Bible ReadingMatthew 16:13–20 “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.’ Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”
[28:06]Matthew 2:1–2 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’”
[34:24]Matthew 8:2–3 “And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
[34:52]Matthew 8:5–10 “When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go,” and he goes, and to another, “Come,” and he comes, and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.’”
[35:09]Matthew 15:21–28 “And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.’ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she is crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ And he answered, ‘It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.”
[35:31]Observation questions- What do the crowd’s answers—John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets—suggest they recognized about Jesus? What did those answers still fail to say? [28:25]
- In Matthew 16:13–20, what changes when Jesus moves from asking, “Who do people say?” to “Who do you say that I am?”
- What actions show faith in the stories of the magi, the leper, the centurion, and the Canaanite woman? Notice what each person asks, risks, or does. [34:24]
- What promises and responsibilities does Jesus give Peter after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah? [36:55]
Interpretation questions- The crowd’s answers about Jesus contain some truth, yet they are incomplete. How can a person hold a familiar picture of Jesus that is true in part but still keeps that person from seeing the kingdom and future God is bringing?
- Jesus says that Peter’s confession was revealed by the Father. How do God’s gift, a person’s choices, and a faith-forming community work together in a growing relationship with Jesus? [32:19]
- The leper, the centurion, and the Canaanite woman come to Jesus with urgent needs rather than polished religious answers. What do their stories suggest about the kind of faith Jesus welcomes? [36:05]
- Peter is called the rock even though he remains an imperfect disciple. What does this reveal about why Christ gives the church responsibility for truth, accountability, forgiveness, and grace? [38:00]
Application questions- If Jesus can become a mirror that reflects only inherited religious ideas, what familiar assumptions about Jesus might need to be reconsidered? Where might Christ be inviting a person to look through the window toward God’s future instead? [29:25]
- Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” If someone asked that question in an honest conversation this week, what answer would be personal and real rather than borrowed or rehearsed? [31:09]
- Faith grows through practices, relationships, and God’s grace. What is one concrete practice—prayer, Scripture reading, worship, serving, or conversation—that could make more room to know Jesus rather than merely know facts about him? [32:27]
- The magi, a leper, a Roman centurion, and a Canaanite woman each recognized Jesus from very different places in life. Who might seem unexpected to recognize Christ or teach others about faith today? How could the group become more attentive to those voices? [36:36]
- The Canaanite woman brings her need to Jesus with persistence and courage. What need—for healing, mercy, reconciliation, or hope—might be worth bringing honestly to Christ right now?
- Christ works through people whose faith is still imperfect. Where might fear of not being ready, knowledgeable enough, or faithful enough be keeping a person from serving, forgiving, speaking truth, or receiving grace? [37:51]
- Looking back with gratitude is important, but Christ also calls his church toward the future God is unfolding. What is one way this group or congregation could live the confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” in its neighborhood and relationships? [39:18]
