Surprise! Who am I?

Matthew 16: 13-20

I will start again asking the same question, which I started asking in the Armenian message. Does it matter who Jesus is? Does it make any difference who Jesus is? It does, if it matters who God is.

It does make a difference if you are interested in knowing about God's nature. It does make a difference if you are interested about living as a Christian. It does make a difference if you are seeking meaning in life.

"Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

1 -By answering this question one decides what kind of standard one will use to measure things.

It was World War I. There were forty American soldiers guarding an ammunition dump about a hundred miles from Paris, France. They read that there will be parade and needed 27,000 soldiers to march in different cities in Europe. Qualification for this group: Good military record, and a minimum height of one meter and eighty-six centimeters.

Many soldiers were interested. They did not know how much is one meter and eighty-six centimeters. They started comparing themselves with each another. They stood in a row from tallest to shortest. The tallest one started boasting and laughed on the others thinking he had the right qualifications to be selected.

A captain arrived from another city who knew the French measurement. He said that one meter and eighty-six centimeter is the equivalent of six feet, one and one-fifth inches.

They put the measurement on the wall. Then everyone was going to measure himself. Only the tallest guy did not go. He thought he surely had the chance. No one passed. And when the tallest one came, you know what? He failed one-quarter of inch short.

Standard. Who is the standard of your life? How do you decide things? Where is God in your decisions?

We feel good about ourselves and our achievements when we compare ourselves with others. How about if you start measuring yourself with Jesus' standards? Why do we need to measure by others' standards? Others are important. What are they talking about us? What kind of house they own? What kind of car? How much money they make? That is not our measure. Many unfortunately fell in this trap. Jesus is asking us today, " You, Nerses, Arpi, .... who am I in your life? What do I represent in your life? Am I just first aid? Am I just a rescue when you need me? Am I just a toy in your hand? AM I Your Lord?"

2- By answering this question one can experience the power of God.

Remember where this event happened. Jesus was in Caesarea Philippi. This is north of Palestine on the southern slope of Mt. Hermon. This city was a site for Baal worship. When Greek culture came here, they name it Paneas, a cult center for the god Pan. To this day the Israelis call it Banias and many come here for a pilgrimage. When the Romans came to this land, Augustus Caesar gave the site to the King Herod. It was his son Philip who re-named it Caesarea Philippi to honor the Caesar and himself.

This was the center for foreign and pagan gods. Jesus was ready to build his church over the rock of this pagan, fallen gods. Baal and pagan gods are nothing compared to God.

"San Francisco is a pagan city", as I was told by a long time resident. The Silicon Valley is full of people who are satisfied by their own intelligence. The HIGH TECH is their pride. All world is waiting for new technology from us. That is good but dangerous.

Peter Marshall once said : "Not a single one of the new powers discovered by man possesses any redeeming force. Neither fire, nor steam, nor explosives, nor electricity, nor atomic energy can change his nature. The greatest force ever bestowed on mankind streamed forth in blood and sweat and tears and death on Calvary ... when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on the cross....

It was power that would enable believers to do the mighty works of Christ, and the experience, flowing in and through their own lives, the energy of God".

3- By answering this question the disciples became apostles.

Jesus wanted Peter to change from disciple (mathetes, meaning learner) to Apostle (apostolos, one sent forth for a mission, ARAKYAL).

By answering this question and saying your are the Christ the Son of the Living God, Peter, became a mature person.

Peter was just means. God is the one who made Peter say this sentence. We need to understand that our Christian journey is a spiritual one. The more you are being the disciple of Jesus the more you can be the apostle of Jesus. Therefore, the question is not just asked to Peter, it is asked to all the disciples and us today.

When Jesus heard several different answers to the question "Who do they say I am?" he was interested in the personal answer of each disciple. Jesus is asking us today the same question, each by name, one by one.

So many of us have some kind of image of Jesus in our heads. We tend to mold Jesus into our image, instead of molding ourselves into HIS.

How many of us are interested in opening the Bible to see what the opinion of Jesus is about a particular subject?

Are we answering Jesus' question without being in a deep communication with Him? If not, then you have a real problem. You need to make a U-turn and start with HIM.

You cannot answer this question if you are not ready to be like Peter who did not understand much of what he said. However, God used his little faith to make him a ROCK. Dr. Don Strobe has said that Jesus called PETER ‘A ROCK’ not because of his standing qualities, but because of his sinking qualities". The disciple became an apostle.

Who is Jesus for YOU? Why are you in the church today?

Now we do not worship Jesus because he is just a great teacher. We do not worship Jesus because he was an excellent public speaker. We do not worship Jesus because he was just a healer, a miracle worker. We worship Jesus because of who HE IS. HE IS GOD. He came to save US. You either accept his presence in your life, or you reject it. You cannot live in the middle. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was GOD." (John 1:1)

DO you believe the WORD IS GOD?

I hope so.

Amen