Who Do You Say Jesus Is? Peter's Authority

The readings of this Twenty-First Sunday celebrate the majesty and authority of God, who willfully delegates authority to whomever he elects. Saint Paul marvels at the depth of God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge, because from him and through him and for him are all things. God remains the source of every authority, the end toward which every authority is ordered, and the judge before whom every office is accountable.

The first reading sets Shebna and Eliakim in sharp contrast. Shebna holds the office of master of the palace, yet pride, self-glorification, and abuse of power make him unworthy of it. God removes the robe, the sash, and the keys from Shebna, then entrusts those insignia of office to Eliakim, a humble man. The robe, sash, and keys reveal that delegated authority is never private property. God gives it, God directs it, and God can take it away.

The Gospel gives the same pattern through Peter. Peter receives the keys of the kingdom and the authority to bind and loose only after he declares Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah. Christ places authority in Peter’s hands, but Peter’s authority begins with a right confession of Christ’s identity. The keys do not first point to status, privilege, or self-importance. The keys point to shepherding Christ’s flock under Christ’s lordship.

Jesus’ question, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” also opens the matter of feedback. Jesus asks what others think, not because his identity depends on public opinion, but because perception affects relationship and service. The question exposes the need to leave room for honest feedback rather than only receiving praises and palatable words. Praise can carry a person away, while hard truth can reveal what needs to change.

Jesus then presses beyond the crowd’s opinions: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers from encounter, saying, “You are the Christ.” The question of Jesus’ identity remains a burning issue because many are still searching, many do not know Jesus, and many carry a wrong image of him. The Alpha program becomes an opportunity for those who have encountered Christ to testify like Peter, invite those who are searching, and make room for grace, encounter, and enlightenment.

##

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Authority remains accountable to God God delegates authority, but God never surrenders dominion over it. The robe, sash, and keys given to Eliakim show that office is a trust rather than a possession. Pride turns authority into self-glorification, while humility receives authority as service before God. [17:29]
• 2. Praise must not carry believers away Jesus asks about public perception, yet the disciples offer only the positive reports. Praise can hide the negative things that require honest attention and repentance. Feedback becomes useful when it serves truth rather than personal ego. [22:45]
• 3. Christ demands a personal confession Jesus moves from “Who do people say?” to “Who do you say?” The identity of Christ cannot rest merely on family tradition, public opinion, or borrowed language. Peter’s confession comes from proximity, encounter, and recognition that Jesus is the Messiah. [23:52]
• 4. The keys follow knowing Christ Peter receives the keys only after confessing Jesus as the Christ. Spiritual authority without submission to Christ easily becomes another form of control. Christ entrusts his flock to servants whose first task is to know him rightly. [18:18]
• 5. Searching hearts need an invitation The question of Jesus’ identity remains urgent for those burdened by doubt, loss, or a distorted image of God. The Alpha experience offers a place where longing can become encounter and confusion can receive light. The call is not merely to advertise a program, but to bring searching persons toward the Savior of life.
  
  ## [25:34]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [14:34] - God’s Majesty and Delegated Authority
• [15:35] - All Things Are From God
• [16:45] - Shebna Rejected, Eliakim Chosen
• [17:45] - The Robe, Sash, and Keys
• [18:18] - Peter Receives the Keys
• [19:06] - Jesus Asks for Feedback
• [20:25] - Why Public Perception Matters
• [22:45] - Beyond Praise and Palatable Words
• [23:52] - Who Do You Say Jesus Is?
• [24:47] - The Burning Question of Christ’s Identity
• [25:34] - Alpha and the Search for God
• [26:24] - Inviting Those Who Are Searching
• [26:56] - Prayer for Grace and Encounter

Bible Reading

Matthew 16:13-19
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 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. 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. 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.” [18:44]

Isaiah 22:15-25
Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? Behold, the LORD will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you and whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you shame of your master's house. I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house. And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.” [17:41]

Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. [15:55]

Observation questions

1. What actions and attitudes of Shebna show that he had begun to treat his office as a means of self-glorification rather than service?
2. Which signs of office does God take from Shebna and give to Eliakim, and what do those signs show about where authority comes from? [17:41]
3. In Matthew 16, what happens immediately before Peter receives the keys of the kingdom and the authority to bind and loose? [18:18]
4. What different answers are given to Jesus’ first question, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” How is Jesus’ second question more direct? [23:49]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does it matter that God can give authority, redirect it, and remove it? How might this shape the way a person understands any position of leadership, influence, or responsibility? [16:04]
2. Shebna’s pride led to his removal, while Eliakim was described as humble. What is the difference between using authority to build oneself up and using it to care for people as a servant?
3. Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” came before he was entrusted with the keys. Why must knowing and confessing Christ come before exercising spiritual responsibility? [19:06]
4. Jesus asks about public opinion but does not stop there. What does this reveal about the value and the limits of feedback from other people? [22:45]

Application questions

1. What area of responsibility has God entrusted to you at home, at work, in the parish, or among friends? In what practical way can you treat it as a trust from God rather than something that belongs to you? [16:36]
2. Shebna’s pride showed itself through self-glorification and abuse of power. Are there subtle ways pride can appear in your own service—for example, needing recognition, controlling decisions, or becoming defensive when challenged? [17:03]
3. Praise can be encouraging, but it can also hide what needs to change. Is there a mature and truthful person from whom you could receive honest feedback? What would make it easier to listen without becoming discouraged or defensive? [22:45]
4. Jesus asks each disciple, “Who do you say that I am?” How would you answer that question in your own words today? What experience of Christ has most shaped your answer? [24:16]
5. Is there any borrowed or incomplete image of Jesus that has affected your faith—for example, seeing him only as a teacher, a distant judge, or someone to call on only in trouble? How does Peter’s confession correct that image?
6. Think of a relative, friend, neighbor, or workmate who may be searching for God, carrying doubts, or feeling far from the Church. What simple and respectful step could you take to invite them into conversation, prayer, or an opportunity to encounter Christ? [26:18]
7. Romans says that all things are from God, through God, and for God. What part of your life most needs to be placed again under God’s direction and for God’s glory? [15:55]