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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew 16, as we continue going 
through Matthew's gospel, we find ourselves in probably one 
of the most central sections in the book, if not in terms 
of location, in terms of significance, the confession by Peter concerning 
our Lord Jesus Christ's identity. Verses 13 to 20 have a lot going 
on in them, so God willing, we'll cut it into two sermons this 
morning, and then next week, Lord's Day, we'll look at the 
following. But I do want to read beginning 
in chapter 16, verse 1, to set the context for our study. Then the Pharisees and Sadducees 
came, and testing him, asked that he would show them a sign 
from heaven. He answered and said to them, When it is evening, 
you say, it will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the 
morning it will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and 
threatening. Hypocrites, you know how to discern 
the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the 
times. A wicked and adulterous generation 
seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the 
sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them and departed. 
Now when his disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten 
to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, take 
heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, it is because we have 
taken no bread. But Jesus, being aware of it, 
said to them, O you of little faith, why do you reason among 
yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand 
or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many 
baskets you took up? Or the seven loaves of the four 
thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do 
not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread, 
but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? 
And they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the 
leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked 
his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, 
am? So they said, Some say John the 
Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 
He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered 
and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus 
answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for 
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who 
is in heaven. And I also say to you that you 
are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates 
of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys 
of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will 
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed 
in heaven.' Then he commanded his disciples that they should 
tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time, Jesus 
began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem 
and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and 
scribes and be killed and be raised the third day. And Peter 
took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, far be it from you, 
Lord, this shall not happen to you. But he turned and said to 
Peter, get behind me, Satan, you are an offense to me. For 
you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 
Then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone desires to come after 
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow 
me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever 
loses his life for my sake will find it. For what profit is it 
to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange 
for his soul? For the Son of Man will come 
in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will 
reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, 
there are some standing here who shall not taste death till 
they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Amen. Well, let 
us pray. Our Father, we thank you for 
your word. We thank you that all scripture is given by inspiration 
of God and that it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 
correction, and for instruction in righteousness. We ask, our 
Father, that you would send the Holy Spirit now, that he would 
guide us in our study, that he would show us our own wretchedness, 
and he would show us as well the glory and the majesty of 
Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. We pray that for 
unbelievers. We pray that today would be the 
day of salvation, that your spirit would be at work, that men, women, 
boys and girls today would know what true blessedness really 
is. It isn't about the things they possess. It isn't about 
the things they enjoy. It's about knowing Jesus Christ 
as Lord and Savior. Our Father, we know that it is 
impossible for us to save a soul, but we pray to the God of absolute 
and unrivaled sovereignty and majesty. We pray that today, 
by your power, sinners would come to know Jesus Christ as 
Lord and Savior. We ask that you would forgive 
us for all of our transgressions. We know that studying scripture 
is holy work, and we know, God, that sin brings an unholy influence 
upon our minds and hearts. We pray that you'd wash us afresh 
in the blood of the Lamb, that you would purify us and cleanse 
us and help us now to take every thought into captivity to the 
obedience of Jesus Christ our Lord. And it's in his name that 
we pray. Amen. Well as I said, this is 
one of the central portions of this epistle we have seen in 
our past studies in Matthew's Gospel. Specifically, if we go 
back in the Galilean ministry, Jesus showed in the Sermon on 
the Mount that he spoke with authority. Remember, that's how 
the sermon ends. Matthew reports that he was viewed 
as one, not like the scribes, but he had an authority that 
came from God Most High. Chapters 8 and 9, Jesus then 
goes about and engages in holy work. He raises people, he raises 
at least one person from the dead. He heals people, He casts 
out demons, and so we see in His Word and in His work there 
is an authority there. And then Matthew indicates the 
differing responses to our Lord Jesus. There are those who receive 
Him, and there are those who reject Him. And as we come into 
Matthew chapter 16, that same sort of thing is carried over. 
RT France makes this perceptive comment with reference to our 
passage this morning. He says, so now it is time for 
this central issue of the Galilean story to be clarified. Who is 
Jesus? He's done these works He's preached 
these sermons. He's gone about their cities. 
And it's at this particular point, when they travel northward to 
Caesarea Philippi, that Jesus asks the question, Who do men 
say that I, the Son of Man, am? And may I just say, by way of 
introduction, there is nothing more important. There is nothing 
more important than answering this question in the proper way. Because if you have everything 
and you don't have Christ, you are a loser, as we see at the 
end of the chapter. What profit is it to a man if 
he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Conversely, 
if you own Christ as Lord and Savior, you have everything. 
It doesn't matter how bad your life may be temporally. It doesn't matter what afflictions 
you may undergo, or the trials, or the difficulties, or the hardship. 
If you own Christ, As Jesus said to Peter, blessed are you. You are truly happy. You have 
that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. So it is important 
for us all to wrestle with this issue. Who do you say the Son 
of Man is? Well, as I said, 13 to 20 is 
a significant passage, not only in Matthew's gospel, but in the 
history of interpretation. There's a lot of ink written, 
especially when we get to chapter, or when we get to verses 18 and 
following. You'll know, many of you will 
know, that the Roman Catholic Church grounds their doctrine 
of potpourri, or the papacy in this particular section of Scripture. 
I realize that to some potpourri may suggest a bowl of things 
that smell good in your bathroom. There's another type of potpourri, 
P-O-P-E-R-Y, the papacy. And you'll know that from 18 
to 19, they derived their teaching on the papacy. Well, God willing, 
we'll look at that section next week. So the whole section breaks 
down into five observations. First, the question concerning 
Christ's identity, verses 13 to 15. Secondly, the confession 
made by Peter in verse 16. Thirdly, the beatitude pronounced 
by Christ in verse 17 and that's what we'll take up this morning. 
God willing next week the declaration concerning the church in verses 
18 and 19 and then the instruction to maintain silence in verse 
20. So let's note first of all the 
question concerning Christ's identity. As we've established 
over the last few weeks, the Galilean ministry is over. They 
have now departed. They were currently in Bethsaida, 
according to the last section, and they travel northward to 
this place called Caesarea Philippi. Matthew and Mark don't necessarily 
give us all of the details concerning that particular ministry. but 
it's about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Formerly 
it was the region in Israel of the tribe of Dan, but it had 
become a Gentile city, thoroughly pagan, thoroughly committed to 
idols. One man has said it's a city 
about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. It had been given 
to Herod the Great by the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar. Herod's 
son Philip rebuilt the city and changed its name from Panion 
to Caesarea Philippi in honor of Caesar and himself. It was at the southern foot of 
Mount Hermon. So it's quite a ways up there. 
