Sharper Iron — All Righteousness Fulfilled: The Confession that Summarizes the Scriptures

Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, NM, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 16:13-28.

The question, “Who is Jesus?” is brought to the forefront by the Lord Himself. The answers from others recognize the Son of Man as a prophet, but they lack the trust that Jesus is true God. When Jesus turns the question on the disciples, Simon Peter speaks up for the whole group: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He confesses the truth both of Jesus’ office and person; He is true God of the same substance of the Father. Jesus praises Peter’s confession as God-given and changes Peter’s name due to the beauty of his confession. Jesus does not set up Peter as a bishop over others, but gives the keys of the kingdom to the entire Church, which is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus instructs His disciples that His office of Christ means that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, die, and rise. Peter seeks to protect the Lord from this, but his eyes are now gazing at the things of men and the leaven of the Pharisees. Jesus rebukes Peter in the harshest of terms and declares that all who would come after Him will carry a cross. This serves as a comfort to Christians, who know and trust that their sufferings for the sake of Jesus are not signs that God hates them. Instead, they have the confidence that in Christ, no matter what happens to them in this life, their eternal life is secure.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

Matthew 16:13-28

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

¹³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock^[a] I will build my church, and the gates of hell^[b] shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed^[c] in heaven.” ²⁰Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

²¹From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²²And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!^[d] This shall never happen to you.” ²³But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance^[e] to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²⁴Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever would save his life^[f] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? ²⁷For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. ²⁸Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Footnotes:

Matthew 16:18 The Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar
Matthew 16:18 Greek the gates of Hades
Matthew 16:19 Or shall have been bound… shall have been loosed
Matthew 16:22 Or “[May God be] merciful to you, Lord!”
Matthew 16:23 Greek stumbling block
Matthew 16:25 The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and twice in verse 26

English Standard Version (ESV)

Rev. Timothy Appel

Although a mathematics degree may not be incredibly helpful to (proudly born-and-raised Texan) Rev. Timothy Appel while hosting Sharper Iron, his love of CFW Walther and the season of Easter will come in handy. His Call is shepherding the flock at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and he’s also husband to wife Kristin and dad to their growing basketball team of children. When he’s not carrying out pastoral duties, you may find him reading “The Lord of the Rings,” snacking on Reese’s peanut butter cups, playing dominoes with his boys, or studying up on Texas history (including Sam Houston, of course).