Synoptic Gospels 4: Lord and Lamb (3)
Pray Psalm 2.7-9.
“I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
Sing Psalm 2.7-9.
(Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High)
I will declare the LORD’s decree. He said, “My Son I have begotten Thee.
Ask Me, and I will give every land for You to rule as I have planned.”
Read Matthew 16.13-20; Mark 8.27-30; Luke 9.18-20; meditate on Matthew 16.13-20
Preparation
1. What did Jesus ask His disciples?
2. How did Peter answer?
Meditation
Many people were talking about Him, and a variety of opinions were circulating concerning His identity. Jesus was about to make some big announcements (vv. 18, 21), so before He did, He wanted to make sure His disciples were clear about Who He is.
Jesus colored the answer He was seeking by referring to Himself as the “Son of Man” in His question to the disciples. This would certainly have brought Daniel 7.13ff to their minds and cued them for how they should answer. They had already acknowledged Him as the Son of God (Matt. 14.33), and Jesus seems to have wanted to firm up that belief and combine it with the Person in Daniel’s vision.
So, having asked them what others thought, Jesus asked the disciples about their understanding of His identity. Peter spoke for them all in saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The disciples at this point knew Jesus to be Son of Man and Son of God. This does not mean they understood this mystery perfectly, or that they were ready to put their full weight down on this conviction. But they were correct in seeing Jesus as He was revealing Himself.
They were “blessed” in so confessing (v. 17). But this understanding of Jesus is not something they arrived at by their own cleverness or consensus. God the Father revealed Jesus’ identity to them. Unless God Himself teaches us about Jesus, leads and enables us to know Him as Son of Man and Son of God, we will never have anything other than, at most, a high regard for Him. And we will not know the blessings of God until the disciples’ confession is our confession as well.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Expression deepens impression; thus, Jesus wanted the disciples to verbalize Whom they knew Him to be.
First, Jesus wanted them to tell Him who the folks mistakenly believed Him to be:
John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another of the ancient prophets.
His next question clarified their wrong beliefs: “But Who do you say that I AM?” (Matt. 16.15)
He flung the door wide open for them to have a differing opinion.
And with that opportunity available, beloved, never-shy-about-sharing-his-thoughts Peter blurted out:
“You are The Christ, The Son of The living God” (Matt. 16.16).
And for that response He received praise from the Lord Jesus: “Blessed are you” (Matt. 16.17).
And six days later God confirmed Peter’s and the disciples’ right beliefs and right answer:
“This is My beloved Son, in Whom I AM well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matt. 17.5)
“I was watching in the night visions, and behold,
One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
and they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and His kingdom
the one which shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7.13, 14).
“And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory” (Ps. 24.7-10).
Who do you say that He is?
Who is the King of glory?
Whom do you serve?
The Christ of God (Lk. 9.20).
The Christ (Mk. 8.29)
The Christ, The Son of the living God (Matt. 16.16).
Blurting with Peter, that’s our answer, and we’re standing by it!
Or as Martin Luther courageously stated:
“I neither can nor will retract anything;
for it cannot be either safe or honest
for a Christian to speak against his conscience.
Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise.
God help me. Amen.”
Reflection
1. Why is it important that we confess Jesus to be Lord and Christ? Isn’t Savior enough?
2. Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew Messiah. Both mean anointed. Anointed for what? How does this relate to Jesus being the Lamb of God?
3. Lord, in the Greek, when applied to Jesus, is the same as the Old Testament’s word, LORD. What are we saying when we confess Jesus as Lord?
Peter, for himself and his brethren, said that they were assured of our Lord’s being the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God. This showed that they believed Jesus to be more than man. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 16.13-20
Pray Psalm 2.10-12.
Pray that the Lord will give you grace to trust Him this day. Call on Him to revive His people all over the world, that we might proclaim the message of repentance and salvation as we ought.
Sing Psalm 2.10-12.
(Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High)
Be wise, O kings, O judges, hear, and tremble with joy, serve the LORD with fear.
Embrace the Son, keep His wrath at bay, or you shall perish in the way.
His wrath is kindled like a flame at all who refuse to bow to His Name.
Beware His anger and judgment grim: How blessed are all who trust in Him!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast is concentrating on praying the psalms to seek revival—why we should and what we might expect. In our twice-weekly Crosfigell column we have begun a new series on Brendan, called “The Navigator.” Why was he called that? Join us and find out. Our current ReVision series, “Pray for Your Church”, enters the home stretch now by leading us to pray for our church’s impact. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