And then from this vantage point, Jesus and the Apostles will work 
their way back down into Jerusalem, where the rest of the ministry 
of Christ will be carried out. But then notice, or we ought 
to notice as well, this isn't the same Caesarea that Paul met 
Felix in. It's not the same Caesarea on 
the coast that Paul was imprisoned at. Two different places. Caesarea 
Philippi marks this one as that northern place in Palestine. But note Jesus' question. There's two aspects to this. 
What is the public view? Or what is the public assessment 
of our Lord? And then what do the apostles 
think? He's already realized what the Pharisees and the Sadducees 
think of him. They've come to him and they 
seek to trip him up. They want a sign from heaven 
for him to try and validate or confirm that he is who he says 
he is. But legitimately they don't want 
that sign because they want to show him as a fraud and as a 
fake. So the Pharisees, the Sadducees 
represent the leadership in Israel. And now Jesus says, who do men 
say that I, the Son of Man, is? What is going on in the communities 
that we travel in? It's interesting that Jesus takes 
to himself that title, the Son of Man. It's a very important 
message or a very important statement concerning his identity right 
there. This, coupled with Peter's confession, 
sets before us a divine savior. Sets before us the one who alone 
can save his people from their sins. When he refers to himself 
as son of man, he isn't necessarily referring to his humanity or 
to his incarnation. I don't think those thoughts 
are absent from the title, but primarily what's in view in Jesus' 
use of this title, Son of Man to Himself, is Daniel 7, 13, 
and 14. In Daniel 7, 13, and 14, the 
prophet has a vision, and we read, 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." So Christ is already asserting 
His authority, and He has several times in Matthew's Gospel up 
to this particular point. It is the reality that they better 
start getting things right. They are in the midst and in 
the presence of the one the Bible or the Old Testament prophesied 
concerning. And may I say to you that it's 
time to start getting these things right. You cannot take these 
things loosely or lightly. There are young people and children 
in this congregation that have been brought up from their youth 
hearing the message of Christ. You need to ask yourself today, 
who do I say the Son of Man is? Is He just a good moral teacher? 
Is He an ethical model? Is He just a religious person 
that started a new sect in the first century? No, Jesus Christ 
is Daniel's son of man. He has been given this kingdom. 
He has universal empire. He has a reign that will last 
forever. You need to reckon with this 
reality this morning, especially when Peter confesses him as the 
Christ. That word, the anointed one, 
would associate the idea of kingship. You see, the Jesus that you refuse 
and the Jesus that you reject is King of kings and Lord of 
lords. He rules the nations with the rod of His might. He is the 
one that will ultimately come again in glory, taking vengeance 
on them who know not God and on them who do not obey the gospel. 
You see, everything this morning rides on this question. Who do 
I say the Son of Man is? Everything about your happiness, 
whether here or in the eternal state, rides upon this particular 
question. Please listen, please pay attention, 
please give your ear to this particular sermon. Jesus says, 
who do men say that I, the Son of Man, is? And then there are 
four things that the people have concerning him. Notice in verse 
14, so they said, some say John the Baptist. We've already met 
this in chapter 14 and verse 2. Remember that Herod was afraid 
of Jesus. He thought that Jesus was John 
the Baptist having been raised from the dead. So it was probably 
not the case that just Herod had this view of our Lord Jesus. Some say John the Baptist. This 
was common opinion, or I don't know how common, but it was at 
least a popular opinion concerning his identity in the first century. Secondly, they said the prophet 
Elijah. Elijah the Prophet and John the 
Baptist are closely associated in biblical history, or in redemptive 
history, and therefore it ought not to be a stretch concerning 
the Lord Jesus. If he is identified with John 
the Baptist, he would be identified with Elijah. Elijah the Prophet 
in chapter 3 and in chapter 4 spoke of the messenger of the covenant 
coming. And in that particular passage, 
it says that Elijah would come again. This causes some confusion 
on the part of the disciples in the next chapter. They'd seen 
the glory of the Lord of the Covenant, and then they say, 
well, why did the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Well, interestingly, Elijah had 
in the person and work of John the Baptist. So you see, this 
was opinion going on about Christ out there. The third thing they 
say is the prophet Jeremiah. That's an interesting connection. 
The prophet Jeremiah. What is interesting is that there's 
a lot more parallel between Jeremiah and Jesus than one might initially 
think. They both spoke of judgment. 
very specifically judgment upon the Temple in Jerusalem. In fact, 
if you compare later Jeremiah 2611 and Mark 1458, you will 
see this union in terms of these men's message. As well, Jeremiah 
wrote concerning the inauguration of the ratification of the New 
Covenant. Jesus Christ, of course, ratifies 
the New Covenant in his own precious blood. And then as well, there's 
something interesting about Jeremiah. We've had cause to reflect upon 
that as we read through it. Jeremiah was the weeping prophet. 
Jeremiah lamented over the state of Israel. And I don't mean that 
body political. I mean the condition spiritually 
that made them right for the judgment of God. It was Jeremiah 
who wrote the book of Lamentations. So you see we have Jeremiah in 
the Old Testament. We have one in the New Testament 
who is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Jesus didn't walk 
around with a big fake smile on his face. Jesus didn't sort 
of dance from town to town and village to village throwing flowers 
on everybody. Jesus was a man of sorrow and 
acquainted with grief. Why? Because he lived in a world 
filled with sin. Does it make you sorrowful and 
make you a bit griefful? I don't know if that's a word. 
When you look around at the world today, you see the sorts of things 
that are going on. You see unrest, you see war, 
you see abortion, you see homosexuality, you see all the things that we're 
not supposed to identify as being sinful. Does it ever cause you 
sorrow? Does it ever cause you to grief? 
Imagine being the holy, harmless, undefiled Lord Jesus and having 
truck with sinners. be a man of sorrows and acquainted 
with grief as well. It's interesting that with reference 
to the common idea concerning Jesus, the prophetic theme is 
the common denominator. And then they said, or one of 
the other prophets, perhaps suggesting to us Deuteronomy 18, 15 to 18, 
where God tells Moses that I will raise up from among your brethren 
a prophet like you. But he would be one that would 
supersede Moses. He would be one that was more 
excellent than Moses. But this is the common report 
concerning Jesus. Sounds like today, doesn't it? 
Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? Well, you're a great 
philosopher. You're right up there with Gandhi. You're right up there with Socrates. 
You're right up there with Plato and Aristotle. You're one of 
the philosophers. Who do men say that I, the Son 
of Man, am? Well, you're a very moral man. 
Perhaps that's where we should identify Gandhi. You're a moral 
man. You do nice things. You turn 
the other cheek. You don't rip people off. That's 
what people oftentimes associate with Jesus. Or who do men say 
that I, the son of man, am? Well, he's the one who founded 
Christianity. He's the one who began this new 
religion. He built this authority structure 
so he could rule over it and build people for their money. 
Some would even go that far, as to say. Who do men say that 
I the Son of Man am? There's not a lot of difference 
between then and now. Perhaps common man today or modern 
man doesn't associate with the biblical prophets, but we certainly 
don't associate in the way that Peter does in his subsequent 
confession. Who do you say that the Son of 
Man is? Think about that question as 
we move through the exposition this morning. But now notice 
what Jesus does. It's not enough what they think. 
It's not enough about those outside. Who do you say that I am? He's talking to the Twelve. He's 
talking to the Apostles. He's talking to the men that 
have spent time with Him. The men who every step of His 
ministry have been there to view and witness and affirm the things 
that He had done in terms of His teaching and in terms of 
His good works. Specifically, he turns it from 
out there to within his immediate circle. He makes it clear that 
when we look at the particular section surrounding it, we've 
already seen in 1612 their understanding is increasing. But when we look 
at 16 as well, we see that their understanding needs a good shot 
in the arm. They're not always getting it 
the way that they should. And this is something we need 
to ponder and consider. We cannot assume that men who 
should know Christ's identity do know his identity. We can't 
assume this. Parents, you need to ask your 
children, who do you say the Son of Man is? If they say, well, 
he's that guy that does this and that, and they get something 
right in that, that's good. But what's uppermost? He is the 
Christ, the Son of the Living God. Parents never neglect the 
gospel and your upbringing of your children. It's easy to preach 
the law at our children, isn't it? It's easy to thunder from 
Sinai at our children. It's easy to be Moses holding 
those two tables and telling them, Thou shalt not! Thou shalt 
not! Thou shalt not! Parents, the 
law does not save them! The law condemns them and hopefully 
shows them their need for the gospel. We cannot assume that 
everybody who should know Christ's identity necessarily do know. We cannot underestimate the power 
of sin to cloud the minds of men. I mean, who should have 
been better instructed at this point than these twelve apostles? 
Have you ever wondered about verse 20? Look there for just 
a moment in verse 20. Jesus tells his disciples not 
to make it known that he is the Messiah. You say, well why would 
he do that? Isn't the point and the purpose 
of the gospel to preach it, to testify, to proclaim it? Yes, 
on this side of the cross. Look at what happens after Peter 
makes this lofty confession of faith. Thou art the Christ, the 
Son of the Living God. He owns Jesus as Messiah. Peter can't get his mind wrapped 
around a crucified Messiah. This is the reason for the instruction 
not to tell others, because people don't get it. They're not going 
to get it until after the death and after the resurrection. We 
cannot underestimate the power of sin to cloud the minds of 
men. There's enough in the Old Testament, specifically in the 
prophet Isaiah, which indicated a suffering Savior. But at this 
particular juncture, Peter makes the lofty confession, and no 
sooner does he do this than he prohibits or forbids Jesus from 
carrying out the mission. And Jesus goes from pronouncing 
in, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, to, Get behind me, Satan. How's 
that for a turn of events? How would you have taken that? 
You go from one minute being pronounced by the Christ himself 
as a blessed man and to the next minute you're being told, get 
behind me, Satan. You see, we cannot underestimate 
the way that sin has affected our minds. And as well, we cannot 
be ignorant that not all who even name his name know him savingly. I'm not picking on Peter, and 
I'm not picking on the apostles. I'm trying to give us some things 
to think about concerning this situation. You'd think by this 
point it would be a no-brainer that they would make this lofty 
confession. But we say that because we're 21 centuries removed, and 
we've got the fruit of the entirety of the Bible, and we have 21 
centuries of theological reflection upon the Bible itself. We can't 
be ignorant. Not everybody who names Jesus 
Christ as Lord and Savior necessarily knows Him as Lord and Savior. We can't be that foolish. It's 
because somebody says, Jesus doesn't mean they're saved. Just 
because somebody knows a few facts about the Bible doesn't 
mean they're saved. You see, implicit in Peter's 
confession is the reality that God has dealt savingly with him. We cannot underestimate these 
things. We cannot assume that everybody 
knows the Christian gospel. I had this experience several 
years ago. I picked up a hitchhiker and asked them if they knew anything 
about the gospel. Well, no, I don't know anything 
about the gospel. You see, I think we just assume. If you're in 
Canada or in America, everybody knows what the gospel is. I'm 
not convinced that everybody in the church knows what the 
gospel is. I'm not convinced that all men standing behind 
pulpits necessarily know what the gospel is. We can't assume. Who do men say that I, the son 
of man, am? And then he hones it in. And 
he goes right to the apostles. But who do you say that I am? That brings us, secondly, to 
the confession made by Peter. First thing we ought to notice 
is that Peter is the spokesman for the rest. Now I'm not suggesting 
that in 18 and 19 Peter doesn't have some good things spoken 
of him personally as a human being, but he is functioning 
as the spokesman as verse 20 makes it evident. It's not just 
Peter that is told not to make him known, but it's the apostles 
as the 12 that are not to make him known. Peter functions as 
the spokesman for the rest of them several times in Matthew's 
Gospel. Not only from this point on, 
but even previously in 1515, here in 1622, 1724, 1724 and 
25, 1821 and 1927. He's a spokesman. For Peter to confess Thou art 
the Christ, the Son of the Living God, ought not to surprise us. 
He's one of the main guides. Out of the twelve, there were 
the three. And out of the three, Peter is always named first. 
He has priority. We cannot minimize that reality. If there had not been papal twisting 
of this passage, I don't think there would have ever been a 
problem. Peter was the first man called to be a follower, 
Matthew 4. Peter was the first man designated 
as an apostle, Matthew 10, 2 and 3. Peter is a man certainly that 
God or that Christ used in the most powerful way. I like the 
way Spurgeon said it. If there had been no Romanist 
twist to this passage, it would have presented no difficulty. 
