Welcome to the Daily Pluncher in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 16 verses 13 through 20 Jesus asked the disciples, who do the people say that the Son of Man is? And Peter responds, some say that you're John the Baptist, that you've come back from the dead as a foreteller of the coming kingdom. Others say that you're Elijah. Again, an Old Testament figure that is to tell of the coming Messiah, some say that you are Jeremiah when the other prophets.
Who does the world today say that Jesus is? Many think that Jesus is just their personal friend and make them feel comfortable. Pat them on the back, right? Others say that Jesus is a community organizer or a revolutionary meant to overturn the status quo to establish what?
A new government of some other way. Many think of Jesus as a great teacher, but really just another teacher, another long-giver who gives us more ways to work on our own self-righteousness. Jesus asks Peter, who do you say that I am? And that question is something that Jesus asks each and every one of us.
And it's a question you have to settle. Who is Jesus to you? Is he just an add-on? Is he just another teacher?
Is he just an inspirational character for you to follow? Does he help bring political foment? Peter responds that Jesus is the Messiah, that he is the promised Davidic king. But then he goes the next step because the Messiah is one step.
But the next step is to say that he is the Son of God, that he is God incarnate, that he is God come in the flesh. Jesus tells Peter, blessed are you? You've been blessed by God and then he says these words. You did not come up with this on your own.
It wasn't flesh and blood that revealed this to you. The world cannot come to understand Jesus on his own terms. You and I, we cannot rationalize, you know, deduce from reason who Jesus is. It is a gift.
And that's exactly what Jesus says here to Peter. It says, you are blessed. You've been gifted because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. It's the work of the Holy Spirit, open your eyes to see this.
And then he says, and I call you Peter and on this rock I will build my church. Now, a couple things. First off, do any of us think of Peter as a rock? I think he's more like a pebble that gets kicked around.
And and I wonder perhaps in the context of calling him Peter was actually a bit of a joke, a nickname. Oh, yeah, you're a rock meter because we see him so many times stumble. But I think there is a part of that that he says on on this pebble on this chip of the off the rock, I will build my church. God builds his church with sinners, not with saints, right?
Everyone of us is falling and yet God uses us to preach the message to bear the message. But the other thing is that Jesus says, I will build my church, not you and I. We don't build the church. God does it in us through us.
We are vessels of it, but it's God who does it work. Finally, he says, I will give you, you know, the keys of the kingdom to bind and loose. And that is the power of the church above everything is to proclaim, to preach, to announce the absolution that people are forgiven of their sins. Well, thanks, friends.
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