Jesus doesn’t have a temporary physical agenda but an eternal spiritual one.
Jesus is the Suffering Servant prophesied about in Isaiah. Jesus will take on Himself the sins of humanity (all the evil that has or will ever happen). This will kill him but he will raise from the dead on the 3rd day. Who we say Jesus is should determine how we live our lives.
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Matthew 16 Video:
Matthew 16 Notes:
Jesus warns the disciples to avoid the teaching of the religious leaders known as the Sadducees and Pharisees, because even with all the miracles and messages, it still wasn’t enough. They needed another sign as more evidence.
Contrasting with the hard hearts of the religious leaders, Jesus asks the disciples: “Who do people say I am?”
They respond with “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Matthew 16:14 NIV
Then he makes us more personal and asks “Who Do You Say I Am?”
Peter is the first to declare that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
Jesus explains how our Heavenly Father is the One who reveals this to us and how it is on faith like this that the church will be built and that Hades will not be able to overcome this faith.
Then Jesus reorients what it means that He is the Messiah. He’s not a political leader or military leader who will free the oppressed Jewish people from the tyranny of the Roman leaders. He doesn’t have a temporary physical agenda but an eternal spiritual agenda. Jesus is the Suffering Servant prophesied about in Isaiah. Jesus will take on Himself the sins of humanity (all the evil that has or will ever happen). This will kill him but he will raise from the dead on the 3rd day.
He then explains how followers of Jesus are to take the same posture – deny ourselves, taking up our cross, and losing our life with Jesus at the center of our lives.
Who we say Jesus is should determine how we live our lives.
