042: Allen Laben - Confession

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:13

   Welcome to the good Christian talks podcast. I’m Levi and I’m Chris. Thank you so much for joining us this week on this podcast. We select one taco week to help each one of us get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post at the start of each week for you to listen.

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   With a short intro before hand to kind of set the stage for the talk. You’re about to hear and now let’s hear more about this week’s talk.

3. 0:44

   Welcome back everyone and thank you again to Sam Taylor for doing intros for the last two weeks. It was great having him introduce those classes for us. For this week’s class. We have an opportunity to have another guest introducer this time my brother Alan Laban who actually gave the classes that were picking from for the podcast this week brother Alan gave a series at the Wichita Falls studied a on Simon Peter. This is specifically his third class talking about Peters confession.

4. 1:14

   I really enjoyed all of his classes, but without going into too much detail. I’ll let brother Allen continue the intro. This is one that he and I Did while we were up at bible school? So it was a really special opportunity to get it straight from the source and he can do a much better job introducing everything then I can and after that we’ll go right into his third class on the confessions of Peter.

5. 1:36

   Peter was a man of contrast. He’s a portrait of someone who had both highs and lows he could be impulsive turbulent and stubborn adjusting the gospel records. For example, we know that Peter had to be called three times before he finally followed Jesus. He lost his faith will the water nearly drowned he failed to understand the significance of Jesus teachings on multiple occasions, and he often tried to take matters into his own hands and enforce how he thought things should happen.

6. 2:04

   He rebuked Jesus and tried to restrain him from going to Jerusalem earning the rebuke get thee behind me Satan. He resisted having his feet washed. He dismissed Jesus warnings about the struggles. He would face on Jesus final night. He fell asleep in the garden when Jesus needed him the most here Ashley. Just out in violence during Jesus arrest and he flatly denied even knowing him but these are contrasted with Peters devotion sincerity willingness to act on his faith honesty and bravery.

7. 2:35

   He was the first person in the gospel record to confess his sinfulness to Jesus. He left everything. He had to follow him. He welcomed Jesus into his home in every aspect of his life. He was a leader among his peers. He asked the questions that were on the minds of all the disciples and gave boy. As to those things the others were too timid to say it’s no accident that in every listing of the disciples Peter is listed first.

8. 2:59

   Peter was remarkably close to Jesus and singled out on multiple occasions. Sometimes along with James and John and sometimes by himself to witness particular Miracles or hear specific instruction. He listened closely to the words of Jesus and he clung to Jesus even when others fell away, especially during that final year of Jesus ministry he Jonas faith when others were constrained by fear, and he applied Jesus teachings as best he could he had an insatiable desire to be with his Lord that came above everything else.

9. 3:34

   Just looking at the gospels. We see that no one spoke to Jesus more than Peter and no one was spoken to by Jesus more than by Peter likewise among the disciples. There was no one rebuked more by Jesus than Peter yet. No one was praised by Jesus like Peter. No one walked on water like Peter hit No.1 sunk into the sea like Peter either. No one had to be called as many times as Peter did before he responded and yet no one declared their own going devotion like Peter did no one acted on their faith like Peter yet.

10. 4:08

    No one denied their lord like Peter did either and these contrasts are not presented to us by accident. Peter story is an example for us all it’s a relatable one. I’m relatable story that includes highs and lows moments. Strength and promise followed by weakness and betrayal at times. He was an expression of a man defined by a living hope that animated his whole character yet at times.

11. 4:33

    He was a shell of that van full of fear and doubt. There’s no one else in Scripture presented to us in this manner that gives us a unique and relatable picture of what it means to follow Jesus and latch on to that Living Hope as one brother commented the wonderful thing like Peters example is it shows what a connection with the Lord Jesus can do for Ordinary People Like Us because if Jesus could help Peter deal with his human weakness, he can help us to we’ll dive into our final class this morning looking at all to of Peters confessions because we’ll wrap up with the confession that he made at the the end of the episode of walking in the water in the continue with the confession. He makes up close to us.

12. 5:17

    That’s a real Philippi the there are lots of threes and Peter. Any of his episodes come in threes? Yes has three denials. He had three callings is also three confessions of Faith. So before we dive into consider that second and great confession that is most well-known. We’re going to go back and wrap up the confession that we see toward the end of his episode of walking on the water with Christ back in back as Jesus gets in the boat the narratives converge again Matthew chapter 14 verses the 32 and 33 and 34 if you just want to Turn there briefly. What will consider these closing words and Peter’s first confession and also kind of set the stage for what will consider in this last class.

13. 6:01

    It’s recorded in Matthew Mark and John Jesus steps back and the wind and the waves stopped and the disciples wonder what manner of man is this but this time Matthew or when does it happen previously back in Matthew chapter 8 verse 27 their first storm of the see the disciples wondered what manner of man is this? But this time Matthew records that their reaction is different.

14. 6:25

    There’s growth from the first storm to the second storm. Whereas previously they weren’t totally sure what was happening now, they see Jesus as as as the Son of God prior to this point there had only been one confession of Faith previously that had been by a Madman here the disciples confess that Jesus was the son of God we can see a growth in the understanding of the disciples which will Dominate in the confession we will see in this class over in at Matthew chapter 16 verse 16, however, despite their growth in their understanding of Jesus the disciples stole had a ways to go John over in six verse 21 notes that they were only then who Elling to receive Jesus into the boat. There’s an implication they may not have been as willing previously when they were still gripped by fear in Mark chapter 6 verse 51 through 52.