You see, we cannot insist on the papacy, but on the same token 
as Protestants, we can't take away from the spot that Peter 
played in redemptive history. Chapters 1 to 12 in the Book 
of Acts, Peter is the primary figure. From then on, it's the 
Apostle Paul. There's no papacy, no papal infallibility, 
there's no succession of popes, but at the same time, there is 
no taking away from the unique role that Peter did play. So 
Peter's a spokesman. Now notice, secondly, his confession. 
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. The first 
section, the Messiah. It's emphatic, too. You and no 
other but you. It's you alone that are the Messiah. This is good. He underscores 
the Christ, which highlights that it's a title. It's what 
Jesus functions as. Christ here is the Greek equivalent 
of the Hebrew word Messiah. And as I mentioned earlier, Messiah 
is the Anointed One. And Anointed One, at least in 
Old Covenant Israel, meant King. So this messianic figure that 
Old Covenant Israel was looking forward to would be a royal figure. And we see the Bible indicate 
that in such places as Psalm 2, Psalm 110. The one that they 
were looking forward to, the Christ, would be a royal figure. The Old Testament prophesied 
of one who would come to bring God's kingdom and who would save 
his people from their sins. Matthew 1.16 tells us that Jesus 
is the Christ. Matthew 1.21 tells us what his 
purpose and his function is. He will save his people from 
their sins. R.T. France again says, while 
the title Messiah as such is not used in the Old Testament 
in this sense, it is clear that by the first century it was current 
as a title of hope to denote the human deliverer whom God 
was expected to send to his people. Christ, the Messiah, the chosen 
one of God, the one purposed by the Father for a specific 
task, given all of the equipment and all of the privilege and 
all of the authority necessary to carry out that particular 
calling. But Peter doesn't stop there. 
You are the Christ, and then he highlights the Son of the 
living God. There are many instances, already 
in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus is identified as Son of God. 
Matthew chapter 2 and verse 15. It's a reference to the prophet 
Hosea, specifically 11.1. Out of Egypt I have called my 
firstborn son. That is applied to the Lord Christ. 
At Jesus' baptism, what does the Father announce? The Spirit 
comes upon Him in the form of a dove, and then the Father says, 
this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. On the heels 
of His baptism, having passed through the water, the Spirit 
now drives Him out into the wilderness. And in Matthew 4, verses 1 to 
11, this is the subject of controversy. The devil says to Him, if you 
are the Son of God, then do this, and do this, and do this. And 
then those demoniacs in Matthew chapter 8, when they see Jesus 
Christ, those men who are filled with demons, they say, what do 
we have to do with you, son of God? I just want to read it as 
my mind is escaping me. Matthew 8, 29. What have we to 
do with you, Jesus, you son of God? Have you come here to torment 
us before the time? And then the apostles themselves 
confess this in Matthew 14. Matthew 14 at verse 33, Then 
those who were in the boat came and worshipped him, saying, Truly 
you are the Son of God. So you see, it has been a term 
that has been employed previously to this. But now coupled with 
this identification of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the 
living God, Peter seems to be stepping further in his understanding. 
As well, with reference to this title or this description of 
him being the Son of God, The unique relationship of Jesus 
to His Father is revealed. I was explaining this to someone 
recently. You and I, if we are saved, are 
sons and daughters of God. Isn't that beautiful? If you're 
using McShane's calendar, you read Galatians 4 this morning. 
What does Galatians 4 say? He has given us the Spirit whereby 
we cry, Abba, Father. So God is our Father by adoption. Christ bears a unique relationship 
to the Father. It isn't by adoption. It's an early heresy in the church. It is because he is of the same 
substance with the Father. That early Christian preacher, 
John Chrysostom, made an interesting observation. When Jesus pronounces 
Simon blessed, he calls him son of Jonah. Simon is son of Jonah, 
the way that Jesus is son of the Father, of the same substance, 
of the same being. Our confession grabs it this 
way, the Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being 
very and eternal God, the brightness of His Father's glory, of one 
substance and equal with Him. Peter's confession isn't, you 
are the Son of the living God, the way the people of God are. Peter's confession is not this 
idea of the universal fatherhood of man or God as creator over 
all men whereby we call him father. No, Peter understands and recognizes 
something more intimately involved that there is a uniqueness about 
the Lord Jesus that he is God from God, light from light, true 
God from true God. He is begotten not made, one 
in being with the Father. who for our sake and our salvation 
came down from heaven incarnate in order to save us from our 
sins. Jesus affirms this when he highlights 
that you receive this not by flesh and blood but from my father 
who is in heaven. There is a uniqueness about Christ's 
identity that Peter seems to be understanding at this point. 
We need to appreciate the Old Testament background about this. 
beautiful passage of Scripture. It is a glorious passage in light 
of the Old Testament. You see this is another encouragement 
for you to read your Old Testaments. You say, well there's not a lot 
of Jesus in the Old Testament. You're not reading it properly. You are not reading it properly. And I'm not saying that to sound 
mean or vicious or unkind. I am saying it to underscore 
the reality that Christ is all over the Old Testament. Specifically 
in the background of Peter's confession would be a place like 
Psalm 2. When the Lord Jesus speaking 
prophetically speaks of his father calling him his son, today I 
have begotten you. but probably primary in this 
confession is 2nd Samuel chapter 7. And it completely jives with 
this particular context. You say, what's 2nd Samuel chapter 
7? Well, I'll remind you. It is the promise given to David 
that from his seed one would rise up in order to usher in 
and in order to rule over God's kingdom forever and ever. Just 
consider some of the similarities between 2 Samuel 7 and Matthew 
chapter 16. In that passage, God the Father 
to David through the prophet says, He will be my son. It's beautiful. He tells us as 
well in 2 Samuel 7 that He will build a house for my name. What does that have to do with 
Matthew 16? I will build my church. And God the Father to Samuel, 
or rather to David in 2 Samuel 7, says that his kingdom will 
go forever. How does Christ describe the 
church in this passage? The gates of Hades shall not 
prevail against it. The church is able to withstand. The church goes on into the eschaton. The church will always be. Do you understand the family 
in the eternal state will be no more? Do you understand that 
the civil government in the eternal state will be no more? Do you 
understand that of the three social institutions given by 
God to men, there is one that triumphs through the ages, and 
it is the church. Oh, have fond and high thoughts 
of the church. Those people that see and value 
Christ, see and value His Church, because He builds it, and He 
promises that the gates of Haiti shall not prevail against it. 
