Matthew 16:13-20

Introduction

Grace to You and Peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. “I confess I did it,” shouts the convict..... “Let us then confess our sins God our Father,” says the Pastor..... “We have a signed confession,” argues the attorney..... “I must confess, I ate the whole carton of ice cream,” says the dieter..... “We confess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed.” ..... Have you ever thought how differently we use the words “confess” and “confession?” ..... But when you think about it, even with all these different uses, to “confess” really only means one thing. When we boil it all down, to confess means to speak the truth exactly as it is. To confess is to “tell it like it is.” There’s no looking through rose colored glasses when one confesses the truth. There is no “softening the edges” to make it more becoming to us. When one make a confession, there can be no excuses added.

Today before us are two confessions. The confession of Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” and the confession of Jesus in response to Peter’s confession, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.” Let us by the power of the Holy Spirit consider these confessions in our text and see the wonderful blessings which these confessions have for us. Let us, each one of us, recognize this:

THESE CONFESSIONS SPEAK THIS TRUTH: BLESSED ARE YOU.

I. The confession of Peter speaks the truth of Christ.
II. The confession of Jesus speaks the truth of Peter’s confession.
III. In the confession of Peter and by the confession of Christ, Blessed are You.

I.

Jesus and His disciples traveled into the region of Caesarea Philippi. This happened about two years into His public ministry. Jesus had been teaching and traveling with the disciples through that time. Of course there had been much talk about this Rabbi named Jesus. So one day Jesus asked his disciples about what people were saying. He asked , “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Notice here the words of self description that Jesus uses. He uses a Messianic title, “Son of Man”. The Messiah who will come to deliver His children Israel. You may recall that the word “Messiah” and the word “Christ” have the same meaning. Messiah is the translation of the Hebrew word and Christ is the translation of the Greek word. Both Messiah and Christ mean the same thing. They mean “the anointed one.” Anointing was the means God used to set people apart for a particular work or service to Him. Prophets, priests, and kings were anointed, or set apart, to do a particular service to God. The Messiah was set apart for a particular service of bringing God’s salvation to the world.

So it was that Jesus asked them, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” They answered him rather matter of factly. Oh, some say John the Baptizer, others say Elijah and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets. These were all prophets who in some way had prepared the way of the Lord, people who had spoken of the Messiah who was to come. Then Jesus, with a slight change in the question, gets to the heart to the issue. “But what about you, who do you say that I am?” Peter, you know bold Peter, spoke forth. Boldly confessing “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” What wonderful words of truth! What a wonderful witness . Peter’s confession speaks the whole truth about who Jesus is. “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.” With these words Peter confesses the truth of the Christian faith.

You see, what Peter speaks is only that which had been first given to him. Notice the words of Christ. “Blessed are you Simon Bar- Jonah for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.“ This was not some exercise of the mind and the intellect. Indeed, Peter had already spent some two years under Jesus’ training and yet this confession, this speaking of the truth, only came because it was reveled to Peter by the Heavenly Father.

II.

The confession of Jesus speaks as to how He will bless Peter and how He will bless all people through the confession that Peter made. Jesus says, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.” Jesus engages here in a small play on words. The name “Peter” is a translation of the Greek word petros, while the word “rock” is a translation of the Greek word petra. These words, petros and petra have almost the same meaning. But what Jesus said is clear. He wants us to know that it is on the confession of the Rock upon which the church will be built. For what is it that Jesus confessed? “On this rock I will build my church.” What rock is Jesus talking about? It is no other than the Rock that Peter had just confessed: “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.” We also note in the confession of Jesus who the builder of the church is. Is the builder of the church Peter? or maybe if we apply the words to today is it the pastor? Maybe the builder of the church is all the disciples? or if we apply it to today is it the congregation? or maybe its our church leadership? ..or maybe some new program that we could try to grow our church? Listen again, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build My church. Did you hear it? It is Christ’s church and it is He who does the building of His church. It is Christ’s church and it is built on the foundation of prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone. What is that cornerstone? The cornerstone is the very thing which Peter had just confessed. The Rock of that confession, and the Rock of the cornerstone is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God.

