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow” him (24)? What does Jesus’ teaching reveal about the true value of life (25-28)?
5. What is your personal confession of faith about who Jesus is? What does following Jesus practically look like for you right now?

2025 Matthew’s Gospel September 14 , 2025

YOU ARE THE MESSIAH

Matthew 16:13-20

Key Verse 16:15-16

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

If Jesus were here in front of us today and asked you directly, “Who do you say I am?”—how would you answer? According to Pew Research and other studies, most Americans tend to fit their view of Jesus into three categories: Jesus as a historical person, Jesus as a spiritual figure, or Jesus as the divine Son of God. In a 2022 Ipsos survey, 76% of Americans said they believe Jesus really lived in history. And 84% said they see Jesus as an important spiritual figure. But outside the church, about one in four non-Christians see Jesus as nothing more than a religious leader, kind of like Muhammad or Buddha. Back in 2007, about 16% of Americans had no religious affiliation. By 2024, that number had nearly doubled to 29%. For Millennials, only 48% say they believe Jesus is God, and more than half say he was just human—and even that he committed sins. Among young adults today, only 46% identify as Christian. And if trends continue, the percentage who see Jesus as the divine Son of God is probably even lower in 2025. So here’s the tension: in a nation where most people acknowledge Jesus as real, fewer and fewer recognize him as Lord. And that brings us back to Jesus’ own question: “Who do you say I am?”

Verse 13 says that Jesus with his disciples went to the region of Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi was located in the upper Jordan Valley, right along the southwestern slopes of Mount Hermon. It was Gentile land. The people there worshiped the Canaanite gods. The city itself stood about 1,150 feet above sea level. It was known as one of the most beautiful spots in all of Palestine, with groves of trees, grassy fields, and flowing water. If you’ve ever seen a picture of the Banias waterfall near Caesarea Philippi, you know how stunning that area is. It reminds me a little of the Spruce Lake Center in Canadensis, Pennsylvania—where many of us have been for our spring and summer retreats. When I first drove through that region, I was captivated by the beauty. And I imagine the disciples felt something similar when they arrived with Jesus at Caesarea Philippi—surrounded by natural beauty.

Why do you think Jesus took his disciples all the way up to the region of Caesarea Philippi? Picture it: the beauty of the waterfalls, the shade of the trees, the cool mountain air. It could have felt like a fall retreat in Caesarea Philippi. The disciples were with Jesus, their beloved teacher, away from the noise of the crowds. They were looking forward to sharing good meals together, resting in a peaceful place, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It must have felt like such a happy time. In that beautiful setting, away from distractions, Jesus wanted to teach them something essential—something that would shape their lives forever.

On the way, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” Now, “the Son of Man” was a title Jesus often used for himself. Why did Jesus ask this question? I think he wanted his disciples to stop and think about what people around them were saying about Jesus. At the beginning of this message, I shared with you some recent research about how modern Americans view Jesus. Just like in Jesus’ time, people today have all kinds of opinions.

So how did the disciples answer Jesus’ question? They said, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Now think about that. John the Baptist had already been beheaded by King Herod. For many of the Jewish people, John had been a sign of hope—that God was about to do something new in their nation. His death was a huge shock. So some thought Jesus must be John raised from the dead. Others pointed to Elijah. Elijah was remembered as the greatest prophet in Israel’s history. He was the one who stood against idolatry, who prayed and brought rain after three long years of drought. When people saw the power of Jesus’ miracles, it reminded them of Elijah. Still others thought of Jeremiah. The Jewish people believed that in the last days Jeremiah would return to restore the temple. So when they looked at Jesus, some thought, “Maybe Jeremiah has come back.” People saw something prophetic, something powerful, something deeply spiritual in Jesus. But they only saw part of the picture. They called him “one of the prophets,” but they didn’t recognize who he truly was. And isn’t that similar to today? So many in our culture say Jesus was an important spiritual figure. They have a vague respect for him, even admiration. But they don’t know his true identity as the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

Then comes the really important moment. Jesus turns to his disciples and asks, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Do you feel the shift here? At first, the question was about other people. But now Jesus makes it personal. “What about you?” And that’s where it gets real. At some point, each of us has to answer for ourselves. Who do you say Jesus is? What does he mean to you? It’s the most personal question Jesus asks us.

As soon as Jesus asked that question, you can almost imagine Simon Peter raising his hand. “Me! Me! I’ve got the answer!” He shouts it out before anyone else can even open their mouth: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Ding, ding, ding! Peter nailed it. He got the answer exactly right. He just scored a perfect 100. The other disciples must have sighed and thought, “Ah, I was just a second too late—I knew that one!” Let’s think about what Peter actually said, “You are the Messiah.”

Messiah is a Hebrew word. In Greek, it’s the same as “Christ.” And the meaning is “the Anointed One.” In Israel’s history, anointing was a sacred act. Oil was poured over someone as a sign that God had set them apart for a special role. And three kinds of people were anointed: priests, prophets, and kings. For example, Aaron and his sons were anointed so they could serve as priests before God. Prophets, too, were anointed. Elijah anointed Elisha to be his successor. And Israel’s kings were anointed—Saul, David, Solomon—as a sign of God’s calling and authority. So when Peter declared, “You are the Messiah,” he was confessing that Jesus is the true Priest, the true Prophet, and the true King.