It will thunder on through the ages, it will go to the Eschaton, 
and there God will be all in all." 2 Samuel 7. Davies and 
Allison make this comment, in some, therefore, Matthew 16.13-20 
records the eschatological realization of the promises made to David. I have a friend that says pastors 
ought never to use the word eschatology in preaching. I disagree with 
him. In this statement, eschatological 
realization simply means this, all of the promises made in the 
Old Testament are brought to fulfillment in the person and 
work of the Lord Jesus. Eschatological realization. All the promises made to David 
are here in flesh, in the Son of David. And Peter sees this. It is a lofty confession. Who 
do you say that I am? You are the Christ, the Messiah, 
the Anointed of God, the King, the Royal Figure. You are the 
Son of the Living God. This spoken as a man who understands 
2 Samuel 7 and who has been given insight from above to realize 
that it's Jesus who fulfills the promises of 2 Samuel 7 right 
in his midst." Peter refers to God as the living God. An interesting 
statement if they're at the foot of Hermon, in this city of Caesarea 
Philippi. I mentioned it was primarily 
a Gentile place. There was a particular pagan 
idol called Pan, and people worship this particular thing. What does 
the Old Testament do when it describes God as the living God? 
It highlights Him in contradistinction from the idols of men. He is 
the living God. As well, the Bible, when describing 
God as the living God, indicates that He is the one alone who 
has life in and of Himself and who gives that life to others. 
Peter is moving forward in his understanding and perception 
of redemptive history. I mean, just in the previous 
section he was scratching his head, wondering what Jesus meant 
by referencing the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 
Is he talking because we don't have any bread on our boat? See, 
talking basically forgot to bring bread. Oh, then it dawned on 
them, according to verse 12. Sets the stage for this particular 
confession. And now what Peter confesses 
ought to be the confession of his church today. This is where 
in gladness, blessedness, joy, and happiness resides, is in 
making this good confession. And as well, consider the significance 
in the sense that up to this point, and even more so from 
this point on, there is opposition to Christ. There's a turning 
point, 1621, he announces to the disciples that he must go 
to Jerusalem to die. From this point out, the bulk 
of the treatment given to the Lord Jesus is negative. You see 
that in the Passion. Certainly, away with him, away 
with him, crucify him, ought to indicate to us that they opposed 
him. So Peter, living amongst a people 
who are described as an adulterous and an evil generation, a people 
who are clamoring after signs from heaven, a people represented 
by the Pharisees and the Sadducees who by and large reject Jesus 
and seek only to want to point him out to be a fraud. In the 
midst of that context, in the midst of that situation, Peter 
confesses you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You 
see, that confession costs people at times. It costs people. I don't think we've reckoned 
with that. That's what the end of the chapter is all about. 
Notice in verse 24, then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone 
desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up 
his cross and follow me. We have it pretty easy here in 
Canada, don't we? Nobody's asking us or nobody's 
putting ends on our doors and asking us to convert to Islam 
or to pay a huge fine or to die. Imagine those as your options. 
Tomorrow morning somebody knocks at your door. You got one of 
three choices. You can either convert to Islam and betray your 
Lord. You can pay a humongous fine 
or you can die. Isn't there a fourth one? See 
here in Canada, that's not the way we operate. We have it pretty easy here, 
brethren. This confession would ultimately 
cost Peter. It doesn't happen immediately. 
He does continue on. He becomes one of the primary 
figures in the early church. We see him in the book of Acts. 
But how does Peter ultimately meet his end? Does he die of 
old age? Does he die on the golf course? 
Does he die in the retirement community? Does he die because 
he just was too old to continue? No, he was crucified like his 
Lord. Only he opted to be turned upside 
down because he wasn't worthy to die like his Lord. You see, 
this confession is blessed. This confession is glorious. 
This confession brings you into the context of confessors before 
you. This confession is the means 
by which you enter into heaven. But this confession can cost 
in this lower world. And that's how the end of the 
chapter goes. You see, it is no accident that 
in the way Matthew records this for us, he highlights Jesus' 
person in 13 to 20. He is the Christ, the Son of 
the Living God. But you see, Jesus is also valuable 
in His work, His death on Calvary's tree. His crucifixion, His sufferings 
on behalf of all those whom the Father had given Him. And then, 
of course, His resurrection from the dead. And then Matthew points 
out what discipleship will look like. It will look similar, won't 
it? You see, I think at times, brethren, 
we want our heaven on earth, and that's just not a reality. 
We're like Zebedee's sons. Lord, grant it to us that in 
your kingdom we'll be sitting on your right and your left. 
Jesus says, you don't know what you're asking. I have a baptism 
to undergo that you know nothing of. Jesus teaches those sons 
of Zebedee that the cross always precedes the crown. Why is it 
that as Christians we're so put out by a little difficulty in 
this lower world? It's because we're Canadians. 
Because we're North Americans. Because we have the liberty and 
the freedom at any time to walk into any store and buy five of 
anything that we ever want. We've forgotten what the cross 
of discipleship is like. We've forgotten what persecution 
is like. We've forgotten what the cruciform 
life is like. We have forgotten that it may 
be necessary to make this good confession unto our death. We have forgotten Polycarp, that 
early Christian martyr. who when asked to recant and 
renounce the Lord Christ said, I have served him for these eighty 
and six years and he has never failed me. Bring what you will. And he was speedily dispatched. 
They took care of him. You see this good confession 
This good confession not only brings blessedness, it could 
bring persecution, it could bring punishment, it could bring death. So if you ask the question, or 
you answer the question today, who do men say that I, the Son 
of Man, am? You say, well, I see Him as Jesus, 
the Christ, the Son of the living God. Perhaps ask yourself a follow-up 
question. Am I ready to be persecuted for 
His sake? Am I ready to die for His sake? 
Am I ready to live out the discipleship explained to me in verses 24 
to 27? Am I going to pick up my cross? 
I'm used on this recently. So many of us have that one or 
that two sins that we continue to struggle with and battle with. 
Stop it. Don't do it anymore. You say, 
but it's so hard. You've got the Spirit of the 
Living God in you. What do you mean it's so hard? 
