Explore the Bible Series for October 28: Centered on Christ

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Posted:10/18/07

Explore the Bible Series for October 28

Centered on Christ

• Matthew 16:13-28

By Travis Frampton

Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene

In Matthew 16:13-28, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Their responses ranged from John the Baptist, to Elijah, to Jeremiah, to one of the prophets. But Jesus probed deeper: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter boldly answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” As we’ll see, Peter had the right answer, but the wrong understanding.


Jesus as a political messiah?

Ever since the Babylonian exile of 587 B.C., Israel anticipated the return of a Davidic king to the throne in Jerusalem. No longer politically autonomous, Israel lived under subjection to foreign rule. Only briefly during the Hasmonean Period of her history—when Demetrius II, king of Syria, granted her independence in 142 B.C.—did Israel achieve political and religious autonomy from Gentile rule for about 80 years. In 63 B.C., however, the ascension of Roman power in the Graeco-Roman world ended the brief establishment of nationhood for the Jewish people. In fact, during the life of Jesus, the Romans still occupied the land of Canaan.

First-century Jews were awaiting the coming of the messiah (which means “anointed one” in Hebrew). According to the prophets of old, the “anointed one” would be a Judean from the line of David. The messiah would establish Israel once again as a mighty nation, as it had been during the days of David and Solomon, when the walls of Jerusalem were God’s mighty bulwark, and the capital city was his holy mount.

These two kings represented the height of national supremacy in Israel’s history. David was a mighty king. Solomon ruled his country with wisdom and, among his many construction projects, had built the first temple in Jerusalem. Those were golden years, with Israel at her strongest militarily, economically and politically. Was Jesus to recreate this picture for Israel? Was he the one to raise the sword against mighty Caesar?

Peter’s answer to Jesus’ question, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” was correct, but he completely misunderstood how Jesus would fulfill the messianic role. Jesus came not to re-establish the glory days of years past. He came not to lead a military uprising against the Romans in order to usurp Caesar’s dominion in Judea. Instead, Jesus preached he came to commence the reign of the kingdom of God: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17).


Jesus as Messiah for the kingdom of God

What was the difference between the kingdom of God and a restored and rejuvenated politically autonomous Israel? To answer this question in detail would take a separate monograph. To briefly provide a preliminary answer to the question, however, let us look at how David and Solomon failed as kings.

Although both kings initially epitomized hope to restore Israel to obedience under the Law, these two kings ultimately failed miserably at bringing justice in their lands and worshipping the Lord. For starters, David committed adultery with Bathsheba, murdered her husband, Uriah, and did not maintain justice in the land when his sons attempted to wrest power from him. Solomon, for all his wisdom, violated every one of the Mosaic laws given to Israel’s kings.

In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, Moses instructed the Israelites regarding what sort of king should rule over them once they entered the land: the king must be a full Israelite; he must be chosen by God; he must not amass silver and gold in great quantities; he must not acquire horses for his chariots, nor go to Egypt to obtain them; the king must not have many wives.

King Solomon violated each of these proscriptions:

• Solomon’s mother was Bathsheba (she’s never mentioned as an Israelite, and her first husband was Uriah the Hittite).

• Nathan and Bathsheba tricked David in order to secure a place for Solomon on the throne, and God never chose him like he did Saul and David (1 Kings 1).

• More than any other king of Israel, Solomon amassed silver and gold in great quantities (1 Kings 10:16, 17, 18, 21, 25).

• He acquired hundreds of horses for chariots and went to Egypt to obtain them (1 Kings 10:26, 27, 28, 29).

• He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:1-4). The writer of 1 Kings also recorded that “as Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (v. 4).

After Moses told the Israelites about the Lord’s regulations placed on the king, he explained what the kings of Israel should do. They should copy the law and teach it to the people. “It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left” (Deuteronomy 17:19-20).

Peter had not dropped his fishing nets to follow a teacher-king. He, along with several others who followed Jesus, expected the messiah to be one who would take up the sword, lead armies and restore Israel to her previous position of glory.

Yet Jesus did not meet these expectations. He taught that he had to undergo great suffering, to be put to death, and to be raised again on the third day. Peter exclaimed: “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” But Jesus rebuked him: “Out of my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:22-23).

How could Jesus, who had just given the keys to the kingdom of heaven to Peter, call the foundational rock upon which the church was built Satan? Peter’s word would compromise Jesus’ mission, requiring the messiah to equate military strength with godly power. The kingdom of heaven, however, was not about political might, but about sacrifice, servanthood and love. In God’s dominion, love, not weapons of war, conquers. Jesus came not as a king like David or Solomon, but came as the Son of God, a servant and a teacher. In this way, Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Law in ways David and Solomon did not.


Discussion questions

• Who do you say Jesus is?

• In what ways do we expect Jesus to be a political messiah still?

• What does it mean to be a citizen of the kingdom of God? Of America? Are the two the same? Different? Explain.

• Why does Jesus rebuke Peter?

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