the greatest ever (Mt 16:13-20)

Monday, February 4, 2008

Psalm 126; Matthew 16:13-20


I am sitting here stunned and so disappointed that the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl Sunday night. So much talk about them being the greatest ever. It was so much fun almost going undefeated, and I must admit I take a lot of pride identifying with my Boston teams. So, while I'm not as upset as I was last year when we lost to the Colts after being up 21 points in the AFC Championship game, the fact that I'm still worked up about it (heart not quite settled down yet) shows my emotional investment, or perhaps over-investment.

All this is in the light of this powerful turning point passage in Matthew's gospel. While Matthew has let us, the readers, know who Jesus is (ie. he's revealed it to us) previously in the gospel, and while there have been some insight into who Jesus is by those around him up to this point, this is the clearest recognition of who Jesus is. Jesus himself initiates it with his questions, and confirms it clearly.

We heard Jesus a while back:
"I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him..."
(Matthew 11:25-27)

No one knows the Son except the Father... the exception regarding knowing the Father ("... and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him") also applies to knowing the Son. Because the Father in heaven reveals it to him, Peter confesses that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." In John's gospel Jesus says it this way, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44).

There is blessing (v. 17) in this confession, and in this revelation. Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior, deliverer. He is the one who will save his people from their sins. He is The Son of David, who will sit on David's throne forever. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is the Son of God, beloved, well-pleasing to the Father.

Identifying with him is blessing, salvation, and life. Jesus as champion, as my delight and satisfaction. Knowing him, trusting him, thinking of him - first. He indeed is the greatest ever. None will ever rival him. The blessing spoken to Peter, and to us, is in both the revelation and the confession. That is, it is not just in knowing him as my life, my hope, my salvation, but also to be known as a friend and follower of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Pastor Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York speaks about our "functional saviors" - that is, whatever we're really trusting in at any given time or season for life, or purpose - and it can be revealed in something like getting really bent out of shape because a football team loses...

Periodically I remember that the word fan comes originally from the word "fanatic." Fan means "to have a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art form, or famous person." And a fanatic is someone filled with "excessive or single-minded zeal." Yeah, I'm still a Patriots fan - but I am, and want to be, even more than that - even a fanatic - for Jesus Christ. His disciple, his servant, his ambassador, his friend, his own.