Gospels - Analysis of Mathew - Essay Example

? Analysis of Mathew 16:13-20 of Introduction Religion entails personal beliefs and opinions towards nature, existence, and worship of a particular deity or deities. In Christianity, for instance, foundation of the religion is pegged on the existence of a Godhead, which is made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The bible, which is used by several religions, provides comprehensive and inerrant justifications about existence of the Godhead. In John 3:16, Jesus, who is God the Son, left his divine authority and accepted to die for human sins (Allison, 1999). Jesus came down and lived, not as a God, but as a mortal being. While spreading the message about God’s kingdom and his salvation mission, Jesus chose twelve disciples to assist him in his mission. Not all people accepted the messianic role of Jesus (Allison, 1999). Consequently, there was division regarding who Jesus truly was. Even though Jesus knew about what people thought about him, he had to confirm from his disciples whether people are aware about his identity. This confirmation about identity of Jesus is documented Mathew 16:13-20. This paper analyzes and gives significance of the conversation between Jesus and his disciples as recorded in Mathew 16:13-20. Summary of Mathew 16:13-20. The passage is divided into three sections, which are: Jesus asking question, response of the disciples, and teaching about God’s kingdom. The passage begins by Jesus asking his disciples, “Who do people think the Son of Man is?” His disciples responded by saying that there is no universal agreement on who Jesus is. They answered “…some say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah, while other Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matt 16:14). Jesus then asked them their thought about his identity. Only Simon Peter identified Jesus as “...the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” The third section starts from verse 17 where Jesus appraised Peter for an answer, which was revealed to him by God. Jesus further blessed Peter and called him a ‘rock.’ In verse 18, Jesus openly declared that through Peter, he will establish his church. The passage ends by Jesus warning his disciples “not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.” Setting and Context of Mathew 16:13-20 To understand the setting and context of the passage, it is important to highlight some preceding events. Preceding works of Jesus included feeding a great crowd, healing a Canaanite woman, and rebuking false teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Because of the preceding events, Jesus had a great crowd following him, which made the Pharisees and Sadducees envious. As a way of trapping Jesus, some Pharisees and Sadducees demanded for a miracle from the Son of God (Matt 16:1). Jesus did not, however, obey their demand. Because of the evil motive of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus referred them as wicked and godless people who do not know how to interpret time (Matt 16:4). Instead of giving a miracle that would prove that he was the messiah, he quoted a resurrection message from the book of Jonah. The challenge prompted Jesus to oppose the teachings of the Sadducees and the Pharisees by referring them as ‘yeast.’ At this moment, Jesus knew that his true identity is still not yet known to people. He, therefore, inquired whether his disciples are also aware that people, including themselves, still do not know him. Jesus knew that the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees might have influenced a significant number of people. Jesus, in addition, wanted to know whether those who are close to him truly know him. Therefore, context of the passage is that Jesus wanted to inform his disciples that the knowledge about his identity is still not known to many. Moreover, Jesus wanted to prove that some of his disciples have not truly identified him, despite their personal relationships with him (Gundry, 2012). Setting of the passage also fits the context of the account. The conversation happens when Jesus and his disciples have just left a town, which was full of false teachings. On the way to Mount Hermon, Jesus and his disciples saw a temple with statuettes of gods. Upon seeing this, Jesus asked his disciples about his identity. Jesus then said that he will establish his church on a rock and the church will survive the gates of Hades. In other words, Jesus not only wanted to confirm whether people had known him, but also to inform his disciples that he will establish a true church where only the true God will be worshipped (Gundry, 2012). Analysis of the Passage In the passage, Jesus wanted to know who people, including his disciples, thought he was. The question followed confusion caused by false teachings of Pharisees and Sadducees about the true messiah. The false teachings were evident from the temple that had false gods. By including the idea of the “Son of Man,” Jesus wanted to introduce himself as a messiah to his disciples. From the responses of the disciples, no group openly declared Jesus as the Messiah. Though Jesus had previously been referred as the “Son of David” (in Matt 9:27 and 15:22), many people, conversely, still