Stop. Cut it off. Pluck it out. Get rid of it. The discipleship 
explained to us in 24-27 is a discipleship that cuts hands off and gouges 
eyes out. It makes no peace with sin, it 
has no truck with sin, it carries on no intercourse with sin, but 
rather it cuts it off. You see, a man who confesses 
the good confession and is ready to be imprisoned, or a man who 
confesses the good confession and is ready to die for Christ, 
is a man who is ready to give up that particular lustful habit 
that he has cherished. You see, we're in this all or 
nothing. I think that's one of the points I'm trying to get 
to this morning. Yes, who do men say that I the Son of Man 
am? Jesus or Peter confesses it rightly, and as we'll see 
in a moment, Jesus pronounces this beatitude upon him. We are 
blessed. We are begraced. We have all 
these benefits and good things. You know, brethren, there's responsibility 
attached to that. Not a responsibility in order 
to get us into heaven. We've been saved freely by His 
grace, justified by His grace alone, through faith alone in 
Christ alone. But as justified by grace alone, 
through faith alone in Christ alone people, We need to be willing 
to die for our Savior. Are we hypocrites when we sing 
505, all the way my Savior leads me? I wonder how many times we're 
hypocrites singing these hymns and songs. I wonder how many 
times we're cherishing in our hearts a particular sin, or a 
particular attitude, or a particular rebel streak, that we're not 
confessing, forsaking, and dealing with. And all the while on a 
Sunday singing, all the way my Savior leads me. Can you come out of Matthew's 
gospel and say, Jesus, the one who is the Christ, the son of 
the living God, who dies and rises again, and then bids me 
come and die, is okay with me making the good confession and 
then living as a Philistine? Making the good confession and 
living as a pagan? Making the good confession and 
living as a Pharisee or a Sadducee? You think that really is pleasing 
to the Lord Jesus? Who do men say that I, the Son 
of Man, am? If you confess Christ as Lord, 
as Savior, as the Son of the Living God, then take up your 
cross and follow Him. And I think this is important 
information for anybody here that may not be a believer. Notice 
what Pastor Butler is not saying to you. Come to Jesus and all 
your cares will fly away. Come to Jesus and everything 
will be peachy. Come to Jesus and you'll make 
money. Come to Jesus and you'll have cars. Come to Jesus and 
you'll have summer lake homes. You know, there's plenty of liars 
out there that will tell you that. There are plenty of people 
out there that will tell you, come to Jesus and you can throw 
your cane away. Come to Jesus and you can throw your dialysis 
machine away. There's a lot of lies proffered 
in the name of Jesus. Interestingly, Jesus says, come 
and die. That's the demand of the Master. 
Take up your cross daily and follow me. Probably a note, well, 
I imagine every time in the history of the world the Church has seemed 
powerless, because by and large we're Godless. So when I tell you these things, 
if you're not a believer today, and I'm saying, look, you've 
got to consider who the Son of Man is, make that good confession, 
know, just know, that sometimes people make this good confession 
and all their troubles don't go away. You know when David's 
life got difficult? Do you know when David's life 
got hard? It was when the Spirit of the 
Lord came upon him. I mean, when he's shucking and 
jiving out in the field with his sheep, pretty cush life. Well, I don't know how cush. 
I'm not a shepherd. I'm sure there's a lot of uncush things. I was musing yesterday on the 
stamina of Samson to kill a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. 
I had to come to grips with the reality. I'm so dainty, I don't 
even know if I'd pick up the jawbone of an ass. You see the idea that as soon 
as we make this good confession, life gets great! I don't know 
if you caught it earlier, Jesus parallels Israel in the early 
chapters of Matthew. Out of Egypt, God calls his firstborn, 
Sod. Jesus passes through the waters 
of baptism, the way that Israel passes through the Red Sea. What 
happens when Israel gets to the other side of the Red Sea? They 
go into the wilderness. After Jesus' baptism, the Spirit 
comes upon Him. And where does the Spirit lead 
Him? Into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. You see 
this idea that once you come to Jesus all your cares will 
go away. That's just not accurate. Your 
spiritual cares, your concern in terms of your soul, your life's 
joy, blessedness, happiness, and delight is taken care of 
by the blood and resurrection of the Savior. But you're still 
going to wake up tomorrow and have pain. You're still going 
to wake up tomorrow and have a wayward son or daughter. You're 
still going to wake up tomorrow and have an unconverted wife 
or husband. God in conversion doesn't snap his magic fingers 
and make all of our troubles go away. So when you ask yourself 
the question this morning, who do men say that I, the Son of 
Man, am? And I direct it specifically to you. You need to reckon with 
the implications of this good confession. Are you going to 
make the good confession simply to please your parents? Are you 
going to make the good confession simply to please your mate? Or 
are you going to make the good confession because God Most High 
is at work in your heart and in your life and you're ready 
to go to the cross for the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, finally, 
the beatitude pronounced by Christ. A beatitude is a pronouncement 
of blessing. We've seen them in Matthew 5 
verses 3 to 12. Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
for theirs is the kingdom of God. Those are Beatitudes. There 
is one parallel to this in Matthew 13, spoken specifically to the 
disciples because of the fact that the mysteries of the kingdom 
have been revealed to them. Same thing. Blessed are you, 
Simon Bar-Jonah, because the mysteries of the kingdom have 
been revealed to you." Notice in 13, excuse me, 1316, "...but 
blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they 
hear." So when Simon Peter makes this lofty confession of faith, 
"...and Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon 
Bar-Jonah, it ought not to surprise us." It ought to make us say, 
yeah, that's right, when men are given good gifts by God, 
they are called blessed. True blessedness is found in 
our text. Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, 
for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, the fact that Jesus 
is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the one alone who 
can save, but my Father who is in heaven." You see, you think 
you're blessed because you have good things going on in your 
life. You think you're blessed because you have the best wife 
or the best husband, and you are. I'm not here to discount 
that. Let's say I've got the best wife, I don't know if she 
can say she's got the best husband. We look at stuff for blessing. We look at stuff for validation. We look at circumstances to make 
us happy or joyful. Let me tell you, if you have 
Christ this morning, you are blessed. It doesn't matter your 
trials, it doesn't matter your difficulties, it doesn't matter 
your hardships, it doesn't matter your woes, according to the Lord 
of Glory, the one whom we confess, He says, blessed are you. Herein 
lies true blessedness. Not in my sex, not in my money, 
not in my power, not even in my good things, nicely enjoyed, 
but true blessedness resides in the person and in the work 
of the Lord Jesus. Doesn't the prophet Jeremiah 
teach us that in Jeremiah 9? Let not the wise man boast in 
his wisdom, and the rich man in his riches, or the knowledgeable 
man in his knowledge, but rather let him glory in this reality 
that he knows me, said God. Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, 
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who 
is in heaven." So the particular beatitude is given, and then 
the reason. Blessed are you, because. Blessed 
are you, for. Flesh and blood did not reveal 
this to you. This is interesting, isn't it? Peter didn't come to 
this confession in his own strength. Peter had seen the works, Peter 
had heard the doctrine, Peter had witnessed amazing things, 
but this confession does not originate with Peter. This good 
confession doesn't originate with Peter's friends. They didn't 
harangue him into making this good confession. Jesus tells 
us very specifically where in this good confession comes. Flesh 
and blood did not reveal this to you. We need to keep this 
in mind as evangelists and as witnesses. We need to preach 
the gospel. We need to make argument. We 
need to reason with them. We need to show them the scripture. 