15. 7:19

    We’re told that the wonderment of The disciples was also out of the hardness of heart at not understanding the meaning of the Miracles of the Loaves and Fishes. They had not fully grasp that Jesus was indeed that Prophet like Moses at the Manna From. Heaven would be the suffering servant who must take the cross before the crown as we leave this episode of Peter walking on the water.

16. 7:44

    We also leave another sort of peril Parable we can look at this whole episode and see it as a parable of the Of a life in Christ from Jesus being separated from his disciples through water is almost a type of baptism going down through the water night falls and Jesus ascended to the mountain similar to how Jesus is now in heaven and we are in the Gentile night.

17. 8:09

    The disciples went in a boat headed to that city of comfort Christ’s own City almost as the ecclesial Community making their way to the kingdom the disciples on the sea of Nations being tossed in caught in the storm like the Ecclesia in Conflict as a new day approaches. Jesus comes in the water a foreshadow of Jesus return Peter walking to Jesus as Jesus gathers the Saints to him in the last day Jesus saving Peter then rebuking him for the lack of faith is almost a type of judgment Jesus being recognized for who he is a recognition of Jesus on his return He is calming the sea is a symbol of subjugation of the Nations and as soon as the storm stops, The record records that they arrived at that city of comfort a parallel to the entrance into the kingdom arrest for God’s people. They are Jesus healed the people and the people came to him from abroad an example of Nations coming to Jesus in the Kingdom for healing and for teaching so that brings us to the end of the account of Jesus or Peter walking on the water to Christ and we saw that we have a lord who is above in control and revealed in the midst of the storm. We’re encouraged to listen to were Lord’s word and to come when he calls to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and if we are sinking cry out for help when reflecting on this event later in First Peter chapter 1 when Peter talks about trials and Temptations He reflects that there can be Joy found in them because not because the trial

18. 9:40

    itself is joyous, but in the end there is unspeakable joy, and they felt a little bit of that as they reached the other side of the sea in that city of comfort so that Brings us now to our next class and we’ll pick up the narrative here in John chapter 6 verse 66 through 71. So the disciples are now on the other Shore they’ve crossed over to the Capernaum John will pick up the narrative as Jesus meets the crowds that had traveled through the night. So right as the disciples are taking their much longer than anticipated across track across the Sea of Galilee. All those crowds are going the long way, which actually Polly would have been around the same amount of time right they decide I thought they were going to short way about a two hour to our trip around that eight miles across the sea the crowds pie would take about the same time to actually walk around the north because the storm took so long or delay them so much on the water.

19. 10:35

    It’s crowds traveled to the night and they were clearly looking for another miracle like the feeding. They had the previous day. Jesus tells them that they he will feed them. It’s but it’s not with the kind of bread. They had previously it’s with the Mana of his body. It’s here as we talked about in the last class that Jesus first outlines what will happen to him one year later and from that point many stop following him.

20. 10:59

    So we’re going to pick up in verse 66 from that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve will you also go away Peter will respond to Jesus question and when he does, so this time he does for the group. You can see the growth in Peter here previously. He looked to follow Jesus alone.

21. 11:19

    He said bid me. Come to the water, right? We just saw that our last class bid me come unto the water. But now he’s making a statement that not just he but the whole group would follow look down in verse 68 Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go thou Hast the words of eternal life again? We see Peters emphasis on the word of the Lord and we see that he’s changed his pronouns Peter is now thinking more of following Jesus as a collective as a body as a group. Not an Individual thing the bitter irony is after Peter makes the statement.

22. 11:56

    Jesus will lose the fact that one in that group of we Judas would betray him. What a contrast in perspective while the people saw bread Peter sought after Jesus’s words of eternal life while the PeopleSoft for physical food to sustain their lives for today. Peter was looking for that spiritual food that would sustain him for eternity.

23. 12:19

    He said and we believe And are sure that thou art the Christ the son of the Living God and is a difference in translations here. Most translations have a different rendering than the King James for John 669. Here’s how the ESV in the RSV render it and John 669 it says and we believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One Of God, right so you can see a little difference there between their art the Christ the son of the Living God and here you are the Holy One Of God that phrase Holy One Of God is may be pulled from a place. This that Peter would later quote and his speech on the day of Pentecost over in Acts chapter 2 in a ballooning over to Psalm chapter 16 and verse 10. It uses that phrase a Holy One Of God, that would not leave my soul in Hell.

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    Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Could that be what Peter’s alluding to here? Thinking back to Psalm chapter 16 and verse 10 telling Jesus that he understood that they understood that in spite of what Jesus said about being offered up. That he understood Jesus would not see corruption since he was the Holy One Of God that God would preserve him or was Peter thinking over in Psalm chapter 78 verse 41 where Israel would turn were Israel turned back and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

25. 13:40

    This would be Peters second confession of faith. We just saw the first one a moment before but this conviction was about to be tested. That’s because over the next 6 months there would be increasing opposition to Jesus message. And after that he would begin his journey South to Jerusalem where he would suffer and die before going into Glory Peter believe this but what it lasts over that final year. We’re now entering that final year of Christ’s Ministry and the next six months that we’re going to cover are not recorded by John.

26. 14:17

    There’s a big jump here between the close of John chapter 6 of the start of John Chapter 7. This we know this because down in John chapter 7 verse 2 John makes reference to the Feast of Tabernacles. And the Feast of Tabernacles is about six months after the Passover that we know is alluded to back over in John chapter 6 when John picks up the narrative in John chapter 7 verse 2, we’re starting to enter the last year or the last six months of Jesus ministry.

