“Who Is This Man?” Peter Answers the Question. Two Times
With this post I resume my journey thinking about ‘faith’. This post builds on my post of March 3, 2017 — “To Believe Is Necessary But Not Sufficient — Part 2. Peter Begins His Journey To True Faith”. In that post I examined how Peter came to join the band of disciples Jesus called to follow Him, beginning the journey that Peter took from false to true faith. Probably everyone who comes to true faith in Jesus comes in a unique way, but I think there are aspects of Peter’s journey that apply to many of us.
Peter began his journey by being friends with Jesus – just hanging out with Him along the shoreline of the lake. His journey really began when he recognized the depth of his sinfulness and the need for a savior. Then Jesus called him and the others to follow Him. They pulled the boats up on the shore, hung up their nets, and immediately followed Jesus ‘on the way.’ They made a serious commitment to Jesus, although Scripture suggests they still hadn’t completely surrendered and submitted to Him.
Even though they had seen Jesus heal the sick, drive out demons, and command the wind and the waves they still asked the question, “Who is this guy?” For sure, the Jews were waiting for a Messiah. They just didn’t think he would look and act like Jesus. Maybe that was why they were confused. Maybe. But he was their friend, he had all of the human limitations they did – yet here He was doing all these miraculous things that only God could do. He looks like a regular guy; He acts like God. What is up with that? Scripture reports two times when Peter answered the question, “who is this guy?”: One in John 6 along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and the other at Caesarea Philippi, that city at the foot of Mount Hermon where the Romans worshiped their pagan Gods. Did Peter find true faith there, or did these revelations move him one more step closer? And what does this have to do with our faith and Kingdom life?
Peter and Jesus Along the Shore of the Sea of Galilee – Many Disciples Leave Jesus
In John 6, Jesus crosses the lake after feeding the 5000. He tells His followers that they have to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He is speaking metaphorically, but “many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him”. In other words, these ‘disciples’ rejected Jesus and the Kingdom life he was offering. Jesus turned to the 12 and asked them, “You do not want to leave too, do you? Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words (Greek = rhema, not logos) of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6: 66 – 69 NIV). What ‘words’ is Peter referring to? These: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The ‘words‘ I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6: 63 NIV). (Jesus is affirming that true faith resides in the inward man – our spirit – and not in the outward man, which is our flesh). Peter is saying “I know that you are the Christ, sent from God for our salvation”, and is affirming the truth of John 6: 63.
Once again, as I have discussed in previous posts, we run into this word “believe”. John uses it a lot, and usually it is obvious when he means “to have faith” versus a mental assent. In John 6: 47 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, he who believes has eternal life”. In Ephesians Paul tells us that salvation comes by grace, through faith. It seems clear to me that in John 6: 47 “believe” means to “have faith”. But in John 6: 69, “We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God”, I think Peter is making a statement of fact or a mental persuasion (In one of my concordances, one of the definitions of ‘believe’, pisteuo, is “to have mental persuasion”). Even the demons believed this and, in fact, used the same words in Luke 4.
In Luke 4, the demons in a demon-possessed man speak to Jesus just before Jesus commands the demons to leave the man. The demons say, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” (Luke 4: 34 NIV). – the same title that Peter gave Jesus in John 6: 69, which is not surprising – that really is one of His names.
The demons believed who Jesus was – the Holy One of God – before anyone else, even the disciples, grasped the significance of this Man. In fact, the demons believed that Jesus, the Son of the Most High God, had come to destroy their power. They were rightly terrified of Jesus. They believed in His divinity, His power, and His mission — setting men free from demonic possession and in the process destroying their power forever. But the demons could never have faith, and apart from redemption by the love of God, cannot live in the Kingdom of God. My point is that a statement of the truth of who Jesus is, whether made by Peter, demons, or us, does not alone constitute true faith.
Jesus and Peter at Caesarea Philippi: “I Believe”
In the second example, Jesus brings His disciples to that center of pagan worship, Caesarea Philippi, and instructs and prophesies over them. You know the scene in Matthew 16: 13 — 20. Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (NKJV). They reply, “Some say you are John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus puts them on the spot, “But who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16: 16 NKJV).
This question echoes through the millennia, right up till today. Unless they never heard of Jesus, each each person is required to answer the question, “who do you say I am?” Jesus cannot be ignored. He can be scorned, but He can’t be ignored. Their answer and how they live in light of their answer will determine the person they become.