But we need to understand that ultimately in their own strength, 
in their own ability, in their own makeup as man, they don't 
have it to make this good confession. Bruner captures it this way, 
it is not Peter's character, religious sensitivity, sincerity, 
openness, or anything in Peter that enables him to believe who 
Jesus is and to make the good confession. It is and always 
is the Father who gives saving faith. Notice who Jesus praises 
when the good confession is made. He pronounces blessing upon Simon 
Bar-Jonah, but in terms as the one who gets the glory, it is 
my Father in heaven who has revealed this to you. Strictly parallel 
to this is Matthew 11, 25 to 30. At that time Jesus answered 
and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that 
you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and 
have revealed them to babes." Peter the babe. Making the good 
confession, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. He 
doesn't pat Peter on the back and say, wow, you've made a better 
decision than your contemporaries. He doesn't pat Peter on the back 
and say, wow, in your wisdom you finally cut through all of 
the fog and you've seen me for who I am. He doesn't congratulate 
Peter, he pronounces blessing upon Peter. He congratulates 
God. It's a consistent testimony of 
Scripture. Throughout Scripture, this is 
what is confirmed. You have hidden these things 
from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes, 
even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. It was well-pleasing 
in your sight. Jesus then says in verse 27, 
All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one 
knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father 
except the Son, and the one whom the Son wills to reveal Him. It is the Son who shines the 
light upon the Father. In Matthew 16, Peter is told, 
it is the Father who has shown the light upon the Son and He 
has caused you, Peter, to see this and to confess it. This 
is consistent with John 1, 12 and 13. John 6, 44. No one can 
come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. It's consistent 
with Romans 9, 16. It does not depend upon him who 
wills or upon him who runs, but on God who shows mercy. It is 
consistent with Ephesians 2, 8 to 9. This isn't of yourselves. This grace by faith salvation 
that you possess, that's not of yourselves. It is the gift 
of God. It is consistent specifically 
and parallel with what Paul says in Galatians 1, 15 and 16. You 
can turn there for the same convention, for the same idea, for the same 
truth being taught. The men of God throughout the 
history of redemption have never arrogated to themselves the ability 
of a free will that chooses for Jesus at their own bidding. They've 
always acknowledged the consistent testimony that our God is in 
the heavens, He does whatever He pleases. Galatians 1.15, But 
when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and 
called me through His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I 
might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer 
with flesh and blood. Similar use of flesh and blood, 
it means men. Blessed are you, Simon Barjona. Men didn't teach 
you this. Blessed are you, Simon Barjona. 
Miracles didn't teach you this. Blessed are you, Simon Barjona. 
Your wisdom didn't highlight this for you. Imagine back in 
chapter 16, verses 1-4, when the Pharisees and the Sadducees 
come asking a sign from heaven. He could have done every sign 
from heaven that was ever done, but apart from the revelatory 
work of God Most High in His sovereign grace illuminating 
these things, they would have died in their trespasses and 
sins. You see, miracles, signs, wonders do not make Christians. 
God, in His power, majesty, and sovereignty, by a direct act 
upon the soul of a man, makes us willing in the day of His 
power. To God be the glory, to God be the honor, to God be praise. For anyone who ever confesses 
the good confession, we pronounce them blessed to be sure, you've 
entered into the company of God's redeemed, and in this there is 
blessing. But to congratulate them for 
their choice, to congratulate them for their walk forward, 
to congratulate them that when every eye was closed and every 
head was bowed, they raised their hand, is to miss the point. It's the father who reveals this 
to his people. Gil said he was a blessed man, 
talking about Peter. He was a blessed man, not by 
his first, but by his second birth. That's beauty. Perhaps I should have just read 
that 20 minutes ago and everybody could have got to go home quicker 
and earlier. Well, in conclusion, as we have seen in our studies 
in Matthew's Gospel, there are several competing ideas or theories 
concerning our Lord Jesus. In Matthew's Gospel, the Pharisees 
and the Sadducees oppose him. The people of that day identify 
him as a prophet, and that's good. We should see Jesus in 
his prophetic office, but it doesn't stop there. He is a prophet, 
but he is more. The disciples, the apostles, 
Peter as their spokesman, confessed Him as the Christ, the Son of 
the Living God. As I mentioned earlier, these 
same sorts of things are going on today. So I ask you again, 
who do you say the Son of Man is? Is He my parents' God? Is He my friends' God? Is He the God that I don't even 
know exists? I don't even know if there was 
a real Jesus. Those arguments come from the 
pit. No one ever says, I don't even know if there was an Aristotle. 
