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Students have been arriving on
campus filled with anticipation at the start of a new
chapter in their education. After unpacking their
belongings, there is that inevitable tearful goodbye to
mom and dad in the parking lot. Parents hope and pray
that their values have rubbed off on their young adult
children.
On the first day of class the
professors hand out a syllabus complete with the titles
of required text books, due dates for written work, and
how many tests there will be during the semester.
Everything that is expected from the student is clearly
outlined, including attendance policies and classroom
rules. In some classes the students are asked to sign a
paper stating that she or he has read and understand all
the requirements.
When Jesus called the disciples he
had a clear sense of who he was and what he would
accomplish. The disciples, on the other hand,
enthusiastically followed Jesus not quite sure where
they were headed. All along the way Jesus taught them,
even when addressing the crowds the disciples were
listening. For the better part of sixteen chapters
Jesus has been teaching, doing most of the talking,
while the disciples were listening. It was now time for
a test to measure how the disciples were doing and if
they understood Jesus’ teachings. Tests are one
measurement of how well the student comprehends the
material.
“Who do people say that the Son of
Man is?” he asked. It was a simple question. Jesus was
not trying to trip them up asking a question they would
not be able to answer. The disciples had no trouble
repeating what they heard others say along the way about
Jesus. Some thought Jesus was Elijah, while others
claimed he was John the Baptist, still others Jeremiah
or maybe another Old Testament prophet. It is
noteworthy that the only answers the disciples could
come up with were dead prophets.
Jesus was looking for more so he
asked them the more personal question, “But who do you
say that I am?” While we certainly learn from other
people’s ideas there comes a time when we need to answer
the question of Jesus’ identity for ourselves. It’s one
thing to say, “My grandmother believed this, or my mom
taught me, or my Sunday school teacher taught, or I’ve
read in a book.” Such conversations are helpful in
developing our faith. But we need to take the next step
in stating what we believe.
What about you—personally? What do
you believe? Each one of us should be able to
articulate our beliefs. Our faith must be our own—we
can only get by with someone else’s answer for so long.
For our faith to be alive and vital we must claim it as
our own. If someone were to ask you a question about
your beliefs you should be able to give clear-concise
answers.
Peter answered “You are the
Messiah, the Son of the living God.” No one had given
Peter this answer; this was not something he overheard
from someone else. At that moment the answer came to
him by divine revelation. Peter had been listening to
Jesus and then God revealed the answer, “You are the
Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus acknowledged
Peter’s correct answer, “Blessed are you, Simon son of
Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but my Father in heaven.” Peter might very well have
felt proud with his correct answer.
This moment was so significant that
in the tradition of the Old Testament Peter’s name was
changed from Simon-Peter to Peter the Rock. Peter would
become the foundation for the church. “On this rock I
will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not
prevail against it” Jesus told him. Peter along with
the other disciples would teach people about Jesus. That
is what it means to give Peter the “Keys of the
Kingdom.” Peter had the authority to teach others about
Jesus.
Jesus promises us that his church
will prevail. There may be times when it appears that
the church is losing ground. Mainline churches have
experienced declining membership for almost forty
years—but Jesus promises that the church will not only
continue but will prevail. The church will continue in
spite of our failures or our successes.
I believe that this episode was a
turning point for the disciples and Jesus. The
disciples understood Jesus in a new way—the Messiah,
“the Son of the living God.” As they continued their
journey Jesus ordered them, “not to tell anyone that he
was the Messiah.” Fortunately for us Jesus was talking
to the disciples. We can tell others about Jesus and
all that he has done for us. We can shout it from the
rooftops for everyone to hear!
Don Kimbro was going through a
rough time in his life. “Everything I had worked so
hard for was falling apart,” he explains, “my marriage,
my family, and my business.” Was this all he could
expect from a lifetime of hard work—a life of sadness,
disappointment and failure.
One day a local businessman stopped
by his office to speak with him. Don immediately
thought he was trying to sell him something. The
gentleman promised that he would only take a few minutes
of his time. He introduced himself as the owner of a
local consulting firm. He was sharing with other
business people in the community something that changed
his life as well as his business.
Don stated that he was short on
time. The gentleman responded, “I want to talk to you
about Jesus Christ and how knowing Him can change your
life” “You’ve got to be kidding,” Don interrupted, “I’m
in the biggest crisis of my life and you want to talk to
me about religion?”
“I understand,” the man replied.
“I believe God can help.” He reached into his pocket
and handed Don a little booklet entitled, “Steps to
Peace with God.” For the next few minutes he explained
how much God loved him. He said that Don needed a new
life. “God will totally redirect your life if you let
him,” he said. With that the man turned to leave,
thanking him for his time. Don was speechless. He
tossed the booklet on his desk.
Six months later Don was cleaning
out his office as his company was in the process of
bankruptcy. As he was putting papers from his desk into
a folder he found the booklet the visitor left. He
stopped what he was doing, sat down and began reading.
As he read he says he could almost hear the man’s
voice. He prayed the prayer on the back of the booklet,
asking Jesus to forgive him and come into his life.
That was twenty-five years ago.
Don says his life has never been the same. God
dramatically changed his life. He never saw the
gentleman who visited his office but Don says he expects
to see him again in heaven. (1)
Could you have been the person who
shared about Jesus to someone who was confused and
hurting?
I mentioned that this was a turning
point for Jesus and the disciples, the next verse
states, “From that time on, 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.” Peter made the correct identification, Jesus
is the Messiah. For Jesus that meant something
different from what others thought of him. In Jesus’
immediate future being the Messiah meant “great
suffering” being killed, “and on the third day be
raised.” That disclosure did not go over well with
Peter and the other disciples and to be honest continues
to make us feel uncomfortable today as well. We want a
happy, upbeat Messiah not one that talks about suffering
and death.
When we do well on a test, when we
see our grade, we realize that more is expected of us,
more than what was on our syllabus, more than we ever
thought. Jesus asks each one of us, “What about
you—what do you believe?” Let us respond with the
affirmation of our faith.
Amen.
1. “A Divine
Appointment” Today’s Christian July August 2005, Vol.43,
No. 4, p.45
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