Proper 16
(23 August 2020)
Series A
Isaiah 51:1–6
Romans 11:33—12:8
Matthew 16:13–20
The Lord Jesus Christ Is the Son of the Living God
Jesus asked His disciples: “But who do you say that I
am?” (Matt. 16:15). The question is also put to us: Who do you say that He is?
Flesh and blood do not reveal this to us, but by the ministry of the Gospel the
Father in heaven reveals His Son to us on earth, who has become flesh and
suffered death for our salvation. Thus we believe and confess that He is “the
Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16). As He died for our
transgressions and was raised for our justification, He looses us from all our
sins and preserves our life within His Church, against which even “the gates of
hell shall not prevail” (Matt. 16:18–19). His salvation is forever, and His
righteousness “will never be dismayed” (Is. 51:6). He comforts us with the
Gospel in His Church, so that “joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song” (Is. 51:3). Therefore, “according to the
measure of faith that God has assigned” (Rom. 12:3), we also offer ourselves “as
a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Rom. 12:1) through Jesus
Christ, our Lord.
The Foundational Creed
Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16)
A creed is a confession of what a person believes, and it may be derived from any number of sources. Creeds are drawn from public opinion, dreams, science, life experiences, etc. Everyone has creeds. When people say, “I don’t believe in creeds,” they have just stated a creed. A creed may also include statements of what a person does NOT believe.
In Sunday’s Gospel Jesus asked His apostles for creeds: Who do people say that the Son of Man is (v 13)? Some believed Jesus was John the Baptist (resurrected), others believed He was the long awaited Elijah, the prophet promised to precede the Christ, and still others thought Jesus was the “representative prophet” Jeremiah or another prophet. Every one of these was an incorrect creed; they were wrong beliefs, beliefs that would lead to a dead end. Finally Simon Peter spoke the rock-solid creed: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. All valid religious creeds come from God and are linked to Peter’s confession.
The author of the epistle to the Hebrews summarizes the source of Christian creeds: God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… (1:1,2). In summary, the Spirit-inspired Scripture is the source from which we draw our creeds. Through the Old Testament prophets and through His Son’s New Testament revelation the Father sent His Spirit so Peter could make his foundational confession: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Christ Jesus would indeed build His Church upon Peter’s creed. Thus it should come as no surprise that the New Testament repeatedly echoes this creed. Just a couple of examples: At His baptism Jesus is anointed as the Christ, with the Father declaring Him to be the beloved Son. When Jesus asked Martha whether she believed Him to be the resurrection and the life, she responded, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God (Jn 11:27). Saint John summarizes the reason for writing his gospel: [T]hese are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (20:31). When Jesus was on trial in front of the Jewish leaders, they wanted answers to two questions: If you are the Christ, tell us (Lu 22:67); Are you the Son of God? (Lu 22:70). Jesus was sentenced to die not only because of His supposed false identity as the Christ, the Son of God, but because this was the purpose of the Christ, God’s Son made flesh. After Paul’s calling to be an Apostle, immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:20). Then, as if scripted, Luke records that Saul (Paul) confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ (v 22).
One of the first Christian creeds was summarized in the Greek by an acronym for “fish”. In English it states, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. All other creeds of the Christian church—from the Apostles and Nicene creeds to the Concordia—are but expansions on what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. Of course these creeds draw their belief statements from Holy Scripture.
The foundational creed is that Jesus is the Christ, for to be the Christ also meant that He must be the Son of God. It should thus come as no surprise that Mark’s account of Peter’s confession condenses the foundational creed about Jesus simply to, You are the Christ (8:29). And as the Christ what did the incarnate Son of God have to do? Jesus explains: Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory (Lu 24:26)? Every valid religious creed has this as its key: The Christ, God’s Son, came to save mankind by dying and rising from the dead. All Christian creeds, as that foundationally confessed by Simon Peter, do not lead to a dead end, they lead to life eternal.
The Foundational Creed
Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16)
A creed is a confession of what a person believes, and it may be derived from any number of sources. Creeds are drawn from public opinion, dreams, science, life experiences, etc. Everyone has creeds. When people say, “I don’t believe in creeds,” they have just stated a creed. A creed may also include statements of what a person does NOT believe.
