Embracing Your Freedom to Choose Christ Through Peter’s Example

Introduction

The freedom to choose Christ stands as one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. In this powerful sermon on Matthew 16:13-21, Revd. Mark Fletcher explores how Jesus, standing in the shadow of Caesar’s city, asks the most important question ever posed: “Who do you say I am?” Unlike earthly empires that force compliance, Christ respects our freedom to choose Him, making Peter’s bold confession a foundation for all who follow.

The freedom to choose Christ is part of what it means to be made in the image of God, but it is an awesome responsibility. We make our choices and then our choices make us. And many of us will know what it looks like when we make those choices wrong. Freedom is a precious thing, but it is not easy. Now this passage right at the heart of Matthew’s Gospel is in many ways the turning point.

Jesus and his disciples are in the far north of the country, as far away from Jerusalem as you really could be. But at this point, Jesus turns to face Jerusalem and all that awaits him there. Events of passion week, the cross. They loom large at this point, and where they are, did you notice, was a place called Caesarea Philippi.

And any student of the Bible should pay attention to geography. It is rarely an accident, and I don’t think this is either. So Caesarea Philippi, as the name suggests, is a Roman town. You can hear the name Caesar in it. It would’ve been wealthy and imposing, and a symbol of the power and authority of the empire.

Archaeology tells us it was the site of three major Roman temples and it is, I think, no accident that Jesus stands overlooking this town to ask a critical question. And you heard what the question was. Who do people say that I am? Now I think this had been a question that lots of people had been asking.

This was the conversation that was going on, and there would’ve been huge disagreements about who he was amongst the people who encountered him. The religious leaders said that he was a fraud, but few people were convinced by that. And most were convinced that he was from God in one way or another.

But beyond that, did you hear in the reading, there was little more than confusion. Some people said he was John the Baptist. Others thought he was one of the great Old Testament prophets. And in many ways, that goes to show that you shouldn’t listen to the crowd. The thing about ignorance is it rarely knows that it’s ignorance.

And the view of the people has often very little bearing on reality. But if they didn’t know, how can we? If they can’t answer that question, how are we able to do it? And I would like to suggest that though 2000 years have passed, we have just as much evidence, if not more, to cut through that confusion and to answer that question well.

But it’s a serious responsibility. The freedom that we have to decide for ourselves is something we need to take seriously. So let me just reflect a little bit on what evidence you might use in order to answer that question. So consider for a moment the impact that Jesus has had on the world. The crowd, of course, has seen him in action and heard him preach, but what you’ve been able to do is to look at his impact on history.

Think about this. A traveling rabbi who never had any money, who never in fact wrote a book, certainly never commanded an army and died at the age of 33, and yet changed the course of history like no one else. You know that within three centuries, the Emperor of Rome would be baptized as a Christian, a follower of Jesus. And then look at his teaching.

If you’ve been with us through Matthew’s Gospel, you will have been struck by the beauty and the simplicity of Jesus’ teaching. It has a clarity, which I think is unsurpassed after 2000 years. There’s that quality to him. I love his storytelling. Think of those ones which have gone down in history like the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son.

He has this ability to speak across time and across cultures. And of course, his teaching is foundational for our world. And so those values which I think we hold most dear, like justice and inclusion and compassion, and equality and empathy, they find their origin in Jesus. And then look at his character.

He is this towering figure in history. He has about him an absolute integrity, a love that even is love for his enemies. He refuses to return violence with violence. He is the very highest ideal of humanity. Do you know the amazing quote by Einstein about Jesus? Albert Einstein said, “I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the man from Nazareth. No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word.”

And it’s true, isn’t it? He is a luminous figure. Has anyone lived like him or taught like him? If this were all true and God had chosen to intervene in history, can you imagine anyone better than this?

There is this moment in history like an earthquake which sends shockwaves throughout the world and throughout time. Jesus says, “Who do people say I am?” And then did you see that he turns the question on his hearers and he turns it to us. Jesus says, “Who do you say I am?” And it’s a very serious question that requires an answer.

