Matt 16; Mark 8; Luke 9:18-27
Notes: you may not need them, just thought I would take each section and make a little note of interest today. If you are not interested go straight to the bottom for a VOTE.
The read today will open up with the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming to Jesus. Wee need to realize how strong a message that sends. That is like saying The Republicans AND the Democrats came together to talk to someone. That is how strong a figure Jesus was when he preached, the political and religious stir He was creating was incredible!
Also, I never really picked up the reference to Jonah so much in Jesus’ Ministry. Anyway, the book of Jonah may be only 4 chapters but people it is CHOCK FULL O’ GOD’s Message! Every year I read it God allows me to see more and more. Obedience, repentance, Salvation…today is Resurrection. The Sign of Jonah (3 days in the Belly) refers here with Jesus words, the death and resurrection (3 days)!
The Yeast! I was sooooo humbled by this today. I will write it in comments in case your not that interested.
(I don’t blame you…lol)
Peter HUGE READ TODAY (they all are though) . First let’s go back to John 6, the last paragraph. Many Jews, including the disciples categorized Jesus as the great Prophet, such as Elijah or Jeremiah. Peter called Jesus A Holy One of God back in John 6, but here, months later, Peter refers to Jesus as The Christ! The Son of the Living God. WOW. Now that is music to Jesus’ ears! Peter (Simon) has just professed the key to Heaven! So for 2.5 years even the disciples questioned who Jesus was. They knew he was a Holy one from God, and the scriptures said that a great Prophet (Elijah) would come a proclaim that the Messiah was to come. Was Jesus the Prophet or the Messiah? Peter finally professes here that He is the Messiah. Jesus is the Christ! So maybe tomorrow a little transfiguration will bring 2 or 3 witnesses to believe (by the way that is a Levitical law)
On this Rock I will build my Church. There is more than 1 layer to this. First, let’s get our geography lesson. Caesarea Philippi. Well this week we looked at the Herod Family Tree print out as well as Maps of the tetrarch area right? (sure you did) So Jesus obviously headed north and just by the Name including the word Caesar you can imagine the type of living that went on there (ummm picture Vegas, Caesar Palace), anyway it is also situated on a huge ROCK cliff and we all know that when Jesus preached He was a very very visual teacher (most of us are visual learners right?) so picture Jesus standing there, not only on a Rock but on the Profession of faith from the Rock (Peter “Simon” name was changed to Cephas meaning the Rock), as well as a foundation illustration (did you get all that) Here is a picture of the location
Notice the grotto, a place of sacrifice to the god Pan, also believed to be hades or the place of the dead. They would sacrifice their children to appease Pan. This is where Matt 16 took place, vs. 18: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
Then finaly The Prediciton! WOW. But here is the deal…I think we as Christians are afraid to humble oursleves and ask others “what does that mean? Or I am not sure I get that”. Listen to me, if you think so much of yourself that you think you can peel off ALL of God’s Word in one, two, or 10 reads…think again.
So do you stuggle with any of theses:
The read today will open up with the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming to Jesus. Wee need to realize how strong a message that sends. That is like saying The Republicans AND the Democrats came together to talk to someone. That is how strong a figure Jesus was when he preached, the political and religious stir He was creating was incredible!
Also, I never really picked up the reference to Jonah so much in Jesus’ Ministry. Anyway, the book of Jonah may be only 4 chapters but people it is CHOCK FULL O’ GOD’s Message! Every year I read it God allows me to see more and more. Obedience, repentance, Salvation…today is Resurrection. The Sign of Jonah (3 days in the Belly) refers here with Jesus words, the death and resurrection (3 days)!
The Yeast! I was sooooo humbled by this today. I will write it in comments in case your not that interested.
(I don’t blame you…lol)Peter HUGE READ TODAY (they all are though) . First let’s go back to John 6, the last paragraph. Many Jews, including the disciples categorized Jesus as the great Prophet, such as Elijah or Jeremiah. Peter called Jesus A Holy One of God back in John 6, but here, months later, Peter refers to Jesus as The Christ! The Son of the Living God. WOW. Now that is music to Jesus’ ears! Peter (Simon) has just professed the key to Heaven! So for 2.5 years even the disciples questioned who Jesus was. They knew he was a Holy one from God, and the scriptures said that a great Prophet (Elijah) would come a proclaim that the Messiah was to come. Was Jesus the Prophet or the Messiah? Peter finally professes here that He is the Messiah. Jesus is the Christ! So maybe tomorrow a little transfiguration will bring 2 or 3 witnesses to believe (by the way that is a Levitical law)
On this Rock I will build my Church. There is more than 1 layer to this. First, let’s get our geography lesson. Caesarea Philippi. Well this week we looked at the Herod Family Tree print out as well as Maps of the tetrarch area right? (sure you did) So Jesus obviously headed north and just by the Name including the word Caesar you can imagine the type of living that went on there (ummm picture Vegas, Caesar Palace), anyway it is also situated on a huge ROCK cliff and we all know that when Jesus preached He was a very very visual teacher (most of us are visual learners right?) so picture Jesus standing there, not only on a Rock but on the Profession of faith from the Rock (Peter “Simon” name was changed to Cephas meaning the Rock), as well as a foundation illustration (did you get all that) Here is a picture of the location
Notice the grotto, a place of sacrifice to the god Pan, also believed to be hades or the place of the dead. They would sacrifice their children to appease Pan. This is where Matt 16 took place, vs. 18: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
Then finaly The Prediciton! WOW. But here is the deal…I think we as Christians are afraid to humble oursleves and ask others “what does that mean? Or I am not sure I get that”. Listen to me, if you think so much of yourself that you think you can peel off ALL of God’s Word in one, two, or 10 reads…think again.
So do you stuggle with any of theses:
Two Saturdays ago I met a girl at a friends house. We got into talking and if you know me I cannot contain myself somehow Jesus is going to come out of my mouth. She was new to the area so I invited her to church. Her wise mouth daughter said “I aint going to any other church than ours!!” and the mom said .. “Honey, relax! Once you get your Sacraments you are good to go. You can do anyting after that”.
A little yeast planted in the year 300 AD that grew. Just saying.
Ok, WOW, to your story above.
I think I kind of understand about Jesus saying behind me Satan but will you explain?
In the Greek there is a play upon words in this statement: “Thou art Peter [petros, a stone], and upon this rock [petra, a massive rock] I will build my church.” It is upon Christ Himself that the Church is built.
Also in 1 Peter 2:6, Peter refers to Jesus as the ‘chief cornerstone.’ He goes on to say, that he is elect and precious and that if we believe on Him we shall not be confounded (confused).
Here are other verses that refer to Christ as the Stone: Genesis 49: 24; Exodus 17:6
I am wondering why sometimes Jesus chose to heal people with touch (was it yesterday’s reading that he put his fingers in the ears, and then on his eyes, and today he put spit on the man’s eyes?) and other times he healed with merely a word? Also, why did he heal the man today in 2 stages instead of all at once?
Also, what do you think about Matt 16:19. “And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be opened in heaven.” I had to think about this one for awhile and this is what I came up with. The keys are the Good News. We have the opportunity to tell others the Good News and they then either hear and believe therefore heaven is opened up to them, or they do not believe and (if they continue on not believing) seal their eternal fate of not entering heaven (it remains locked). Is that right?
But they come to my phone and it the best part of my day….