27. 14:43

    And in that intervening time that John doesn’t give us much detail on will look to the other gospel records. It’s that intervening time of growing opposition following that we have Jesus journey to Jerusalem that final six months of his ministry is mostly recorded than Luke and these travel narratives as he makes his journey down from the area of Galilee and Capernaum down south to Jerusalem.

28. 15:09

    So this class is going to look at a pivotal event that happened kind of in that yellow period that period of growing opposition between the Passover in John chapter 6 verse 4 where the feeding of the five Happen Jesus and Peter walked on water and the Feast of Tabernacles over in John chapter 7 verse 2.

29. 15:28

    When Jesus then begins his final trip down south to Jerusalem in between the four gospels. There are about 30 events that occur in this time frame between the Passover and John beginning John chapter 6 and the Feast of Tabernacles. There they are. Yeah. I don’t expect you to read that thought is really small, but you also have this in your hand out over on a page.

30. 15:53

    Page 13. So this is the first six months of the final year of Jesus’s Ministry. So let’s walk through just to set the context to the lead-up of the text. We’re going to consider right now. So in our last class we covered the first six or seven events here. We looked at the feeding of the five thousand the storm at sea we looked at Peter walking on the water and how he arrived at the other side of the sea. This is going to focus on a unique trip little bit later on all the way.

31. 16:22

    And caesarea Philippi, but before I get there after leaving the Sea of Galilee. Peter Jesus spend some more time in Capernaum the Pharisees and the scribes journeyed from Jerusalem met Jesus up in Capernaum following the Passover in fought and challenged Jesus on not following their Traditions. Jesus reverse The Challenge on them and said, they were transgressing the Commandment of God for the sake of their tradition something we’re going to pick up tonight in this evening’s lecture in the face of such unbelief. Jesus heads up to Tire inside and he Journeys North to a gentile area the area of But not today where he met faithful syrophoenician woman from there.

32. 17:03

    He goes down to the southeast of the capitalist down to the southeast of Galilee where again there was a largely Gentile population here Jesus. He was a man who is both deaf and mute and feeds another 4,000 by the Sea and what seems at first is kind of a random series of little stories piece together. Like why did Jesus go up to go up to the area of Lebanon? Why did he go?

33. 17:27

    Down to the area of decapolis. Why is he making this rather indirect Journey? Well something we don’t have time to look into but you have in your handout on page 10 might serve as a bit of a guide what might first seem to be rather random record of travels is quite structured. Well, we don’t have time to dig into it now, I’d suggest that in your own study compared the flow between these events from Matthew 15 and Isaiah 29, they’ll see why Jesus Takes a trip North to go meet the syrophoenician woman when he did why he does this Pacific healings he does afterwards as well. It was a fulfillment of the sequence laid out in Isaiah chapter 29 now down to Matthew chapter 16, he goes over to magdala.

34. 18:10

    It’s a port city. It’s where mag Mary Magdalene was from right see the connection between the name magdala and Magdalene. It’s where the salt from the Dead Sea would be brought up. So the fisherman on the Sea of Galilee could bring their fish in and have them salted before being shipped out to various places in the Empire here in Jesus returned to the house of Israel.

35. 18:27

    After visiting those two Gentile areas where he promised none, but the sign of the prophet Jonah to the Pharisees and Sadducees seeking a sign and almost immediately after he crossed the Sea of Galilee. He crossed it again going back the way he came warning his disciples of the teachings of the Pharisees then after healing a blind men and the area of bethsaida. He starts North and that’s where we’ll pick up the account again, please turn with me over to Matthew chapter 16. We’ll look at verse 13 those events. We just looked at spoke spread over about six months bring us to a unique moment in the ministry of Our Lord over the over the following week after this Jesus heads North again. But this time he’s not heading north to meet a syrophoenician woman.

36. 19:17

    He’s not going to meet a group of Gentiles here. He’s bringing just his disciples with him and the record seems it was only his disciples. He talked to while he’s making this trip up to caesarea, Philippi. He was focusing on strengthening his disciples before that trip those travel narratives down to Jerusalem those final six months of his life leading up to that final week and his crucifixion.

37. 19:38

    We read over in Matthew chapter 16 verse 13 that he’s headed to caesarea Philippi. This was in the far Northern reaches of Israel. It was famously where the headwaters of the River Jordan began and they would flow about 25 miles down from caesarea Philippi at the base of Mount Hermon down to the Sea of Galilee and then further down.

38. 19:57

    To the Dead Sea just north of caesarea. Philippi is at Mount Hermon. It would be incredible prominence most prominent mountain in the area some 2,800 meters for those of you who are familiar with Mount Baldy behind La kind of the same amount of problem. And it’s like you’re standing down there. That’s the mountain that stands out.

39. 20:16

    I’ll beautiful and snow capped off there in the distance today. It’s the Golan Heights. It’s a strategic area that is much disputed a strategic location because of that sheer elevation. It’s the chief of all mountains in the area and with it snow melting down every seat Every Spring it would feed the streams that would flow down to Galilee and down through the Jordan caesarea.

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    Philippi is at the base of that mountain and it was right next to this massive wall of rock. That was someone to 200 feet high and about 500 feet wide and those Springs would come out of this this face this face of rock. That’s where the streams the Springs of the Jordan flowed from and Of the large spring and the caves that the water had formed over the years caesarea Philippi.

