The Disciples of Christ
5 - A Conversation
We are going to look at an important and interesting conversation that took place between the Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples. This conversation is recorded for us in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter16 verses 13 to 26. If you have a Bible or a New Testament, you’ll find it helpful to have it open at that passage.
There are four things for us to discover together in these verses, and here they are:
Verses 13 to 19: A vital question
Verse 21: A clear explanation
Verses 22 and 23: Peter’s misunderstanding
Verses 24 to 26: Jesus’ Explanation
So, first of all let’s look at verses 13 to 19 and see the VITAL QUESTION that Jesus had for his disciples.
We read in verse 13: ‘‘When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi He asked His disciples..." Do note the term ‘His disciples’ - it’s used four times in this section. We must always be aware of the privilege and the responsibility of being known as ‘His disciples’. Now to the question that Jesus asked them: ‘‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?" In replying to the Lord, the disciples quoted the answers given by others. So in verse 15 Jesus says: ‘‘But who do YOU say I am?" Peter then gives this wonderful answer: ‘‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". This was a very personal acknowledgement, appreciation and acceptance by Peter of the true identity of his Lord and Master. Peter as an individual could see what the nation of Israel could not see, as our Saviour lived and worked among them.
The reply that Jesus gave to Peter is important: ‘‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in Heaven". If you would be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, you must start at this point! In the Gospel of John chapter 20 verse 31 we read: ‘‘These are written that you might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life in His Name".
If, as you read this little booklet, you are not yet a Christian, but would like to become one, may I give you the words of the apostle Paul found in his letter to the Romans chapter 10 verses 9 and 10:
‘‘If you will confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved".
So, we see the importance of answering this vital question the Lord Jesus asked His disciples : ‘‘Who do YOU say that I am?"
We come now to verse 21 of Matthew chapter 16, and the second thing to be discovered in these verses.
Here the Lord is giving to His disciples a clear explanation of his true mission. This was a mission undertaken in obedience to His Father, God. In the three years of His work as the perfect servant of His Father, Jesus lived as no other could live. He taught as no other could teach, and He healed and restored life as no one else ever could. But He now gives to His disciples the main reason for His leaving His Father and coming down to this world. The Lord uses three strong sayings to make the disciples understand the importance of His true mission.
First, He said: ‘‘The Son of Man MUST go to Jerusalem".
Then, He said: ‘‘He MUST suffer many things, at the hands of the Elders, Chief Priests and Teachers of the Law".
And lastly, He said: ‘‘He MUST be killed and on the third day be raised to life".
The death of the Lord Jesus Christ for sinful people was an absolute necessity. His death was a sacrifice by which He took our place as our substitute and by which He made atonement for our sins. The death of Christ was the only way that the righteous demands of God could be fully met, and the sins of the world taken away.
So, here is another vital lesson for you to learn if you are a true disciple of the Lord Jesus. He was about to demonstrate once again, that if you would serve God faithfully you must do so in total obedience to his will.
We come now to verses 22 and 23 of Matthew chapter 16 and to our third point. This is Peter’s reaction to the Lord’s statement. In verse 22 we read: ‘‘Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ‘Never, Lord,’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!"’. Having lived and worked with his Master for almost three years, Peter could not bear the thought of losing Him, and certainly not by such an awful death. But notice the swift reply of the Lord to Peter: ‘‘Get behind me Satan!" He was addressing Satan directly, and telling him not to tempt Peter by putting such thoughts into his mind. The Lord knew that Satan was directly opposed to Him going to the cross so that He might die for sinners. Satan knew this would result in total victory over him, and over sin and death.
Jesus then emphasised to His disciples the importance of always understanding the essential difference between God’s thinking and man’s thinking. Peter needed to learn that lesson, and so do we! Eventually Peter did come to a full understanding of the death, burial and resurrection of his Lord and Master. Many years later he wrote in First Peter chapter 4 verse 18: ‘‘For Christ died for our sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God".
What a wonderful statement with which to end this study!