And Jesus continues speaking to Peter: “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus here tells of the means he will soon provide that the doors of heaven may be opened and shut. Here, while speaking to Peter, he also speaks to the other disciples and even to pastors and assemblies of believers today. I really don’t like it that someone else has the keys. Do you? I want to control who gets in and who doesn’t get in. I don’t like it when someone has control over me. I want to let the people I know and like in, and keep the people I don’t particularly care for, out. I want to be the gatekeeper. I would just prefer that I was in charge of those keys. But this is different. These keys are not given to be used as some authoritarian dictator might. No, these keys are given by God in grace, so that His love and mercy can be poured out to His people, so the gift can be given to all people. The keys of the kingdom come with a great, and grave, responsibility. These are life and death issues. Heaven and hell are at stake here. These keys of the kingdom are life itself.

While many English translations make it sound as if Peter is the one who makes the final decision on who gets forgiven and who doesn’t, this misses the clear point of the text. It reads better, “Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” In other words when the sins of a penitent sinner are forgiven on earth, it is a done deal, they have already been forgiven in heaven. Likewise, when the sins of one who is impenitent are not forgiven, they are bound, not able to be forgiven. Not because Peter or the Pastor says they can’t be, but because of the hardness of the impenitent heart. The binding of sins on earth is also speaking the truth that sins are not forgiven before God in heaven and thus the doors of heaven are locked for him.

The keys of the kingdom must be ministered in the manner consistent with which they were given. They must be ministered according to His plan and promise so that the one who stands before God with pride and conceit must be shown his sin, and told that his sins are not forgiven. He must hear the terrible words, “The doors of heaven are shut to you.” Yet even these word are spoken in love. For the terrible threat of the law of God is to strike terror into the heart and mind of the impenitent sinner so that he will be crushed and fall in confession before God, so that he might hear those sweet words of the Gospel, so that those precious words of the Gospel of forgiveness can be known by that one too, so that his confession is the confession of Jesus, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.” Oh, dear people of God, hear this day the confession of Peter, and hear the confession of Christ; “Blessed are you.”

III.

It might seem these three words, “Blessed are you” are spoken in backward order. That they might be better spoken as “You are Blessed.” But these words are spoken as a blessing as they are ordered. “Blessed” is the first priority and “you” are then second because you are the recipient of God’s action in your life. And your action is merely a positive consequence of the blessings in Christ which you receive.

How are you blessed though? Hear the great power that Christ and His church has. The gates of Hell can not withstand the onslaught of the kingdom of righteousness no matter what the world brings upon you, no matter what difficulties you encounter, no matter what hardship assails you. You know that in Christ you are on the victor’s side. Even the gates of hell cannot withstand the church. Why? Because it is Christ who is the very Son of the Living God, who is the Rock on which the church is built, and in His strength, and in His power we go forth. In Christ, who is the conqueror, the church breaks the gates of Hell. They are blown off their hinges by Christ, who having risen from the dead conquered the greatest weapon of Satan and his host, death itself.

So the keys to heaven are given to the apostles. They are given to his people through Christ’s ministers of the Gospel. These gifts are not to be withheld or grudgingly meted out. No, they are given to be bountifully distributed.

So even now, some 2000 year later, these bountiful gifts of the Lord are bestowed upon you. These gifts of Christ Jesus Himself are given to you....Blessed are you, in the words of Holy Absolution. When your pastor, as a called minister of God’s gifts, speaks the Word of Christ Himself to your ears and heart, “I as a called and ordained servant of the word ...Forgive you all your sins, In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”.. these words work faith in your heart that receives forgiveness so that indeed heaven is opened to you. Blessed are you, as the waters of Holy Baptism rush over you and cleanse you. Blessed are you, as you live each day in and from that forgiveness which Christ, the Rock, has granted you in you baptism.

Blessed are you, when you, in but a few moments, approach the Altar of the Lord here to eat and to drink the very body and blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, joining with the company of heaven in the eternal feast which has now been unlocked to you.

Oh, dear redeemed people of God. Confess confidently with Peter that which has been revealed to you by the Heavenly Father. “You Lord Jesus are the Christ the Son of the Living God.” And hear with Peter those wonderful words of our Rock, the Victorious Lord Jesus. Blessed are you..... Blessed are You..... Blessed are you.....and you...and you...and you....

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.