In Sunday’s Gospel Jesus asked His apostles for creeds: Who do people say that the Son of Man is (v 13)? Some believed Jesus was John the Baptist (resurrected), others believed He was the long awaited Elijah, the prophet promised to precede the Christ, and still others thought Jesus was the “representative prophet” Jeremiah or another prophet. Every one of these was an incorrect creed; they were wrong beliefs, beliefs that would lead to a dead end. Finally Simon Peter spoke the rock-solid creed: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. All valid religious creeds come from God and are linked to Peter’s confession.
The author of the epistle to the Hebrews summarizes the source of Christian creeds: God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… (1:1,2). In summary, the Spirit-inspired Scripture is the source from which we draw our creeds. Through the Old Testament prophets and through His Son’s New Testament revelation the Father sent His Spirit so Peter could make his foundational confession: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Christ Jesus would indeed build His Church upon Peter’s creed. Thus it should come as no surprise that the New Testament repeatedly echoes this creed. Just a couple of examples: At His baptism Jesus is anointed as the Christ, with the Father declaring Him to be the beloved Son. When Jesus asked Martha whether she believed Him to be the resurrection and the life, she responded, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God (Jn 11:27). Saint John summarizes the reason for writing his gospel: [T]hese are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (20:31). When Jesus was on trial in front of the Jewish leaders, they wanted answers to two questions: If you are the Christ, tell us (Lu 22:67); Are you the Son of God? (Lu 22:70). Jesus was sentenced to die not only because of His supposed false identity as the Christ, the Son of God, but because this was the purpose of the Christ, God’s Son made flesh. After Paul’s calling to be an Apostle, immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:20). Then, as if scripted, Luke records that Saul (Paul) confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ (v 22).
One of the first Christian creeds was summarized in the Greek by an acronym for “fish”. In English it states, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. All other creeds of the Christian church—from the Apostles and Nicene creeds to the Concordia—are but expansions on what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. Of course these creeds draw their belief statements from Holy Scripture.
The foundational creed is that Jesus is the Christ, for to be the Christ also meant that He must be the Son of God. It should thus come as no surprise that Mark’s account of Peter’s confession condenses the foundational creed about Jesus simply to, You are the Christ (8:29). And as the Christ what did the incarnate Son of God have to do? Jesus explains: Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory (Lu 24:26)? Every valid religious creed has this as its key: The Christ, God’s Son, came to save mankind by dying and rising from the dead. All Christian creeds, as that foundationally confessed by Simon Peter, do not lead to a dead end, they lead to life eternal.
Proper 16 Series A
Romans 11:33-12:8
Rock Sunday
Old Testament - Abraham the Rock from Which Israelis
Hewn Gospel - Matthew 16:13-20 The confession of St. Peter Hymn of the Day -
"Built on the Rock"
Strong parallel with the Old Testament Abraham and Sarah
:33 A Doxology of
praise - Paul worshipping as he reflects on the worship of God lived out in the
life of the Christian in chapter 12 this is a worship of God's mercy which is
bottomless
ta krimata. - "judgments"
"Unsearchable" -
"incomprehensible" Not to be
tracked out...beyond description...
34: who first gave to God? Who paid God? God owes no man...
36 - the end of all things Col.1:20 all things created
for Him what happened before, now, and
what is to come.
Romans 12:1ff
Sanctification flows out of Justification Imperatives
flow first from the Gospel I comfort you, encourage, urge you, this is your appropriate worship...in light
of the Gospel (the mercies of the Gospel) is the therefore which recalls everything
God has done for you.
A sacrifice is something that has been killed. We're not
called to bleed, not atoning for sin...but something really is being put to
death (daily) daily/hourly offering ourselves to God...a death to sin not for
sin. See Romans 6
This is your daily worship Romans 9 a continuation of the
Old Testament worship. Christian life is the liturgy we do after the liturgy.
"Appropriate worship" brought back to be...what
is appropriate/logical to do.
Our life is a response to God's service...
Paul says "present your bodies" not gnostic...your body is you...the whole person...present all of you to God in
your vocation and station of life...what you do with your body is a reflection
of the soul.
:2 do not adapted
to the pattern of this present world By renewing of your mind...see Romans 7
the mind affirms will of God, the central control of the new man. To probe the
will of God what is God's will into the life God has called me. How do we probe
the will of God through the Word...in our
vocation we have free will...in the things below us.
:3 do not consider your calling as superior to
others...we are sacramental Ly and forensically one.
4-8
What you are doing - how does it relate to faith?
Prophecy - narrow or broad? First classifications (four) clergy, last
(three) - laity
One who gives, w/o an agenda
Administrative powers
Acts of mercy
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