On This Rock: Confess Christ and Go

Jesus asks two questions that cut through all the opinions around Him: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” and “Who do you say that I am?” The crowd can call Jesus a good teacher, a prophet, John the Baptist, or Jeremiah. Other people’s opinions can be influential, but they cannot become somebody else’s faith. The question finally becomes personal: Who is Jesus to you?

Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” comes not from flesh and blood, human logic, or social trends. God the Father reveals Christ. Faith includes knowledge, but faith is more than knowledge. Faith believes, trusts, relies on, and obeys the Word of God. A confession that stays only in the mind but never appears in daily life is not real faith.

Isaiah calls Israel to look to the rock from which they were hewn. Abraham and Sarah point to the God who makes impossible things possible, yet the whole Scripture finally points to Jesus Christ. The Old Testament points forward to Jesus, and the New Testament points back to Jesus. Jesus is always the center of the Holy Bible. He is the solid rock.

Jesus’ words about Peter and the rock do not build the church on a fragile human being. Peter is Petros, a small rock, but Jesus speaks of Petra, the great rock that can hold the foundation of a huge building. Peter himself quickly rejects the way of the cross and receives the rebuke, “Get behind me, Satan.” The foundation cannot be Peter, any apostle, or any human system. The foundation is the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Faith must rely on Christ Himself, not on persons, systems, or human strength.

Caesarea Philippi gives Jesus’ promise a stronger flavor. In a place filled with pagan idols, sacrifice, darkness, and what looked like the gates of hell, Jesus declares that He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The church does not exist merely behind walls. The church goes into rebellious places, workplaces, family gatherings, and communities where Christ is not welcomed.

Christ calls His people not merely to be true to themselves, but to be true to Christ Jesus. Christ’s people carry the keys by forgiving, pointing people to Jesus, building up the church, and letting others see what Jesus means to them.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Faith must become personal confession [37:30] Faith can receive help from parents, churches, and Christian friends, but borrowed faith cannot stand in the day of testing. Peter’s confession shows that Christ must be known personally as the living Son of God. Faith is not merely possessing correct information about Jesus. Faith rests its whole life on who Jesus is. [37:30]
• 2. Christ is the solid rock [43:39] Peter’s weakness shows why no human leader can carry the foundation of the church. Human beings can confess Christ boldly one moment and resist His cross the next. Jesus Christ alone remains the Petra, the rock large enough to hold His church. A life built on Christ is not built on personality, tradition, or human systems. [43:39]
• 3. The cross exposes false expectations [42:24] Peter welcomed a glorious Christ but resisted a suffering Christ. The same danger appears whenever faith wants blessing without sacrifice, victory without the cross, or a Savior who fits human preferences. Christ does not become less glorious because He suffers. Christ reveals His saving glory precisely through the cross and resurrection. [42:24]
• 4. The church belongs in hard places [46:28] Caesarea Philippi shows that Christ speaks His promise in the face of darkness, idolatry, and rebellion. The church is not called to hide faith safely behind church walls. Christ sends His people into ordinary places where His name may not be welcomed. His promise does not remove opposition, but it guarantees that hell will not finally overcome His church. [46:28]
• 5. The keys point people to Jesus [49:50] The keys are not a picture of human control over heaven. The keys serve the work of forgiving sins, strengthening Christians, and bringing people toward Christ. Every Christian has opportunities to make Jesus visible through faithful work, merciful speech, and real service. The goal is not to display personal goodness, but to let others see who Jesus is.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [16:53] - Look to the Rock
• [32:17] - Who Do You Say Jesus Is?
• [33:30] - Personal Faith Makes the Difference
• [34:31] - Faith Comes by Divine Revelation
• [36:53] - Faith Is More Than Information
• [38:52] - Jesus at the Center of Scripture
• [40:47] - Peter, Petros, and the Rock
• [42:24] - Peter Resists the Cross
• [43:26] - The Confession That Builds the Church
• [44:04] - Caesarea Philippi and the Gates of Hell
• [46:28] - The Church Goes Into the World
• [47:35] - Faith in the Workplace and Family
• [49:09] - The Keys That Point to Jesus

Bible Reading

Matthew 16:13-20

13. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” [20:57]

14. And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” [24:37]

15. He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” [33:22]

16. Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [34:31]

17. And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” [40:47]

18. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [44:04]

19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [46:18]

20. Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. [49:11]

Isaiah 51:1-2

1. Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. [16:53]

2. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. [38:52]

Matthew 16:21-23

21. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [42:24]

22. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

23. But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” [42:49]

Observation questions

1. What different answers do the disciples report when Jesus asks what people are saying about Him, and what is different about Peter’s answer?
2. What does Jesus say is the source of Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God”? [34:31]
3. What happens immediately after Peter confesses Jesus boldly, when Jesus begins to speak about His suffering, death, and resurrection? [42:24]
4. In Isaiah 51, whom are God’s people told to look to, and what does Abraham and Sarah’s story show about God’s power? [38:52]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” more searching than asking what the crowd thinks about Him? What does this reveal about the difference between inherited faith and personal faith? [37:03]
2. Peter accepts Jesus as the Christ but resists Jesus’ path to the cross. What false expectations of Jesus can lead a believer to want blessing or victory without suffering, sacrifice, or obedience? [42:44]
3. Jesus says that He will build His church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. How does the setting of Caesarea Philippi help explain why this promise gives courage rather than a promise of an easy life? [46:18]
4. If Christ—not Peter, a church leader, tradition, or a human system—is the solid rock, what does it mean for a church and its members to be built on Christ’s confession? [43:39]

Application questions

1. When someone asked, “Who do you say Jesus is?” what answer would come naturally from your own heart? In what ways does your daily life show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God? [38:13]
2. Are there times when your faith depends mostly on the beliefs of parents, friends, a church, or voices online? What would it look like to grow in personally trusting and relying on Christ this week? [37:13]
3. Peter wanted a glorious Messiah but did not want a suffering Savior. Is there an area where you are tempted to resist Christ’s way because it involves repentance, sacrifice, patience, or forgiveness? [42:24]
4. Where is your “Caesarea Philippi”—a workplace, family gathering, neighborhood, school, or relationship where faith in Christ may not be welcomed? What would it look like to be true to Christ there without being harsh or argumentative? [48:31]
5. Faith can be shown through the way a person works, serves, and speaks. What is one ordinary setting this week where you could let others see something of Jesus through mercy, honesty, patience, or service? [48:07]
6. Christ gives His people keys that point others to Jesus, including the privilege of forgiving. Is there someone toward whom you need to move in forgiveness, encouragement, or a loving conversation about Christ? [49:50]
7. When you feel weak, unwelcome, or outnumbered because of your faith, what would help you remember that Christ is the solid rock and that the gates of hell will not finally overcome His church? [48:53]