41. 21:03

    I became a center for religious nature worship. It’s a beautiful area. Now that I’ve been I have photos is a beautiful area described for us where you can see these Waters flowing out of this rock and during the New Testament period it was a center for Pagan worship specifically for the Greek god pan. And if you want to follow along in your handout, you can see some of those over on page 11 If you visit the site today, you will see the ruins of many Greek temples the temples the Greek and Roman temples were built around the caves and Grottoes that naturally kind of formed in the cliff base and others were carved out and this is where the Greek and Roman god pant or the Greek god pan would have been worshipped. And in fact the original name for that City’s history of Philip II before it was renamed by Philip and after himself and Caesar was peleus named after the god. Pan, it was a center of pan worship. Not only for the pagans in the area. But of the whole Roman world.

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    This was the place that you’re going to go to if you wanted to seek favor from the god of trickery and fear and the largest of these caves put it up there on the left was literally called the Gates of Hell something that will be significant as we have read down through the text.

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    I was used for sacrifice. What you would do is you’d go up to this cave and the water level is presumably higher now than it was back in Josephus day who writes a bit about this but you would throw your goat sacrifice in there and as it kind of plummeted down to the abyss you knew if a pan accepted your sacrifice if the goat didn’t come floating back down the stream, but if the go just disappears in the abyss and doesn’t float back down the belief was that pan had accepted your sacrifice and you would get a blessing over time.

44. 22:47

    This area was built up and Jesus day the caves were not just left open. They had large temples built around them and those temples combine elements of both. His Pagan worship. pan with Emperor worship of the Roman Caesar under Herod the Great caesarea Philippi became a place for political ritual as well as Pagan worship after Augustus Caesars first visit to Palestine Herod the Great wanted to build a monument to honor Caesar and this main Monument over the left hand side was built directly in front of that cave people would use to go and worship the god pan after Herod the Great died and A D4 or his territory was divided between his sons his son Philip took over this area. He took over the area toward the North and renamed the city says area after Caesar because of all of the temples to Caesar in Japan and Philippi after himself. As Roman rulers would want to do so knowing knowing the context of this is significant as we get into what Jesus talks to his followers about there was no other place like this in Israel Josephus comments on it specifically That there’s this was a center for Roman worship of the Emperor as much as it was a center for the worship of pagan gods knowing the context for where Jesus and his disciples were going will help fill in the picture with some of the things that are discussed Jesus and his disciples had traveled about 25 miles north from the Paseo De in Capernaum area up to caesarea Philippi along the Jordan River until they come to this Temple dedicated to Caesar Augustus.

45. 24:27

    He’s a man that the Romans regarded as a Son of God, right? The the Roman Caesar was seen as a sort of divine being and this Temple sat alongside a massive exposed Cliff face with a deep cave known as the gates of Hades or the gates of hell where pan another Divine believed to be a Divine being another Son of God was worshiped and interestingly. Both of these sons of God is Caesar and pan were dead Caesar Augustus at this point was dead.

46. 24:55

    He was a mortal who now laid in his grave. Another took his place on the throne in pan was no more than a stone dead statue in this setting among men who falsely claimed Divine sonship and dead Idols perched along side a great rock that overshadowed the mythical Gates of Hell. Jesus asked his disciple a question and we see that question over in Matthew chapter 16 verse 13.

47. 25:20

    They come to this city The Rock faces in front of them and Jesus turns and asked his disciples whom do men say that I the son of man a.m. Luke makes an emphasis that this question was meant only for his disciples over another parallel of Luke 19 Verse 18, but based on the disciples response.

48. 25:36

    This was clearly a question that many people were asking at the time who is Jesus based on the events that we left off in John 6. You could see people leaving asking who is this man? He isn’t who we thought we were the crowds at the crowds of Jews at the feeding of the 5,000 at hoped. He was going to be the one to bring across that great and terrible day of the Lord and over. The Romans the group that followed him around the Sea of Galilee to the other side was disappointed when Jesus spoke not of restoring the kingdom to Israel at that moment. But of his coming sacrifice there was confusion around this question was he really the Messiah some thought he was John the Baptist back from the dead that he that was a Harrods gas back in Matthew chapter 14 and verse to remember that confusion.

49. 26:21

    Jesus seemed to be preaching a similar message and I spent time in the same area that John was at some thought geez. This was John the Baptist risen again others thought he was the Elijah of the Latter-Day perhaps they figured that since Jesus wasn’t acting like the king that they expected since Jesus wasn’t taking the throne that maybe Jesus was supposed to be the Prelude. Maybe who’s the Elijah to another Messiah that was going to come he did things like Elijah did he was in conflict with the rulers of his day.

50. 26:50

    He provided food for the needy Elijah did that too. He raised the dead Elijah did that as well. He took an unexpected trip to tyrants. Elijah also did that as well or perhaps he was maybe another Prophet come back to life either literally or a continuing of their other Legacy. Maybe maybe Jesus was like Ezekiel Ezekiel was called the son of man 89 times.

51. 27:14

    Jesus referred to himself in the same way. Could it be Jeremiah Was Jesus not also a Man of Sorrows similar to the weeping prophet. Jesus had just made an illusion a few chapters previously. About the sign of the prophet Jonah could Jesus be another Prophet like Jonah and notice the ambiguity implied here in the language and Matthew some say this others say that there’s no element of certainty or firm belief here just general feelings among the crowd of who they thought Jesus was and there is a lesson for us here follow the religious Notions of the crowd around us and your home is always going to be wrong the differing confused and apathetic views people. For Jesus are also present today. There’s a lot of confusion about who Jesus is today. It’s actually in fashion to be non-committal about religious beliefs and to not have firm opinions about who Jesus is many people today.