But before you answer that, have you ever considered how astonishing it is that God would work in this way? That you have to discover this for yourself. That your intelligence and your independence of mind and your freedom are respected in this way? It isn’t forced upon you. As I said, I don’t think it’s any accident they’re standing next to an outpost of Rome. And the empires of this world, they don’t give you a choice. They don’t ask you whether you would like to be part of them. But Jesus comes gently and humbly and invites you to choose. He respects your humanity. Isn’t that exactly how you would hope God would be?

So there’s the question, and it’s a serious one. Who do you say Jesus is? Now, verse 16, Simon Peter answers. He says, “You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God.” One of those who knew Jesus best, who has seen him most closely, who had watched him in all circumstances, even under the greatest stress and pressure, said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And so there’s two things that he says. First, he’s not just a prophet. He is the Messiah. The fulfillment of all of those Old Testament prophecies. He’s the Christ, it means the king. And in the shadow of a town named for the Roman emperor, here, Peter declares that Jesus is the true king.

And he’s not just a great man, but the Son of the living God. So the Roman emperors would often claim divinity and Jesus’ disciples were good Jewish men. They were totally monotheistic and they would have no dealing with that at all. They would see that as absolute nonsense. And yet they credit Jesus with being more than just a man.

Peter says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” I’m struck that it’s Peter who answers this, and in doing so, his faith leads the way for the other disciples. And I know that this is a hard question. And if you are still struggling with this, I’d recognize that this is perhaps one of the greatest questions. But it is legitimate to allow the faith of trustworthy people to guide you.

You can lean on people that you trust. If you are asking questions about this, if you are still struggling with that, speak to someone trustworthy and ask them why they believe that Jesus is who we say he is.

It’s an essential question, and Peter’s answer has an epic response. It is brilliant actually. So in verse 17, Jesus replies to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it.”

Now it’s very lovely to be preaching this in St. Peter’s church, literally built on the rock of St. Peter’s faith. But it’s an amazing thing that Jesus says. Do you see that Jesus renames Peter? So, Peter is a Greek name, Petros, and it literally means the rock. And upon the faith of Peter, Jesus says, I will build my church.

And nothing, nothing in 2000 years of history, no persecution or opposition or betrayal, or human weakness, or the very gates of hell will overcome it. But Peter is only the first stone and the church has been built by Jesus on the faith of all of those who followed. So there’s a lovely line in one of Peter’s epistles and he is writing to the Christians across the world and he says, “You are also living stones.” Yes, I’m Peter. Yes, I’m the one who confessed it first. But each of you who believe this are living stones and Christ is building you into his church.

There is actually a final piece of evidence, by the way. Have you ever wondered where the church came from? Have you ever wondered how it is that in almost every town and city across the world, there is a church full of people just like you and me bearing witness to Jesus?

It’s an amazing thing, isn’t it? Wherever you go, certainly in the Western world, you will look and you’ll see a spire pointing heavenward, and even in the darkest corners of the world, there will be faithful people bearing witness to Jesus. This church is the witness, and if you are waiting for a sign from God, you know that thing where you go like, listen, I think there is a God. I think Jesus is who he says he is, but it’s too hard. I’m waiting for a sign. If you are waiting for a sign, this is it. These people are it. It is the job of the church to bear witness to the truth of Christ, to teach you the wisdom of God, to make sense of life. This wonderful, but if you will excuse me, ordinary community of normal people is the witness to Jesus.

And I’m sorry that it is full of frail and fallible people like me. But Peter himself was just that. And yet it seems that this is the wisdom of God. A God who opposes the proud and lifts up the humble to build a church made of ordinary people as a witness to his kingdom. Don’t allow our failings to mean you miss the majesty of what God is doing yet again.

So your freedom is an awesome responsibility. Your choice, your choice to believe, and Christ is still building the church. And I know these things are hard. I know it’s hard to cut through the noise and what other people say, but your choices make you. Take this seriously. Freedom is a beautiful thing, so never abdicate that responsibility.

Never allow other people’s opinions to make your decisions for you. Choose what is true and what is beautiful and what is right. Jesus asks you, “Who do you say I am?” And I think it comes down to that very simple question. And Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” What do you say?