Who Do You Say I Am? Identity and Mission

Devotional

Day 1: Identity Forged in the Shadow of Empire

Jesus stands in Caesarea Philippi—a city branded by imperial temples and political power—to ask disciples not just about his identity, but theirs. In a world where systems demand loyalty to wealth, status, or ideology, Peter’s confession redefines allegiance. To call Jesus “Messiah” in Caesar’s backyard is to reject competing claims over their lives. Our answer to “Who do you say I am?” shapes how we live: either conformed to empire’s demands or transformed by God’s authority. Identity as followers of Christ begins when we name him Lord where other powers vie for control. [47:34]

“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.’” (Matthew 16:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel pressured to compromise your loyalty to Christ’s way of justice and mercy? How might naming Jesus as Lord reshape your choices this week?

Day 2: Mission as Doing Good, Not Gatekeeping

Jesus’ disciples witnessed him touch the untouchable, feed the hungry, and challenge religious systems that burdened the vulnerable. Mission isn’t abstract theology but concrete acts: healing, feeding, standing with the excluded. Peter later summarized Jesus’ life as “going about doing good”—a blueprint for the church. Goodness is not a vague ideal but daily choices to dignify others, confront injustice, and meet tangible needs. To follow Jesus is to let mercy move your hands. [53:07]

“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38, ESV)

Reflection: When have you hesitated to “do good” because it felt inconvenient or risky? What one act of intentional kindness can you practice today?

Day 3: Becoming Who You Spend Time With

The church is meant to be a community where goodness radiates, shaping habits and character. Just as Jesus’ disciples were transformed by walking with him, we become like those we surround ourselves with. In a culture allergic to kindness, the church must be a place where people encounter dignity, truth, and justice. Accountability to God’s goodness starts by immersing ourselves in communities that reflect it—not merely attending services, but practicing mutual care. [56:13]

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: What voices, habits, or relationships subtly pull you away from Christ-centered goodness? How can you intentionally dwell in life-giving community this week?

Day 4: Accountability to the Rock, Not Ideology

Peter’s confession led to a new name and mission: being “rock” meant building a church accountable to God, not human agendas. True accountability isn’t enforcing rules but helping one another see blind spots, grow in grace, and resist idolizing politics or dogma. Like Isaiah’s call to return to the “rock from which you were hewn,” the church must measure itself against God’s justice and mercy, not cultural trends. [59:12]

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” (Matthew 18:15, ESV)

Reflection: When has someone gently helped you see a blind spot? How can you cultivate relationships that prioritize growth in Christ over being “right”?

Day 5: Living Sacrifices in Anxious Times

Paul’s call to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” is worship through action: doing good when fear demands self-preservation. In anxious eras, the church’s mission is to embody God’s goodness unapologetically—feeding, healing, and welcoming as Jesus did. Our answer to “Who do you say I am?” isn’t found in essays but in hands that serve, feet that stand with the marginalized, and voices that defy despair. [55:03]

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels most gripped by fear or complacency? How can you offer it as a “living sacrifice” to reflect God’s goodness this week?

Sermon Summary

Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” comes in Caesarea Philippi, a place where imperial power, political power, and religious power had made their claims loud and clear. The city’s monuments declared who ruled, who possessed authority, and whose name people were meant to honor. Jesus’ question therefore presses beyond public opinion, beyond the answers that call him John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another prophet.

Peter’s confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” names Jesus as more than a spokesperson for God. Christ’s identity establishes the ultimate claim over his followers, over who they are, and over how they are to be in the world. Jesus’ response gives Simon a new name, Peter, the rock, because knowing who Jesus is carries responsibility for living according to that knowledge. Identity and mission come together here: if disciples know who Jesus is, then they know who they are and what they are called to do.

Jesus’ own life gives the church its clearest picture of that mission. Christ touched people others would not touch, welcomed people others rejected, fed people left hungry, healed those who were suffering, and stood with those pushed to the margins. Peter’s later words in Acts put the matter plainly: Jesus “went about doing good.” The call to follow Jesus is therefore not complicated at its core. The will and purposes of God take shape in doing good: telling the truth, treating people with dignity, feeding the hungry, helping the hurting, and standing beside those being pushed down and pushed out.

The practice of doing good also requires being around the good. Human beings become shaped by what they repeatedly hear, experience, and receive from the people around them. The church must therefore be more than a place where good is mentioned. The church must radiate goodness, kindness, truth, justice, respect, and the sacred dignity of every person. The church is called to be a rock in the world that exudes the good that is God.

Accountability to the good completes this identity. Christian accountability begins among people who help one another see what cannot be seen alone, receive other perspectives, recognize gifts and limitations, and become better at being good. The church must be accountable not to party politics, doctrine, dogma, or ideology, but to the rock from which all are hewn: the good God. Paul’s call not to be conformed to this world insists that anxious times cannot define Christ’s people. The answer to Jesus’ question must finally be seen in a life that does good, stays around the good, and remains accountable to the good that is God.