52. 28:11

    Say Jesus was a good teacher others see him as a religious prophet that should be admired for his moral compass, but nothing more still others see me as a good example of social work, but not someone who has authority to tell us how to live today the same. Guity and confusion that Jesus confronted two thousand years ago is around us now and like Peter we have an opportunity and an obligation to take a different stand taking a stand on who we believe Jesus is and that will be as radical as it was 2000 years ago today.

53. 28:46

    It’s also worth noting that people no longer thought he was just the Carpenter’s son either but likewise by the time we reach this period getting onto the last six months of Jesus Ministry. They aren’t thinking of them. Thinking of him as the prophet like unto Moses as we saw in our last class interestingly. The way Jesus asked this question has the answer head right inside of it and look at how we asked the question. He says whom do men say that I the son of man am could this be an illusion back to Daniel chapter 7 and verse 13 where we said where we read I saw in the night visions and behold one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of Days and brought.

54. 29:27

    Him near before him Jesus then makes the answer quite personal. He looks as his disciples and says to them specifically, who do you say that? I am having heard what Jesus said Simon hearing Peter speaks first the clear assertion similar to what he did back in John chapter 6 and verse 68 in Mark and Luke were account shorter versions of what he said. And Mark, its it captures the core point of that confession Thou Art the Christ in Luke.

55. 30:00

    We see Thou Art the Christ of God and Matthew contains his full statement Thou Art the Christ the son of the Living God. This is different than the previous statements. We’ve seen Pierre doesn’t put in qualifiers or disclaimers about his statements. He doesn’t say I think you might be or if consider that you might be he is absolute and his language he is saying that thou art the Christ the son of the Living God God in what might seem on the surface to be a very simple statement is actually very specifically chosen language that Harkens back to two places in the Old Testament that shows how closely Peter had been living up to his birth name of Simon hearing.

56. 30:38

    He had been listening to Jesus and he brings some elements together here the concepts of Christ and Son of God are uniquely combined in Psalm chapter 2. You want to turn over there in Psalm chapter 2 verses 2 and verse 7 bring these elements together. Of the Christ and Son of God in Psalm chapter 2 and verse 2.

57. 30:58

    We read that the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed his anointed the Messiah or the Christ and then down in verse 7 of Psalm chapter 2 the Lord saith unto me thou art my son the context fits considering the conflicts Jesus just had with the rulers of the Jews right before he comes up here to caesarea, Philippi and unlike the It’s which had been discouraged by Jesus rejections by the leaders.

58. 31:27

    Peter saw it as another confirming sign of Jesus his messiahship. Well, the faith of others waned Peter the son of Jonah Jonah means Dove and Hebrew makes reference back to that same song that was cited by The Voice from Heaven on the day of Jesus baptism as that Dove descended down upon Jesus and they heard the Declaration quoted from Psalm 2 Thou Art my beloved. Son, what a wonderful reassurance for Jesus here the son of a dove lived up to his name Simon or hearing the Peter statement also would have been in sharp contrast to their surroundings the message proclaimed by the temple Augustus.

59. 32:09

    Unlike Augustus Caesar who was a man who declared himself to be the Son of God here. We have Jesus a man who God declared was his son at his baptism. But Peter does more than just reference Psalm chapter 2. He uses a specific title for God he As the Living God it seems Peter picks up on Jesus reference who do men say that I the son of man am he goes back to Daniel chapter 7 13 as well since that is where in that context we get the image of God as the Living God surrounded by the living creature spoken of in Daniel chapter 7. The physical context is again significant here. They’re standing near not only a center of political worship of Augustus, but also a pagan Center of worship with a lifeless Idol.

60. 32:53

    Pan a god of Mischief stood in stark contrast to an unseen Living God of righteousness Peter’s statement here is also significant because of when and where he says it there had been confessions previously. We have found the Messiah. That’s what a Andrew said to Peter back in John chapter 1 verse 41. We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth said Philip and Nathaniel back in John chapter 1 Of a truth Thou Art the Son of God said the disciples in the boat back in Matthew chapter 14, but what stands out here in this confession is Peter’s conviction on his own the confessions of faith is expanded. Here it goes from he is the Messiah to he’s the Messiah spoken of in the law and the prophets to he’s the son of God to he we believe he’s the Christ to he is the Christ the son of the Living God.

61. 33:48

    So the Expressions get more complex they get more expansive but the timings Also meaningful as well all those earlier confessions of Faith happened either in the days of Jesus rising popularity or with a group of folks that were saying the same thing. They were confessions of Faith made in the context of others that would support that confession of Faith Even Peters earlier confession and John was said in the context of the disciples expressing their hope together, but on this day in caesarea, Philippi Peter stands out alone Peter shows us that Faith isn’t just about what we say. It’s about when and where we say it as The people had rejected Jesus everyone else wasn’t confessing their faith of the same time.

62. 34:29

    It’s one thing to confess faith in Jesus when you’re with a group. It’s another thing to do it alone all around him were the Pagan reminders of Rome a reminder of just how small the community of Believers really was and Peter still holds firm an example for us to follow because we live in a world that the that worships political and social God’s all around. Around us the things that pan the Greek and Roman god pan stood for instant pleasure deceitfulness sexual promiscuity.