I don't even know if there was a Plato. You see, because our 
hearts aren't naturally inclined and prejudiced against Aristotle 
and Plato. But we will not have this man 
to rule over us. Who do you say that the Son of 
Man is? Some of you have made the good confession. Are you 
living consistently with it? Doesn't the Apostle tell us that 
we are to let our conduct be worthy of the Gospel? I'm the 
first one to preach against works righteousness. I abominate it. The only way that we will be 
received by God is through the dying and the rising of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Well, the life and the death 
and the resurrection. But subsequent to justification 
comes sanctification. subsequent to being buried with 
him and raised from that watery grave, comes a life wherein, 
by God's grace, we no longer let sin reign in our mortal members. Paul says, may it never be. You died. You've been raised 
again with Christ. Do not present your members as 
instruments of unrighteousness. How many of you, perhaps young 
people in our congregation, have made the good confession several 
years ago and you've lost your way? Peer pressure is hard. People have gotten to you. Sex 
or drugs have been an allurement and you have walked off the beaten 
path. May I say, if that good confession 
was in fact legit, come back! Don't play games. Don't say, well I know Pastor 
Butley, you preached on King David and he committed adultery 
and he committed murder and God forgave him. What shall we say? Shall we continue in sin that 
grace may abound? May it never be. But perhaps 
what you did several years ago wasn't true. Confess it today. Believe the Gospel now. Believe 
on Him. Come to the Lord of Glory. Say 
with Simon Peter, you are the Christ, the Son of the Living 
God. You say, well, you've already 
said this is the work of the Father, and if that being the 
case, that means hopelessness for man. No, it doesn't. It means 
hopefulness, because God the Father has purpose to people, 
heaven, with men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. And 
the New Testament, or specifically the book of Revelation, tells 
us it's a great multitude, which no man can number. Sovereign 
grace does not prohibit hope. Sovereign grace is the foundation 
for hope. Apart from sovereign grace, we're 
all going to send our way right into that pit of hell. Young 
people, children, think about it. Who do you say the Son of 
Man is? I made that good confession. I've wandered into the far field. 
Come back. Maybe that good confession was 
a fraud, it was a fake. You did it under coercion, not 
out of parents that put a gun to your head, but come on, please, 
give your heart to Jesus. It's got to be very discerning 
as parents that we don't see apples on a banana tree. It's one of the most difficult 
things in the world is to be a Christian parent. Where are they? Are you in Christ? Are you walking with the Lord? 
I've heard Albert Martin say one time, I can get every five-year-old 
in our church to gather around and accept Jesus into their hearts. 
Pastor Martin's an influential man. I don't doubt he could do 
that for a moment. I'm not saying everyone at five 
years old who accepts Jesus into their heart, which language, 
by the way, is unbiblical, so don't use that. We don't accept 
Jesus into our hearts. God was in Christ, reconciling 
the world to himself. It is God who accepts us in the 
Beloved. The gospel isn't me accepting 
Jesus into my heart. The gospel is God, through his 
Son, accepting me into his presence. But we ought to be careful in 
dealing with our children's souls, not to automatically assume that 
they're in Christ. And sometimes, kids, we're going 
to err, we're going to mess up, there's going to be imbalance. 
On the one hand, you don't want to encourage someone who isn't, 
but you don't want to discourage someone who is. Right? You don't want to bruise that 
delicate reed that actually is in Christ and you fly off in 
a tirade and say, how in the world could you be a Christian? Because the kid could say that 
very thing to you. How in the world could you be 
a Christian in light of the things that you do? So it's tough, parents, 
and know that your elders pray that God will help you, God will 
give you grace to nurture and cherish and care for those children. 
We pray for the kids of the congregation that by God's grace they will 
make this good confession. Who do you say the Son of Man 
is? with reference to the blessedness of this good confession. This 
is the source of true happiness. Many of you who know me for any 
amount of time know that I have a bent toward melancholy, you 
can call it depression, not the happiest fellow in the world 
typically. I have to work on this. I have 
to actually do what David says in Psalm 103. Bless the Lord, 
O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. What? You didn't hear me, soul? Bless 
the Lord, all my soul and all that is within me. Bless his 
holy name. David says it twice. And don't 
make any mistake about it. David's talking to himself. You 
were sitting in your car and you looked over and you saw David. 
He would be talking to himself. What does he say? He's telling 
himself to bless the Lord. I didn't hear you. Bless the 
Lord! I love it. If we are in Christ, if our sins 
are forgiven, and we are clothed in the righteousness of another, 
ought we not to be happy? Ought there not to be joy? Ought 
there not to be expressions of delight? Ought it to always be 
the case that we are the Eeyore from the A. A. Milton series, 
Winnie and the Pooh? How you doing? Oh, everything's 
miserable. How you doing? Oh, everything's bad. How you 
doing? Oh, everything... Come on! I get it. I have a bent that way. I have 
to work on it. As a Christian man, woman, boy 
or girl, when you have the Spirit, you have the source of true happiness, 
smile once in a while. Think about Jesus. The maintenance 
of true happiness is the knowledge of Christ Jesus as our Lord. 
Philippians 3, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. The culmination of true happiness 
in heaven is the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. This is 
eternal life, John 17, 3, that they may know you, the only true 
God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Certainly there ought 
to be a constant thankfulness to God for this true happiness. I like the layout of that Heidelberg 
Catechism. Guilt, grace. What's the third 
one? Gratitude. You are in a state 
of guilt, God in His grace delivers you, and the necessary response 
is gratitude. I'm thankful to my Lord for giving 
me the ability to cut through the fog and to see Jesus as the 
Christ, the Son. of the Living God, and by doing 
so He has secured for me an eternal inheritance that will not fade, 
that will not wither, that cannot be stolen." You see, as a believer 
this morning, as miserable as your life may be, you have one 
thing to be very happy about, and that one thing trumps every 
other thing. And then, as I mentioned, the 
Christology in the text. He is the Son of Man. He is the 
Messiah. He is the Son of God. Frantz says Peter's declaration 
in verse 16 marks the climax of the gradual recognition of 
the Messiah by his disciples during the Galilean period. May God work in each and every 
one here this morning to see Christ this way. to confess Him 
as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Do not go on about 
your day, do not go on about your life, do not go on about 
your future without settling this. This is most important. Who do you say that the Son of 
Man is? You need to own Him by the grace 
of God, confess Him as Lord, and you will have everlasting 
life. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, 
we thank you for your word, and we thank you for your grace, 
and we thank you for the fact that you reveal your Son. And 
we pray that wherever the gospel is preached today, you would 
be pleased to cause this to take place. We know that men are dead 
in their trespasses and sins, and that no one can come unless 
the Father who sent Christ draws them. I pray for that work to 
be in our midst. I pray for those outside of Christ 
that you'd lay hold of their hearts and their minds, and that 
they would see Him as exceedingly precious, as the chief among 
ten thousand, and that one described in the Song of Solomon as altogether 
lovely. God, I pray that you would do 
that work for your glory's sake and for the good of souls. And 
we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.