A Word of Encouragement From The Pastor

Rev. Billy R. Holloway

Behold the Love of God

Psalms 18:2 - 18:34

 “IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS, IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU”

 Matthew 16:13-16

 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am. 14 And they said, Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am. 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

 Think back to when Jesus took His disciples to Caesarea Philippi. It is a beautiful place where I have visited. Today, it is a national park and is the place where the headwaters of the Jordan River come out of the ground. Jesus asked the 12 disciples the question, “Who do men say that I the Son of Man am” (Matt. 16:13). He got all kinds of answers. Some disciples said that He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Only Peter gave the right answer,

 “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).

 That was a wonderful answer by Peter, as far as he understood. Remember, Peter and all the disciples were looking for an earthly Messiah. When Peter called Jesus “THE CHRIST,” he was calling Jesus, “the Messiah.”

 All Israel was looking for the Messiah, i.e., the Deliverer who would defeat the Romans and drive them into the sea. Israel wanted a Deliverer like David who would drive out the heathen and rule over them. Peter was no different from the common men of his day. He was looking for an earthly ruler, so he answered Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, i.e., the Messiah . . . the Son of the living God.”

Jesus commended Peter, answering him, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus said that Peter’s statement was a wonderful answer, but that Peter got his answer from the Heavenly Father; Peter didn’t think it up himself.