Sunday School Lesson for Feb. 14, 2010: Declared by Peter (Matthew 16:13-27)

OK! OK! I’ll go first



Wayne’s two cents worth:



Heaty,

Dudny,

Bay Bay (cousin)

Bootsie (another cousin)

Toosie (Aunt)

Mutt (Uncle)



Some of the nick names of people I grew up around. Peter was the nickname (if you will) that Jesus bestowed on Simon at the Call (John 1:42). I don’t want to take a lot of time, but I do want to paint the picture. He called him Cephas or Peter which is translated ‘stone’. Through Church history we have taken the name ‘Peter’ and imbued it with such importance that we forget, it was a nickname. Personally, I like nicknames. I have one. I won’t share it with you, because it’s extremely personal. You see, only my dad could call me by that name. It was a term of extreme endearment on my dad’s part. He called me by that name all of my life until his passing a few years ago. I’ve kind a tailed off here onto another tangent. This nickname thing is another lesson for another time ( see Revelations 2:17), but please permit me to finish my thought. When my dad called me that name, whether it was for good or bad (sometime it meant real trouble) it was always such an intimate term that it was as though we were ‘face to face’ (intimacy = into-me-see J ) Thus, as a child and as an adult I was very protective and jealous of that name. When my brothers and sisters or cousin’s used it, they were normally teasing me. It would be on. When aunts and uncles used it, it meant they were looking at me through my dad’s eyes. After all they heard it first from him. Forgive my digression here, but imagine how Simon must have felt every time Jesus called him ‘Peter’. It must have been, to Simon a very personal term of endearment. So, on with the lesson…



‘Who do you say that I am?’



‘Thou art the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God.’



Sometimes we get a little too greekified’ The KJV uses the term Christ, but Peter probably used the term Messiah. I like the term Messiah because contextually, it had such a rich, powerful meaning to the Jewish peoples. Messiah. In that term rested all of the hope of the Hebrew peoples through all generations up to that point in time. Think about it. It was bigger than governor. Bigger than King. Bigger than Prime Minister. Bigger than Pope. Bigger than President. It literally meant ‘one sent from God to save’. You can see even more of it’s depth in what Peter said immediately after that: ‘The Son of the LIVING God’. The right now God. The right here God. The All powerful God. The God who Was, Is and forever will Be. God!. Not just God’s answer to all my problems, but God’s answer to The Problem. Period. It’’s OK to shout. I am.



Then Jesus says to Simon (I going) to intentionally paraphrase here), ‘Wow! Simon, it took a lot for you to say that? In fact, you didn’t just figure it out on your own! You got that directly from my Father, in Heaven.’ ‘‘Simon. You know I call you Cephas, which means ‘pebble’, (I can see Jesus grinning broadly, with his arm around Simon’s shoulder) but I’m going to build a Church on the revelation of Me Being the Messiah sent from God in Heaven. And you know what? It will be built on a great immovable boulder that not even the gates of Hell will be able to prevail against.’ ‘ It’ll be Awesome!’ (can you imagine Jesus using the word ‘Awesome!’? J) The reason I focus on this part of the Lesson is because it is the most important revelation in all of history, human or otherwise. Jesus is absolutely All. He is the King.. of Kings. He is the Lord… of Lords. HE is absolutely All!. Isn’t that good news?? Halleluiah!





Jesus goes on to tell Simon.. ‘This little revelation IS the Key to the Kingdom’ ‘With this knowledge the possibilities are limitless’ (I’m still paraphrasing here) ‘In My Name… you’ll move mountains…you’ll cast out devils, you’ll heal the sick… you’ll..you’ll…’ ‘ In fact, what ever you apply this revelation to on Earth… any where on Earth.. It will be so in Heaven. Heaven… All of Heaven will back it up!!’. (I hope you all got that J)



Woo!



Now just for a moment, let me talk about another part of the lesson:



‘Get thee behind me Satan!’ ‘….you do not have on your mind the things of God, but the things of men.’



First, a mental picture. You know that picture you have in your head of the little angel in one ear and the little devil in the other? Look at Simon’s predicament. Hearing from Heaven one moment, used by Lucifer the next. Isn’t that how it goes with us sometimes if we are not careful? Full of ourselves (who am I to talk?). So much so that we think we have all of the word, all the revelation, all of the knowledge from on high? Like we are the only ones with ‘special knowledge’ from God!?!? (Amen or Ouch… OUCH! J). Sorry, I’m having too much fun… Jesus’ simple remedy for the big head… take up your cross. Take up your cross beloved and follow him.



Peace



wb