At Caesarea Philippi Peter must have experienced one of the happiest moment of his life. His master, mentor, and friend paid him the highest compliment:
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church . . . I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 16: 17 – 19 NIV).
Wow! Jesus praises Peter and seems to elevate him above all the other disciples. Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter – the Rock. To some of the disciples, this might remind them of the time that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. What an honor. On top of that, Jesus promises Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, whatever they are, but it seems likely that they involve power and authority. Impressive.
Peter must be proud and very pleased with himself. For any man this kind of recognition is like a strong drug – he is flying high.
There it is. At least Peter gets it. “Who is this guy?” is answered. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. But is Peter’s claim a statement of true faith? With those words does Peter truly repent of finding his value in the world, relinquish his pride and self-control over what he does and says? With these words does Peter begin to trust and rely on Jesus with his entire personality? Even a little bit? True faith has been defined as:
The leaning of the entire human personality upon Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness; or,
Giving up the right to myself in all things, and leaning upon Jesus for all the value and acceptance I need to live as a whole and healed human being, and becoming the man God intended me to be before the beginning of time.
For me, true faith involves living in the Kingdom of God after having repented of my life in the kingdom of the world, which is the kingdom of self.
No one in this life lives with perfect faith. But Jesus tells us that there should be an instant or point in time when we are born again — our life in the kingdom of the world is over and a new life in the Kingdom of God opens up before us. I think that Peter’s claim is a statement of what he believes to be true about Jesus (“You are the Messiah”), but does not mean Peter is now walking with Jesus in true faith. I don’t believe in that moment Peter was born again. It is an important breakthrough for Peter, because without this belief there can be no true faith. But I think Peter is still walking in what I call ‘false faith’; that is, faith in himself and his abilities to control circumstances around him. “I believe” is not the same as a statement of total trust, confidence, and relying on Jesus with his entire personality. I believe with my mind, I trust with my heart. Peter’s way to true faith must pass through brokenness, shame, and guilt followed by a beautiful time of restoration and joy. Peter’s outward man must be broken.
OK. Maybe I am not seeing things clearly here. Maybe Peter is walking in true faith and this insight given to Peter by the Father is a further manifestation of that spiritual reality. For sure, Peter loves Jesus. But I see Peter’s love as a worldly type of love. It is fundamentally rooted in the fulfillment or the promise of fulfillment of his wants, needs, and desires. When put to the test, it will fail. The love for Jesus Peter will ultimately manifest will be rooted in surrender, obedience, and trust. That will come later.
If I am correct and Peter is not walking in true faith, what does this passage say to you and me and even to the Church? Is it enough to believe Jesus is the Messiah? Is it enough to say you love Jesus or even to believe you love Jesus? Do these things mean I have true faith? The mark of true faith in and true love for Jesus is obedience — radical obedience to His words in Scripture and His revelations in our lives; and these revelations will never contradict Scripture. It is total surrender in every part of our lives and it is based on total trust — Jesus will provide all that we need.
I can only live this life of obedience and surrender in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. And that Spirit is only available to me as I enter into and live with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. And while I can never enter the Kingdom of God because of my works or merit, I must repent of life in the kingdom of the world. Yes, repentance is a gift, but I have a role to play. I don’t just repent of what I have done; I also repent of who I am. Jesus says, “the Kingdom of God is at hand (also translated “is here”), repent and believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.” And then I must live a repentant life. Not easy, and never done perfectly. But we cannot live saying we ‘believe’ in Jesus but live life in our power, finding our value in idols, and then turn around and say, “well, no one does it perfectly.” There has to be that moment in time, that line we crossed, to which we can point to and say, “it was here that I received the gift of faith.” And from that time onward, the fruit in my life validates the gift as faith grows and I become more and more like Jesus. I was transformed and I am being transformed. And it is evident to me and others.
Believing in Jesus and even loving Jesus the way Peter loved Jesus is not necessarily the same as obeying Jesus, surrendering to Jesus, denying myself, completely trusting Jesus, and repenting of what I have done and who I am. These are the marks of true faith. I don’t see these things in Peter, yet. And what he does next in Caesarea Philippi suggests, at least to me, that I am on the right track.
John
PS. Peter becomes a faith-filled man. But first he must be broken. And then he must receive the Holy Spirit. At this point in Caesarea Philippi the Spirit had not been given. He is doing the best he can, under the circumstances.