Focal Passage: Matthew 16:13-26
Our life is filled with questions: both answering them and asking them. Questions such as, “What do you want to eat?” or “When will you be home?” Most of life is shaped by how we answer certain questions.
Some questions are just searching for information, but others require a commitment. Questions like, “Will you marry me?” or “Are you in or out?” or the question that Jesus asked to His disciples in Matthew 16:15: “Who do you say that I am?” As we come to this text it is important that we ask some questions in our own life.
The first question is “Who is Jesus to me?” This question is one we all need to wrestle with and one Jesus was asking His disciples to work through in their own hearts and minds.
Josh Sinquefield
When Jesus asks his disciples first, “Who do others say that I am?” and then, secondly, “Who do you say that I am?” He’s really asking them to consider who Jesus is to them. And this is not a group answer. It is an individual response. It’s not one of those group projects at school where you can just depend on the smart person in your group to do all the work and you still get a good grade. We must all answer this question.
Peter responds by saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). This, of course, is the right answer, but it’s important to note, just because he said the right thing doesn’t make it true for each one of us. At some point, the question becomes personal. Who is Jesus to me? Have I confessed Him as Lord, or simply agreed with what others say about Him?
As the text continues we come to the next big question we must ask: “What do I expect from Him?” In vv. 21-23, Jesus predicts His suffering and death, Peter rebukes Him, and Jesus responds, “Get behind me, Satan.”
Peter was still trying to understand who Jesus was and what to expect from Him. Peter, and many others, were looking for a conquering Messiah, not a suffering Savior. We aren’t so different. We like a Jesus who blesses and protects, but struggle with a Savior who calls us to surrender and sacrifice.
It’s possible to believe Jesus is Lord and still resist His way. It’s like someone hiring a personal trainer because they need to get in shape but then argue against every workout routine and diet plan. Following Jesus means trusting not only who He is but also where He leads.
Then Jesus makes the cost unmistakenly clear and brings us to our final question: “What am I willing to give up for Him?” Verses 24-26 give clear instruction on what true surrender looks like. The cross was not a metaphor for inconvenience; it was an instrument of death. To follow Jesus is to surrender our self-rule.
Yes, following Him may cost comfort but refusing Him costs eternity. Through this passage we see that following Jesus begins with confession, deepens through surrender, and is proven through sacrifice. Remember, the One who calls us to take up our cross first carried His. And because He gave His life for us, losing ours for His sake is not really loss at all; it’s life. B&R
