Devotions!!!

Matthew 16:17

*All passages taken from the NET Bible

I was reading my Bible the other day in the Gospel of Matthew and I came across a well-known passage.  Matthew 16, Jesus is asking the disciples who people say He is and the disciples who they think He is.  The disciples say that the people say He is, “John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, a prophet” (vs. 13-14).  Jesus asks the disciples who they think He is.  Though Scripture isn’t entirely clear who all spoke, it does record that Peter spoke up.  “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (vs. 16).  Jesus replies, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven” (vs. 17).  Quite frankly there is a lot in these two verses (vs. 16-17).

First: Peter’s answer is covering Christ’s Deity.  Peter acknowledges that Jesus is in fact God.  I think of I John 4:15, “If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.”  I don’t think Peter was saved because he said this.  I think Peter was already saved as were all the disciples, apart from Judas the one who would betray Christ, at their calling.  Of course they struggled and they were learning but they were following Christ and completely surrendered to Him.  Of course there were a few misconceptions that they had, which were later cleared up by Christ’s resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.

But when the Gospel is presented and people claim to be of Christ, we will know a “Christian” by their acknowledgement of Christ’s Deity.  Christ is God, Christ is Lord!

Second: Look at Christ’s reply in verse 17.  He says flesh and blood did not reveal to Peter that Christ is the Son of God.  Look back again at Christ’s initial question (vs. 13).  He Himself alludes to His Deity by calling Himself the “Son of Man” yet only Peter replies.

My point is this, flesh and blood cannot reveal that Christ is God.  I truly believe that and I think it is proven everyday in our world.  The evidence for Christianity substantial and overwhelming, yet people continue to ignore Christianity.  Yeah, a lot of things were to blame, but number one is their sin and their state of sin, which is dead (Rom. 3:9-18, 23; Eph. 2:1).

Third: Who did reveal to Peter that Christ is God’s Son? God did!!! What a stunning truth! It is by God and God alone who allows us to acknowledge Christ’s Deity.

“Yeah but this is a special case, there is no way that this is the only way to acknowledge that Christ is God?” I’m sorry but I believe that Christ is the only way.  I believe that God is the only One who can reveal Christ to someone.  I believe that this account is a crystal clear picture of salvation.  God’s initiation leads to our acknowledgement, period!

Let’s look at a few verses, some of the more popular and prominent ones used to present the Gospel.

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift from God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”

A very popular passage that is always used to present the Gospel.  I love to use it, always using it within context and so I add verse 10, which says, “For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.”

Let’s take a look at this passage.  We are saved by grace through faith.  We are saved by God’s grace, through our faith in Christ.  But look at the phrase “it is a gift from God.”  What is a “gift from God”?  It is our faith! Even our faith comes from God.  Our faith in our Savior has its source from God alone…

Oh and don’t forget verse 10!!!

John 1:12: “But to all who have received Him – those who believed in His Name – He has given the right to become God’s children.”

Seems straight forward right?  Wrong!!! As my Greek professor says, “Context is King!!!”  Look at verse 13, “Children not born of human parents or by human desire or a husbands decision, but by God.”

Hmm… sounds very similar to Jesus’ reply to Simon Peter in Matthew 16:17.  It’s not flesh and blood, it’s solely on God and on His Will!  Clearly John is referring to Salvation, as is Christ.

These are but two passages that have crossed my mind.  Yes, this is what goes on n my devotions.

Just something to think about…