The Great Confession
Matthew 16:13–20
But who do you say that I am? Matthew 16:15

Jesus asked his disciples two probing questions.

First, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (v. 13). The disciples would have been in a better position than Jesus to have known what people were saying about him, but Jesus did not need to elicit this information from his followers. These identifications were standard speculations for anyone who stood out above the common people. The surprising thing is that no one was suggesting that Jesus was the Messiah.

Now Jesus asked his second question: “But who do you say that I am?” It was at this point that Peter spoke for the rest and gave his classic answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). Peter’s answer did two things, both forcefully. First, it identified Jesus as the Messiah, the one who was to reign forever on the throne of his great ancestor David. Second, and even more important, it identified Jesus as divine: “the Son of the living God.” It is that combination of ideas that makes Peter’s confession so important, for he was confessing that Jesus was no mere man but God himself come to save his people.

In the Greek text this is as forceful as any confession could be. It is only ten words, but in it the definite article occurs four times, like this: “You are the Christ, the Son of the God, the living One.” This was so true and so important a confession that Jesus pointed out that it was not in the same category as other things Peter was in the habit of blurting out, most of which were wrong. He told Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (v. 17). It was the result of a specific divine revelation.

So also today. The first and most important thing any person needs to understand about Jesus is that he is the Son of God, “very God of very God,” as one of the ancient creeds puts it. That is because the value of his work, dying for sin, depends on who he is. If he is not God, his death would have no more value than any other person’s death. But because he is God, his death has infinite value and is able to take away sins.

Do you see that? Can you believe it? If you can, it is because God has revealed it to you. It is because he is blessing you by bringing you from death to spiritual life, just as he was blessing Peter. Salvation is God’s work from the beginning to the end.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.