Peter Confesses the Christ
Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30, Luke 9:18-20
The reality of who Jesus is cannot be taken lightly. The disciples knew the gravity of what they were doing when they confessed that Christ was the Messiah and the Son of God. He came quietly and made infrequent reference to His own divinity. Why would he do this? In the book of Matthew, Peter receives a blessing and a new name upon confessing that Jesus is the Messiah. To know Jesus is not like knowing anyone else. When we meet someone and learn who they are, we ourselves are not changed. When we meet Jesus and learn who He is, we come face to face with the person God intends for us to be. Simon, son of Jonah, had an identity rooted in an earthly name from an earthly origin. Jesus instead tells him that his name is Peter, and that he is the rock upon which God will build His church. Peter is no longer Simon, nor is he distinguished as the son of an earthly father. He is simply Peter, and he is distinguished by his new identity and purpose given by Christ.
In this sense, Jesus and the gospel are like a mirror (see James 1:23). If we bend the mirror out of its correct shape, the image we see is a distortion. When the mirror is used properly, we are able to see clearly how we were made. Many people believe in different versions of the truth, and in this way they do not see a clear image. They may get close to the right image, but without Jesus they are hopeless to get it completely right.
In construction, a worker would never begin a project without proper measuring tools. Most commonly you’d probably need a tape measure, a level, and a square. Without these tools, the most skilled worker might be able to produce something small and simple, but nothing very elaborate. Any attempt to do so would result in instability, asymmetry, and a lack of longevity. Overall, the product of such an endeavor would be far less valuable than if the worker had made proper measurements. The same can be said for our lives. Without a proper measure of who we are and what we are made to do, we may be able to get a few things right, but we will never fully live into who God made us to be.
It should be noted that the transformation that began with Peter’s confession took time. He still resorted to violence at the Garden of Gethsemane, and betrayed Jesus as He was going to be accused. The awesome thing about Jesus is that He’s patient, trustworthy, and not afraid of a project. If the process of transformation was up to us, we would be hopeless. We need only to look to Jesus and trust that He is doing transformative work to bring us closer to His perfect design.
Is your perception of Jesus clear and consistent with the Word? Do you spend time reflecting on His character and measure yourself against that standard? Does your life follow the model of Jesus? Reflect on these questions, and ask God what needs to change so that you can know Jesus better and see yourself the way God sees you.
