Peter's Faith

N.T.#190 "Peter's Faith"

Nov. 22, 2023

Matthew 16-Part 6

LET IT GLOW

Friend, have you confessed faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Look what happened to Peter when he did so/

Let's take a look at Peter's confession of faith. It included:

• A blessing. (verse 17) The Heavenly Father had revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. What a gift from the Father. Anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him can know God and Jesus. (11:27) No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 12:3. 
• A naming. (verse 18) Jesus uses Peter's family name, Simon Bar-Jonah, which means Simon, son of Jonah, referring to his earthly father. Jesus was in reference to the fact that Peter's earthly father had not revealed to him whom Jesus is. Jesus changed Simon's name to call him Peter, which means rock in the Greek. 
• Two promises. It is upon Peter's confession of faith in Jesus that He would build His church (Belief in Jesus Christ). Then Jesus would give Peter the keys (gospel) to the kingdom of heaven. (verse 19) On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached repentance of sin, belief in Jesus, (Acts 2) Peter would share the Gospel with the Samaritans and Gentiles, thus unlocking the doors of the church to them (us). 
• A strong warning. (verse 20) The disciples were to tell no one who Jesus was at that time. Jesus had spiritual lessons to teach the disciples before He was crucified. The timing was not then, but later. 

[Resource: Swindoll's Living Insights-Matthew 16-28]

LET IT GROW

Had the Jews said Jesus was the Messiah in the first century, they would have thought of Him as a political revolutionary and military leader to conquer rome. He was not that. No one expected a suffering Messiah who would die and rise again, ascend to heave to serve as a heavenly High Priest, and return as Judge and King centuries later. It is because Jesus came, lived a sinless life, became our substitute for our sins, miraculously rose from the dead, that He can be our personal Savior. 

Is Jesus Christ your Savior, dear one?

LET IT GO

What a wonderful name is the name of Jesus!

Yours is the kingdom and glory forever!