63. 35:00

    They are present today as much as they were back in caesarea, Philippi the world around us throws itself into the grave and the pursuit of these things as the Romans would throw their goats and sacrifices and to the gates of hell as they worshipped pan to seek their own pleasure in light of all that we make a stand to do something different to say those things are dead to us and the world Around us that we know that Jesus is the Christ the son of the Living God Simon bar Jonah son of Adam the son of a dog, let’s consider the response here in verse 17.

64. 35:38

    He Jesus says blessed art thou Simon bar-jonah for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it to thee but my Father which is in heaven, he says call him Simon son of Jonah and that name use is significant. It’s the first time Jesus referred. To him this way since their first encounter and this time he had lived up to his given name in a wonderful way. He had clearly been hearing Jesus father make that statement upon the day of Jesus baptism as the dove descended upon him. He just continues down in verse 18 and I say unto thee that thou art Peter and into this Upon This Rock will I build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it. Jesus switches the names here again and calls him Peter and this is the first time since renaming Peter Moon naming him Peter two years before back in John chapter 1 verse 42. Peter was living up to his natural name. He was listening as the son of the dove Simon. He had heard Jesus in making that confession and he was showing the character that Jesus wanted him to Aspire to you recall from our first class that the Greek word behind Peter is Petrus a small stone that has been Out of another Jesus then says Upon This Rock will I build my church and here he changes his language.

65. 37:02

    He changes his terms and doesn’t use the word for a small carved out rock carved out rock. You also have this in a page 11 of your handout but instead uses the Greek word Petra which Vines describes as a large mass of rock Petra is the word used to describe the large rock that the wise man built his house upon its use And to describe that large Rock and the Wilderness out of which water flew float Paul uses that same term over in 1st Corinthians 3:11 referring to for other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ.

66. 37:38

    The word Petra is used by Peter himself over in his epistle and First Peter chapter 2 verse 8, he notes that Jesus was a rock of offense, but he had become the head of the corner the foundation upon which the Ecclesia is built. Is this the confession that Peter made in his confession Peter showed himself to be a smaller rock that was being aligned with that Chief Cornerstone and Jesus was not appointing Peter as a rock Foundation, but noting that his strength as a small rock only came for when he recognized that he was connected carved out of that larger rock that Cornerstone that foundation stone of Jesus Christ.

67. 38:19

    It was a lesson. He never forgot. He spoke of Before the Sanhedrin and X4 in three times. He alludes to it in his epistle in the Old Testament. The rock is often or stone is often a simple of God. So it makes sense that by extension. The Son of God here would also be a rock an example of God manifestation. And before we move on to consider the rest of this confession consider the possible Parable presented by the physical setting again from where the statement was made before them.

68. 38:49

    There would have been this massive Cliff a A hundred to two hundred feet high a sheer rock face and that Gentile area of caesarea Philippi. This is the first time Jesus uses the term Ecclesia in the gospels and wouldn’t it be true that spiritual Israel would arise from Gentile rocks brought together to make a holy Temple aligned with that Chief Cornerstone Christ. The next phrase that Jesus uses is also pulling on the physical location.

69. 39:18

    Jesus speaks of the Gates of Hell or Hades. not making a reference to gehenna the trash dumped out in Jerusalem, but instead borrowing a were for the Greek underworld ahead of them was a cave that was literally called the gates of Hades where sacrifices to pan would be cast in and though the Ecclesia would be built out of a would be built on a house of Obi belt be a house built out of Gentile Stones the paganism that dominated The Cliff face ahead of them would certainly challenge it but but it would be a struggle in a bitter irony that large so paganism would be one of these bit largest challenges to the early church and an ironic twist that Greek god pan Which Jesus is a so clearly rejecting would later be adopted by the church in the 5th Century has kind of the spitting image of their concept of the supernatural devil.

70. 40:15

    A paganism was going to introduce all sorts of ideas into the Christian church that were found nowhere in Sure, the idea of dualism in the immortal Soul laying the foundation for the belief in the Trinity introducing the belief into heaven going Hellfire and demons paganism would certainly rise and bring up challenges against the Ecclesia.

71. 40:35

    But as Jesus said it would not overcome it and location aside, even if the location isn’t as significant as I’m making it here that connotation to the gates of hell is still significant the connotation of the gates of hell is death. The gates of the Grave is a phrase used over in Isaiah chapter 38 to describes death as the cessation of all activity death is called the enemy over in First Corinthians 15 and is part of the promise in part of the promises to Abraham was to possess the gates of the enemy of death is the enemy part of the promises is to overcome that in Revelation when Jesus speaks about his resurrection. He says he has the keys of hell and of death having overcome it this certainly fits into the as well the Ecclesia would not be overcome by death because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which he talks about next Jesus then makes his final statement to Peter and I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever Thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever Thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven a more literal translation makes a little bit easier to understand a holmen’s translation says I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth is Is already Bound in heaven and whatever you loose on Earth is already loosed in heaven. It’s not that heaven would follow Peters decisions. But rather after making such a confession of Faith Peter would surely act in a way that was in

72. 42:03

    accordance with heavens. Will the ironic thing here is the first thing Peter does after this how the first thing he tries to bind after the statement is Jesus from going south to Jerusalem. Certainly not the will of heaven and Brethren have pointed out. There are a number ways number. Ways in which Peter did have some keys he unlocked the message of the Kingdom to the Jews in Acts chapter 2 and when he preach to the Gentiles in Acts chapter, 15, unlike the scribes and the lawyers which Jesus said took away the keys of knowledge Peter helped people unlock the gospel and understand it. We also do see Peter in the New Testament binding and loosing in a sense.