had misgivings about his Messianic nature. Peter, however, courageously identified Jesus as “the Son of the Living God.” The identification and the ‘rock’ concept implied that Jesus transferred kingship and authority to Peter. Inclusion of verses 17-19 shows that God was still in the process of revealing Jesus to people. That is why when Peter identified Jesus as the Son of God, Jesus told him that the revelation was given to him by God not by man. This revelation applies to modern Christians that no one can know God unless He reveals Himself to him/her. Human knowledge or teachings cannot make a person know God. Reference of Peter as a ‘rock’ has created debate among scholars and believers (Gundry, 2012). Jesus identified himself as the ‘rock’ on which the church was founded. The same Jesus referred Peter as the ‘rock’ upon which he will establish his church. Confusion created in this passage is that there is no clear meaning of the ‘rock’ Jesus used during his mission. Some scholars, however, argue that Jesus was the true foundation of the church, while Peter played a vital role in establishment of the early church than any other disciple. In verse 19, Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom and told him that whatever he loses or binds on earth will also be done so in heaven. This statement implied that Peter was given authority to exclude or admit people in heaven (Rev. 9:1-6; 20:1-3). Also the statement implied that Peter was made the chief steward of a monarch (Isa. 22:15, 22). In verse 20, Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone about his identity. This warning has raised a question of why did Jesus not want the truth to be known to other people. Jesus, however, used the statement as a way of refusing to answer people’s demand about a physical sign and true identity. In other words, Jesus wanted people to come to him through faith and not through physical sign or being informed by the disciples about his identity. Jesus also knew that full disclosure at the moment would hinder his salvation mission, in which his true identity will known to all after resurrection. The conversation, therefore, had hidden meanings that point salvation mission of Christ. Significance of the Passage to Modern Life The passage has three important applications. One application of the passage is evident in the declaration made by Peter about identity of Jesus. Even though Peter’s declaration was appropriate at the time of the event, his language, however, means a lot in the modern world. A person becomes a believer when he knows whom he is worshipping. Therefore, the question “Who do people say I am?” is directed to each person. The type of answer an individual gives determines whether or not he/she has faith in Jesus Christ (Robert, 2012). In addition, knowing who Jesus truly is determines an individual’s willingness to do God’s will. Another area of significance is the mention of establishment of Christ’s church. Jesus declared that on his disciples, he will build his church. The disciples, after departure of Jesus, proclaimed the gospel of Christ, recorded the message in scriptures, and through the scriptures, churches all over the world were established. Everything that a believer or a Christian does is, in effect, pegged on the work and teachings of the apostles. Thus, at an individual level, the passage informs a person the origin of his/her faith and church. As a third significance, the passage confirms that each person has been given a privilege of entering the Kingdom of God. Jesus gave his disciples the authority to spread the gospel to the world. Through the proclamation experience, the disciples would see how the Kingdom of Christ is being established in the world. Depending on response of their hearers, the disciples and their audiences would make individual decisions about entering God’s kingdom. At a personal level, we are all called to be disciples of Jesus. Each person, therefore, has a task to proclaim the message of God’s kingdom to all people. Though some will not accept the teachings and truths contained in the gospel, an individual should first establish a personal relationship with Jesus, the savior. By knowing Jesus and accepting to be a true disciple of Jesus, an individual receives salvation that comes through God’s grace. Conclusion Conversation between Jesus and his disciples recorded in Mathew 16:13-20 occurred at a time when the Pharisees and Sadducees had filled people’s mind with false teachings about God’s laws. The two groups of teachers also gave false teachings about the true messiah who was to come and save mankind. False teachings made some people, including the teachers, not to believe in the true identity of Jesus. However, through Peter, God openly revealed to disciples that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. Jesus further uses Peter to establish his church. The passage also confirms, through the warning of Jesus, that knowing Jesus is a personal decision. References Allison, D. (1999). Jesus of Nazareth: Millenarian Prophet. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress. Gundry, R. H. (2012). A Survey of the New Testament. 5th Edition. Zondervan Press. The Bible. New International Version. Read More