What is in a name?

Matthew 16:13-20 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 16:14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 16:15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 16:17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 16:20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

In today's Gospel reading we hear some names, John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah. People who encountered Jesus thought that he might be one of them. John the Baptist, Jesus' predecessor was beheaded. Perhaps people that that Jesus was John brought back to life or perhaps John wasn't beheaded at all. Elijah was a great prophet who was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. People thought that it was possible that Elijah had come back to earth from heaven. Other's said Jeremiah. Jeremiah didn't like the temple sacrifices and the rules that the priest enforced. Perhaps Jesus was Jeremiah back from the dead.

Peter says that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. No one had said that before. As we read the Gospels we know that it is understood who Jesus is. The Gospels have nice little titles such as, The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew. In the Gospel narratives Jesus' divinity is slowly revealed to us. Matthew shows the disciples making a confession of faith, "Truly this is the Son of God." In today's Gospel reading, Peter makes a confession of faith, without being told this ahead of time.

When I was a pastor of a three point ministry in North Dakota, two country churches and one city church, I taught a Bible Study on the book of Exodus. The church was Sigdal Lutheran Church in Pekin North Dakota. I pointed out to the class that there are two stories fused together in the crossing of the Red Sea. The first one is the one we know from the movies. It is the deep water story with the walls of water on each side. The other story is a the marsh story. They cross over the sea of reeds or a marsh. After the class was over, one member, Harlan, approached me in the parking lot. Parking lot questions are the serious questions. He asked me, "what is the purpose of Christianity?"

He asked this because he had heard something new and his faith was being challenged with this new knowledge. He asked me this question in the same spirit that Jesus asked the disciples,"who do you say that I am?" I knew I had to get the question right with four years of seminary and being ordained, I had no other choice. I said to Harlan, "Christianity is communion with Christ." He nodded and said, "good."

When Peter answered as he did, he was stating that Jesus has authority as the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. It was until more recent history that God's authority has been questioned. Luther challenged the authority of Rome, but knew that God was the true highest authority. All disciplines of study and profession could not be done without knowing that God is charge of the universe. God came first in, medicine, politics, law, economics, etc.

Jesus, the Son of the Living God leads us in all facets of life and living. He is a living sacrifice.