73. 42:46

    We see this in Acts chapter 5 in Acts chapter 8 was Simon the Sorcerer And ananias and Sapphira. But this was by no means limited to Peter as Jesus makes the same statement to all the disciples over in Matthew chapter 18 verse 18. Peter later himself makes the whole point that the whole Ecclesia is made up of a holy priesthood over in First Peter chapter 2 verse 5 and Peter was certainly thinking back to this experience as he penned that epistle later on over enough First Peter chapter 1.

74. 43:16

    Sorry First Peter chapter 2 verses four through nine. You can see the imagery and all the language. Out of this trip up to caesarea Philippi coming out just reading these few verses as you come to him a living Stone rejected by men but in the sight of God Chosen and precious you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ for it stands in scripture behold. I am laying in Zion a stone a Cornerstone Chosen and precious and whoever believes in in him will not be put to shame. So the honour is for you to believe but for those who do not believe the stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense they stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do but you are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light.

75. 44:20

    We’re going to take a Few more minutes then consider one final lesson from this episode of confession, but I want to pause here just to sum up the two lessons we’ve seen so far first we need not to be swept away in society’s view of Jesus whom do men say that I am is a relevant question today in the answer matters. He’s not part of the Trinity nor is he simply a role model? He is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament the anointed one who would sit on David’s Throne the Christ the son of the living In God we need to be ready to explain that when asked to reason from the scripture.

76. 44:57

    When asked what we believe about Jesus, but our answer to that question of whom do men say that I am is not simply an intellectual exercise. It’s not enough just to get the the factual bullet points, right it certainly starts with intellect. It starts with knowing what the Bible says but it goes beyond that.

77. 45:15

    This statement of faith is a foundation. That should also be seen in our life because we believe that Is the Christ the anointed one who will sit on David’s Throne we should live in such a way that looks for the coming Kingdom rather than citizenship in this world something. We’ll talk about in our evening class tonight because we believe he’s the son of the Living God who knows and sees all we should live in such a way that is conscious of God’s consciousness of all that we do because we believe that he is the Christ the son of the Living God. We need to share that with others we have keys as Jesus said that can unlock the kingdom. For others.

78. 45:52

    It’s a call to preach the gospel indeed. Peter later talks about preaching as the natural extension of belief sincere belief naturally leads to preaching Peter talked about this today Sanhedrin over in Acts chapter 4 verse 24 we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard or is Paul later explains over in 2nd Corinthians. We believe and therefore we speak and finally Peter shows us that Faith isn’t just about what we say. It’s about when we say it as well it was I think the follow Jesus and the early days of his Rising popularity when everyone else was doing it.

79. 46:26

    It’s another thing to follow Jesus when you’re all alone when the world around us throws itself into the Gates of Hell in pursuit of the passing pleasures of sin. Do we dare make a stand and say those things are dead to us that we know that Jesus is the Christ the son of the Living God will close out our considerations this morning with a contrast that’s going to be emblematic. Attic of our studies tomorrow morning as we move down to the final passage here in Matthew chapter 16 verses 20 as is often the case with Peter.

80. 47:00

    We see a failure come right on the heels of a beautiful success and while Peter has grown so much in the past years with the Lord, he still struggles like we all do the episode recorded in Matthew chapter 16 verse 20 through 22 and Mark chapter XXX or Mark chapter 8 verses 30 through 32 is dramatic.

81. 47:21

    Jesus based on Peters confession is talking more plainly than he ever did before Matthew 16 verse 21 records the following from that time forth Jesus forth began. Jesus to show unto his disciples how he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and be raised again on the third day no more speaking in types and symbols of eating his flesh as the Mana sent down from heaven Jesus now plainly saying to them that he would have to suffer. Suffer and die before Rising again to life the parallel account over at Mark chapter 8 verse 32 adds emphasis to this. He spoke to them saying openly that openly there was no misunderstanding.

82. 48:02

    The message wasn’t knew from the time that John the Baptist had called Jesus the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world the illusions of the teaching had been there, but here it’s being stated clearly. Jesus is building on the image of himself as the stone and Luke’s account over at nine verse 22 He notes that he will be rejected like that stone.

83. 48:22

    The builders rejected harkening back to that Messianic Psalm 118 and Peter reacts to this. Hey, he tries to employ some of his implied binding and loosing power in the language and the Greek here is intense. Matthew says he took him away using a word that means to take aside to take literally by the hand into the lead away in sounds that as if Jesus.

84. 48:45

    It sounds that as Jesus was teaching Peter stands up ghost up to jesus takes his hand and take some away to the side and the word here for rebuke is most frequently used when Jesus cast out evil spirits the same type of rebuking that Peter is now giving to Jesus. It’s the voice that Jesus used to rebuked the wind and the waves it’s also the term that Jesus use a few verses before when he charged his disciples not to spread the news that he was the anointed king.

85. 49:15

    Peter is now using that rebuking authoritative voice. Talk to his master Peter tells Jesus be it far from the Lord. This shall not be unto thee. The language is emphatic a double negative in the Greek here Petros the rock that should have been aligned with Jesus. The Cornerstone was now becoming a stumbling block himself Peter statement recalls the third Wilderness Temptation again the temptation to avoid the cross and Matthew note that he began to rebuke him there.