Jesus really is our High Priest, our Prophet, and our King. What was the priest’s role? The priest offered sacrifices for the sins of the people and stood as a mediator between God and his people. Jesus offered himself as the perfect sacrifice. Through his death on the cross, he became the eternal High Priest who reconciles us to God. And even now, risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father, Jesus continues to intercede for us. Prophets spoke God’s message, called people to repentance, and pointed the way to God’s kingdom. From the very start of his ministry, Jesus proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God. His words exposed sin, but also opened the door to forgiveness and eternal life for those who believed in him. A king rules over his people with justice and authority. Jesus, as the Son of God, is the King of all kings. Through his death and resurrection, he conquered the power of sin and death. And now he reigns forever in God’s eternal kingdom with perfect justice and love. So when Peter confessed, “You are the Messiah,” he was declaring all of this: Jesus is my Priest, my Prophet, and my King.

But Peter went even further: “You are the Son of the living God.” This is recorded only here in Matthew’s Gospel. What does it mean to call Jesus “the Son of the living God”? It means he shares God’s very nature. He is eternal. He is not like the false gods and lifeless idols. Jesus belongs to the true and sovereign God, the God who lives and reigns forever. This was an extraordinary confession.

But how was Peter able to make such a perfect confession? Jesus says, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” Peter didn’t figure this out on his own. It didn’t come from human reasoning, or from his own human experiences. Jesus made it clear—this truth was revealed to him by God the Father in heaven. It’s the same for us today. To truly confess that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, is not something we can do by human effort. It only happens through the revelation of God, through the work of the Holy Spirit opening our hearts. When we hear someone make a sincere confession of faith, we should recognize the work of salvation by the Holy Spirit. Romans 10:9 says, “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.” That’s the promise. To those who believe in their hearts and confess with their mouths, God gives eternal life.

On the other hand, many people who grow up in a Christian culture—like here in America—make a confession of faith without ever having a personal conversion or a real encounter with God. Their faith is more about identity or cultural belonging than about a living relationship with Christ. We call this “nominal Christianity.” A nominal Christian is different from a “confessing Christian.” A confessing Christian has received Jesus personally in their heart and confesses him as Lord out of genuine faith. But a nominal Christian may simply repeat the words of faith without the inward conviction. The danger is that without the work of the Holy Spirit, that confession remains on the surface. It doesn’t go deep enough to bear fruit in their life. And when trials or hardships come, that kind of faith can easily collapse. When someone makes a confession, we need to discern: is this the Spirit’s work—faith that comes from the heart—or is it just words shaped by culture or human thinking? Only a Spirit-born confession can produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus greatly blessed Peter’s confession of faith. “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” Peter’s original name was Simon. But when Simon first met Jesus, Jesus gave him a new name: Cephas. Cephas is an Aramaic word that means “rock” or “stone.” When the New Testament was written in Greek, they needed a Greek form of that name. The Greek word for rock is petra—but petra is a feminine noun, and it wouldn’t have worked well as a man’s name. So they used petros instead, which is masculine. That’s where we get “Peter” in English. So, Peter literally means “rock.” Now Jesus says, “On this rock I will build my church.” On this πέτρᾳ (petra) Jesus would build his church. What does πέτρᾳ (petra) refer to? There’s been a lot of theological debates about that question. But let me share with you how I understand it.

First, the foundation of the church is not Peter—it’s Jesus himself. Isaiah 28:16 says, “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation.” Peter himself would later write that Jesus is the cornerstone (1 Pe 2:6). And Paul says “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11). The message is clear: Jesus is the foundation of the church.

Second, when Jesus said, “on this rock,” he was pointing to Peter’s confession of faith. We all know Peter stumbled, failed, and denied Jesus. Peter himself could never be the foundation of God’s church. But his confession—“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”—that is rock solid. That confession stands above time, above culture, and applies to every person, everywhere. It is the faith upon which the church is built.

Third, Peter himself became the first among many who would make this same confession. He wasn’t the foundation, but he was the first living stone placed upon Jesus, the Livingstone. Jesus used the word “church” here for the very first time. And he says, ‘my’ church. The church belongs to Jesus—no one else. And when Jesus says church, he doesn’t mean a building. He means a gathering of believers. As Peter later wrote, we are “like living stones, being built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5) Each of us is one of those living stones. Together, we are being built into God’s Church.

Then Jesus said something amazing to Peter: “The gates of Hades will not overcome my church.” Hades was understood as the place of the dead. So when Jesus talked about the gates of Hades, he was really talking about the power of death. Death has always been humanity’s great enemy. It has ruled over us. And sometimes it can feel like death swallows up everything—even the church. But Jesus broke that power when he rose from the dead. Because of his resurrection, the power of death can never, ever conquer the church.

And then Jesus gave Peter another incredible promise. He said he would give him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Now, think about a locked door. To enter, you need the right key. Keys represent authority. You’ve probably seen pictures of Peter holding big keys like a gatekeeper at heaven’s door. Jesus was giving Peter—and through him, the apostles and the whole church—the authority to open the door for people to enter God’s kingdom. That’s why he added, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” The NASB translation puts it this way, more closely to the original: “Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” The church’s authority to forgive or to discipline isn’t about human decision-making—it’s about carrying out God’s will on earth. When the church acts in step with heaven, heaven itself confirms it.

So let me ask you: Have you made Peter’s confession your own? Can you say from your heart, “Jesus, you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”? If you have, then that confession can’t just remain words—it has to shape your life. If Jesus is truly our king, we need to live a Christ-centered life. Our time, our relationships, our plans, and our possessions, all belong to him. Whatever decisions we make, we need to make them with Christ at the center. And whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we need to do it for the glory of God. It means showing God’s love not just in what we say, but in how we live—at home, at school, at work, and in our neighborhood. It means living with kingdom values in this world. So let’s not allow our confession to be empty words. Let’s live it out—Christ at the center for the glory of God. That’s what it means to confess: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”