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Key Takeaways

1. Knowing Jesus defines Christian identity Jesus’ question is not merely a test of correct theology. Peter’s confession becomes a call to embody the truth confessed. Christ’s identity gives shape to the identity and mission of those who follow him. [50:48]
2. Jesus went about doing good Jesus’ goodness was not abstract or private. Christ’s life moved toward hungry, hurting, excluded, and oppressed people with healing, welcome, and truth. Discipleship becomes visible when goodness takes concrete form in the world. [52:51]
3. Church must radiate the good The church forms people because people become like what surrounds them. A faithful community must offer kindness, justice, truth, and dignity rather than merely speak about them. God’s goodness should be experienced in the life of the church. [56:13]
4. Accountability helps goodness become durable Accountability is not control, punishment, or loyalty to an ideology. Christian accountability helps people see blind spots, receive correction, and grow into greater faithfulness. The church is accountable to the good God whose image it bears. [58:21]
5. Anxious times cannot define discipleship Fear and insecurity tempt people to go along in order to get along. Paul’s call to renewal insists that conformity is not the church’s vocation. The will of God remains good, acceptable, and perfect even when the world trains people to settle for less.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:34] - Jesus’ Question to the Disciples
[44:38] - Who Is Jesus?
[46:06] - Identity and Mission of the Church
[47:11] - Caesarea Philippi and Imperial Power
[48:57] - Peter Confesses the Messiah
[50:48] - Peter the Rock
[52:04] - Jesus Went About Doing Good
[55:26] - Be Around the Good
[57:44] - Accountable to the Good
[59:33] - The Church and the Rock of God
[60:36] - Not Conformed to This World
[61:23] - Let the Answer Be Seen

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 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.
[43:44] [44:24] [48:19] [49:01] [49:57] [50:01] [50:48]

Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
[52:51] [53:05]

Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
[34:32] [55:03] [01:00:55]

Isaiah 51:1
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.
[59:27]

Observation questions

What answers do the disciples report when Jesus first asks what other people are saying about him, and how is Peter’s answer different? [48:19]
What is significant about Jesus asking this question in Caesarea Philippi, a place where imperial, political, and religious power were visibly on display? [47:20]
After Peter calls Jesus the Messiah and Son of the living God, what new name does Jesus give him, and what role does Jesus connect to that name? [50:48]
According to Acts 10:38 and the examples named here, what did “doing good” look like in Jesus’ life? [52:19]

Interpretation questions

Why does Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah carry more weight in a place where Caesar and other rulers were making claims to power? What does Peter’s confession say about who has ultimate authority?
Jesus gives Simon the name Peter, “rock,” after his confession. How does this connection between identity and mission show that faith is more than giving a correct answer? [51:06]
Acts says that Jesus “went about doing good.” Why is doing good an important description of Jesus’ mission, especially when that goodness includes healing, feeding, welcoming, truth-telling, and standing with excluded people? [53:29]
Romans 12 calls believers not to be conformed to the world but to discern what is good. How can a community distinguish the good will of God from the pressures of party politics, ideology, fear, or the desire to fit in? [59:21]

Application questions

Jesus still asks, “Who do you say that I am?” If the answer were seen in the patterns of daily life rather than heard in words alone, what would it reveal? [01:01:39]
Where is there a concrete opportunity this week to do good—perhaps by feeding someone who is hungry, helping someone who is hurting, telling the truth, or treating someone with greater dignity? [54:23]
Jesus moved toward people others would not touch, welcome, or include. Who is easily overlooked, avoided, or pushed aside in the places where you live, work, study, or worship? What might it look like to move toward them with respect? [52:19]
We are shaped by what we hear repeatedly and by the people around us. What voices, habits, media, or relationships are currently shaping you? Which ones help you become more kind, truthful, just, and courageous? [55:50]
A church should be a place where people experience kindness, truth, justice, respect, and the affirmation of their sacred dignity. When have you experienced that kind of goodness in Christian community? Where might you help make it more visible? [56:24]
Accountability to the good means helping one another see blind spots, receive other perspectives, recognize gifts and limitations, and grow. Is there a trusted person with whom you can be honest about where you are struggling to do good? What kind of accountability would be helpful rather than burdensome? [58:34]
Anxious times can tempt people to “go along to get along.” Where do fear or insecurity make it difficult for you to live differently as a follower of Jesus? What would one faithful, nonconforming step look like? [01:00:15]

Sermon Clips

71s

“Here's what I know to be true. Despite the world and times in which we are living, where good seems to be an endangered practice, we know we know what it means to do good. We know it in our very soul, that thing that connects us to God. Why? Because we are created in the image of a God who is good. We know good. We know what it means to be kind to someone. We know what it means to treat people with dignity and respect. We know what it means to help somebody who is hurting. We know what it means to feed somebody who is hungry. We know what it means to stand beside somebody who is being pushed down, pushed out. We know what it means to tell the truth. We know what it means, cathedral family, to do good. The question is whether or not we will do it.”

67s

“What does it mean to show forth as Jesus did the will and purposes of God in the world? It means to do good. It means to be around the good, and it means to be accountable to the good. Cathedral family, we are, to be sure, living in anxious times, Times that nurture fear, times that nurture insecurity, times that want us to be as off the radar as possible, finding ways to go along to get along. But this is not who we are called to be as those whose identities are defined by who Jesus is. No. We are called to be in the world differently.”

76s

“We all know we are living in times where accountability is at best elusive. Yet accountability is essential to what it means to be a follower of Jesus, for to be a follower of him is to be accountable to the will and purposes of God, period. And here is the thing, Such accountability really begins with who we are, one to another. We must be accountable to one another, helping each other to see what we can't see on our own, helping each other to be open to other perspectives, helping each other to grow, helping each other to see our gifts and to see our limitations. Simply put, to be accountable to one another is to help one another become better at being good.”

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