More Than Public Opinion: Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Matthew places Jesus and the disciples at Caesarea Philippi, surrounded by pagan worship, a temple to Caesar, and the place known as the gates of Hades. Jesus does not bring up His identity by accident in that setting. Jesus asks a question that goes beyond school tests, job interviews, and all the questions people can afford to miss: “Whom say ye that I am?” That answer reaches into eternity.

The crowds offer divided opinions. Some call Jesus John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Public opinion is always divided, confused, and incomplete when it comes to Christ. Jesus is more than a prophet, more than a miracle worker, and more than a religious figure. Miracles can show God’s mercy, but miracles alone do not save. Israel saw manna and water from the rock, yet unbelief kept many from the promised land. The healed leper who returned came back to know the One who had shown him mercy, not merely to enjoy the healing.

Jesus brings the disciples past what everybody else is saying and asks for a personal confession. Peter answers without hesitation, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter does not merely give Jesus a title. Peter confesses the Messiah, the Anointed One, the promised Savior, and the living Son of God. The Father reveals this truth, because flesh and blood cannot give a person the saving knowledge of Christ.

Christ changes Simon’s identity after Simon confesses His identity. Christ calls him Peter, a living stone, and shows that living stones are the material He uses to build His church. Christ does not build His church on public opinion or on the strength of a human being. Christ builds His church on Himself, the Rock, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. Death could not hold Christ down, and an empty grave declares that His church is alive because He is alive.

Christ calls every soul to put aside preconceived ideas inherited from family, culture, tradition, and religion. The real Jesus is not dead, not hanging on a crucifix, and not merely a name in somebody’s mouth. The real Jesus saves, changes the mind, transforms the life from the inside out, and gives a new identity and an eternal purpose. Salvation rests on knowing and confessing Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Public opinion cannot save a soul Public opinion may carry family traditions, cultural pressure, religious habits, and sincere feelings, but it cannot reveal Christ. A person can inherit ideas about Jesus for years and still never know Him according to the truth of Scripture. The soul must come to the place where God’s Word challenges every false picture and the Father reveals the Son personally. [27:28]
• 2. Miracles point beyond themselves Miracles show mercy, grace, and the power of God, but they are not the final destination. Israel received provision in the wilderness, and the lepers received healing, yet not all responded with faith that draws near to God. Christ calls people not merely to enjoy what His hand gives, but to know the One who gives it. [23:55]
• 3. Jesus demands a personal confession Jesus does not ask what the crowds think, because salvation cannot rest on borrowed words. Peter’s confession, “Thou art the Christ,” marks the line between following the noise of the crowd and being fully committed to the Lord. Christ still calls each person to answer for himself or herself. [19:27]
• 4. Revelation of Christ is a blessing The Father reveals the Son in a way that human reasoning alone cannot produce. Knowing Jesus as more than a common name, more than a teacher, and more than a historical figure is a holy privilege. Such revelation should never become just another reading, another prayer time, or another ordinary day. [39:35]
• 5. Christ builds an unstoppable living church Christ takes people who were dead in trespasses and sins and makes them living stones. Death could not hold Him, and the gates of Hades cannot overcome the church He builds. The church stands because Christ is alive, Christ is the Rock, and Christ Himself carries His work forward.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [07:03] - More Than Public Opinion
• [09:46] - Caesarea Philippi and the Gates of Hades
• [11:20] - The Question That Demands an Answer
• [15:37] - Confessing Christ Unto Salvation
• [17:03] - Beyond What the Crowds Say
• [22:09] - The Danger of Public Opinion
• [23:34] - More Than Miracles and Healing
• [27:28] - Preconceived Ideas About Jesus
• [30:19] - Jesus Is Alive and Changes Lives
• [36:31] - Thou Art the Christ
• [39:35] - The Father Reveals the Son
• [42:28] - Living Stones and a New Identity
• [48:37] - Christ Builds His Church
• [52:21] - Do Not Settle for Less

Bible Reading

Matthew 16:13-18
“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.” [07:17]

Romans 10:9-10
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” [15:44]

1 Peter 2:4-5
“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” [42:28]

Observation questions

1. What different answers did the crowds give when asked about Jesus’ identity, and what do those answers have in common? [22:23]
2. What confession did Peter make about Jesus, and how did Jesus explain where Peter received that understanding? [39:31]
3. What change in identity did Jesus speak over Simon, and how does 1 Peter describe believers who are being built together? [42:51]
4. In the setting of Caesarea Philippi, what surrounding religious and political influences made Jesus’ words about building His church especially meaningful? [10:28]

Interpretation questions

1. Why was it not enough for the disciples to repeat what the crowds believed about Jesus? What is the difference between being informed about Jesus and truly knowing Him as the Christ? [19:08]
2. Romans 10 connects believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth. Why does saving faith involve both inward trust and an open confession of Jesus as Lord? [15:37]
3. Jesus says that the Father revealed Peter’s confession to him. How does this help a person understand the need for both God’s revelation and a personal response to Christ? [39:41]
4. Jesus promises that the gates of Hades will not overcome His church. How does Christ’s resurrection give meaning and confidence to that promise, especially when the church faces death, hardship, or opposition? [48:46]

Application questions

1. When people around you talk about Jesus, what are some incomplete or mistaken ideas you hear most often? How can you answer with both truth and grace that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God? [52:21]
2. Have family, culture, traditions, or past religious experiences shaped ideas about Jesus that needed to be tested by Scripture? What has helped you distinguish inherited opinions from biblical truth? [27:56]
3. It is possible to be thankful for God’s provision while failing to draw near to God Himself. Are there ways you have been more focused on what you want from Jesus than on knowing Jesus? What would it look like to seek the Giver, not only His gifts? [24:50]
4. Peter’s confession was personal: “Thou art the Christ.” How would you explain who Jesus is in your own words to a friend, family member, or coworker who asked you directly?
5. Christ gives His people a new identity as living stones. Where do you most need to remember that your identity is not based on what others call you, your past, or your failures, but on who you are in Christ? [43:41]
6. Since Christ is building His church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it, where might fear or discouragement be keeping you from serving, speaking, or standing firm? What step of faith could you take this week? [50:12]