86. 49:49

    He was going to to say more and Jesus reaction here is quick Peter took him aside, but Matthew notes that Jesus turned and verse 23 over at Market says he turned around and looked on his disciples to get a mental picture of what’s Happening. Jesus is talking to his disciples about his death Peter stands up takes Jesus by the hand and rebukes him with a loud authoritative voice Jesus turns away from Peters grasp back toward the disciples with Peter now. find him and then he says those well-known words get thee behind me Satan now to an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men and notice how young literal literal translation more accurately renders that verse and he having turned said to Peter get thee behind me adversary thou art a stumbling block to me for thou does not mind the things of God, but the things of men the Ivy has a similar rendition where Jesus uses the term stumbling block and ironic reference just based on his prior conversation with Peter and notice that oh, yeah, and notice that even though he tells Peter to get behind him, where is Jesus looking when he makes the statement he’s looking back at his disciples not as Peter. He had already put Temptation behind him. What a great example of being proactive to remove ourselves from tempting situations.

87. 51:17

    Let’s walk through that again Jesus charges. Disciples he’s facing his disciples Peter takes him aside. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter Jesus wasn’t waiting for Peter to decide to get behind him. Jesus turned again to his disciples. So that Peter was behind him and what a great example for us to how to deal with temptation Jesus again physically moved and took decisive action so that he will not stumble we can take the phrase get thee behind me Satan as a command that relied upon the compliance of Satan to remove himself as an adversary. To get behind but Jesus wasn’t doing that. He didn’t wait for Peter to choose to get behind him. He moves so that the adversary was behind him and there are countless ways.

88. 52:04

    We can apply that same lesson if it’s a matter of being tempted by lust we physically remove ourselves from the situation. Do we do we put Satan behind us if we’re being tempted to have our lives consumed by things of work or school or Leisure to the exclusion of occlusal or family responsibilities.

89. 52:22

    Do we look to physically remove ourselves from those? A situation that will lightly likely result in going to access its what from its what’s from inside that defiles a man just as Jesus taught before his a journey North to caesarea Philippi, but still those outward actions matter and help us practically deal with the Temptations we encounter and so Jesus having put Satan behind him and telling him to stay there. Jesus gives us some insight into what Peter was thinking when he rebuked Jesus.

90. 52:54

    I will close with these verses Jesus says unto his disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it and the final verses here.

91. 53:11

    Give us some insight into what Peter was thinking Peter had overcome his reluctance to commit when he was called by the see initially as we saw in our first class. He had overcome the doubt when he sank into the waves as we saw in our second. Class but Peter still had to learn the lesson that the cross would come before the crown and the call to follow Christ to Joy first went through trial following Jesus. Now from behind Peter was listening intently. Never before had he been so ashamed never before had he so missed the mark and never would Peter forget the lesson. He learned that day six months later on rather than saying this shall not be Peter said Lord with the eye. I’m ready to go to prison and to death after the resurrection and Jesus Ascension into heaven.

92. 54:00

    The fact that Christ had to suffer first was a core of Peters message and most significantly in Peters first epistle. He talks more about the importance of the sufferings of Christ and partnering with the sufferings of Christ and seeing Christ go through those sufferings as an example for us to follow. He talks more about this than any other place in the New Testament picking up on the same word that Jesus used in Matthew 16:21 14 of the other 40 occurrences appear in First Peter Peter learn to look at the sufferings of Jesus not as something to be avoided at all cost but as a way of life and his crucifixion as an example, that should permeate all aspects of Our Lives Peter wrote for here.

93. 54:43

    And who were you called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps Peter then goes on his next chapters to talk about how Christ Suffering Christ taking up of his cross was an example for us to follow in daily life. Peter said for as much then as Christ had suffered for us in the flesh arm yourself likewise with the same mind my brother comments that the Apostle who at caesarea Philippi would Fain save his master from suffering and death was steadily maturing in the appreciation in sharing of the Cross of Christ and a beautiful reversal while trying to grasp hole. Old grasp a hold of one’s life will end up in losing it laying down one’s life will end up and finding it and that’s because the suffering that would inevitably come as a result of our confessions of faith that Jesus is the Christ. The son of the Living God is temporary. We have a gracious God that will not put us through more than we are able to Bear but will provide a way of Escape six days later possibly right on the day of atonement and ahead of the Feast of booths.

94. 55:52

    Jesus would take just three of his disciples. You’re James and John away from caesarea Philippi in North once more to the slopes of Mount Hermon to witness the kingdom come in power the Transfiguration Peter would later describe that as being eyewitnesses to his majesty as they witnessed. Jesus converse with Moses and Elijah about the Exodus. He was going to accomplish and as Peter tried to make suggestions about voting Tabernacles for the three of them a voice from Heaven would come and say this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him. At this point with six months left with the Son of God Simon Peter still had a lot of listening to do as he learned to rely on the rock of his salvation. Thank you for listening to the good Kristoff and talks podcast Please Subscribe for new episodes and leave a review and apple podcast or whatever service you are listening from to help people find the show when they search for it if you enjoyed this.

95. 56:53

    Talk share it on social media. So other people can find it to for show notes and links to the talk that you just listen to visit our show page at anchor dot f m / G CT. We want to encourage everyone to share their thoughts from the talk this week on Facebook or Instagram where we are at good christadelphians talks or on Twitter where we are at GCT underscore podcast, if you know of a great talk we want to know about it to send a suggestion to good christadelphians talks at gmail.com or message us on any Any of our social media platforms? Thank you for listening.

96. 57:27

    God bless and talk to you next week.