Jesus asks His disciples a question:

“Who do you say I am?”

Setting:  Jesus is in the third year of His three year earthly ministry.  Caesarea Philippi is an area about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.  He had recently been tested by the Pharisees and Sadducees to show them a sign from heaven.  They were testing Him because Jesus had gathered much favor among the people for the miracles He had been performing.

Read  Matthew 16: 13-14

What question did Jesus ask His disciples to answer?    

What answers were given by various disciples?   

Why might they have given these answers?   

In this context, a prophet would be thought of as someone through whom God would speak or someone through whom God might do a miracle.

From a human perspective, was it reasonable to wonder if Jesus was a prophet?   

Read Matthew 16: 15

Jesus asked:
“Who do you say I am”?

Do you think the various disciples were hoping someone else would answer first?   

Peter’s tendency was to act or respond quickly.  This is what he said.

Read Matthew 16: 16

What two statements did Peter make about the identity of Jesus?   

The word Messiah means in Greek: “Christos”,   in English: “the Christ” or the “anointed one”. The Jews of that day were waiting for a Messiah or Anointed One to save them.  Their belief was “the Christ” would save them from the tyrannical rule of the Roman government.

When Peter made the point, you are “the Son of the living God”,  he was implying Jesus had a divine or godly nature. 

Read Matthew 16: 17

Who does Jesus say revealed Jesus’ identity to Peter?   

If we are to come to a knowledge of the identity of Jesus, what does this statement by Jesus reveal to us?   

Read Matthew 16: 18 – 20

Peter had come to the realization of the divine nature of Jesus.  And either the other disciples had not yet come to this realization, or else they were not quite ready to admit this.

Because of Peter’s faith, Jesus told Peter (and the other disciples) that He would use Peter’s faith to build His church.  Even Hades would not get in Peter’s way, because of the faith Peter had in Jesus as Messiah and as the Son of God.

Do you believe Jesus is the Messiah, “the Christ”,  the One who came to save us?   

Realize you can pray to God and ask Him to reveal this to you.  Ask God to reveal to you if Jesus is the Messiah who came to save you us from your sins and the penalty of your sins. 

Do you realize Jesus can use you in some way to help build His church?   

Once you know Him as your Savior and acknowledge Him as Lord in your life, He will use you to play a part in building His church.

 

 If you need access to the bible
verses used here go to:
Matthew 16: 13-20 @ Bible Gateway.com

 

Types of Questions:

     Observation

        Interpretation

  Application

 

If you have the Quest Study Bible:

On page 1437, in the right column read: “On what rock did Jesus build His church”?

On page 1437, in the right column read: “What are the gates of Hades”?

On page 1437, in the right column read: “What authority did Jesus give to Peter”?

In this study, we will read about how Jesus reached out to others to follow Him.

Matthew, Chapter 4

Setting:  After Jesus returned from His wilderness experience, He heard John the Baptist had been put in jail. He left His hometown of Nazareth, and traveled about 15 miles to a seaport city on the Sea of Galilee.

Read Matthew  4: 17

Why is He telling them to do this?

The word repent means to turn away from things which are contrary to God’s ways, and to turn towards ways that are pleasing to God.

Read Matthew 4: 18-20

What is the name of the two fishermen that Jesus called to follow Him.

What does Jesus promise to them?

What does this mean?  

Read Matthew 4: 21-22

The next two Jesus called to follow Him were also fishermen.

What were their names?

Now if we switch over to the Gospel of John, we can develop a better understanding of why these fishermen would leave their nets, and their families, and then be willing to follow Jesus.

Read John 1: 29-34

John the Baptist’s role was to precede and prepare the way for Jesus.

What are some things John the Baptist testifies about Jesus?

• vs 29 –  
• vs 30 –
• John the Baptist was born before Jesus.  So what does John mean when he says Jesus “was before me”?   
• vs 32 – Who do you think sent John to baptize with water?  
• vs 33 –  What will Jesus do regards Baptism? We will learn more about this when John meets with a Pharisee, named Nicodemus.
• vs 34 –  What did John the Baptist testify?

When John the Baptist testifies that Jesus is the “Chosen One”, he is testifying that Jesus is the “One, anointed by God” (this is what “Christ” means).  John was testifying that Jesus was and is the long awaited Messiah.

Read John 1: 35-42

Here we see the same account which we previously read in the gospel account written by Matthew.  However, the apostle John includes more details that help us to understand that Peter, Andrew, John, and James did not make a rash or impulsive decision to follow Jesus.

What reason does Andrew give to Peter in verse 41?  

Read John 1: 43-46

In these verses, we see Jesus calling two more men to come follow Him.

What are the names of these 2 men?  

Nathaniel wasn’t impressed that Jesus was from Nazareth.  He made that point to Philip.  Jesus, as God, understood that Nathaniel needed something extra to believe that He, Jesus, was in fact the Christ / the Messiah.

Read John 1: 47-51

What caused Nathaniel to believe there was something special about Jesus? &

What prophecy does Jesus make in verse 51?

Jesus has called 6 of the apostles.  Its interesting to note that at this time they believed He was the Messiah / the Christ / the Chosen One of God, but they did not understand He was and is God.  If the Jews had noticed, the Old Testament scriptures revealed that God would “literally” be with them.  Their most famous prophet, Isaiah, prophesied:

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”   (Isaiah 7:14 NIV)

The word Immanuel translates literally as “God with us”.

Before ending this study, please review Jesus’ promises in verses 50 and 51.

Realize Jesus gives us good reasons to believe He is the Son of Man and also the Son of God.  Ultimately we believe by faith.  But because God meets us where we are, this faith is often supported by other actions God brings our way.

What do you believe about Jesus?   How is God with us?  

*********************************************************

Types of Questions:      Observation         Interpretation         Application

If you have the Quest Study Bible:

On or about page 1554, in the left column read the sidebar notes titled:

Did Simon and Andrew act impulsively?

Why was Nathaniel suspicious of Nazareth?

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
(John 1:1)

Have you ever heard of Jesus being referred to as the Word of God?   

Have you ever heard of Jesus being referred to as the Word of God “made flesh“?  

Sometimes we will hear Jesus referred to as the Incarnate Word of God.  This means God took His very word and made it into flesh.  Doesn’t this mean God made His word into a human being?  

Can you imagine that God is powerful enough to do this?  In what other ways does God show He would be powerful enough to accomplish something of this magnitude?   

The above verse says “And the Word was with God, and the Word was God“.

What point is the Apostle John making about Jesus?   

Returning to  John 1: 2-3

(2) The same was in the beginning with God.
(3)  All things were made through him.
Without him was not anything made
that has been made.

“The same” is referring to “the Word” from the previous verse.  So John is saying “the Word” was with God in the beginning.  Do you agree?  

What conclusions do you come to when you read verse 3?  

In this same chapter, John writes in verse 14:

The Word became flesh, and lived among us.  We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

What point does John make about “the Word” in this verse?  

What is the relationship between “the Word” and  “the Father”?  

A little background about this Gospel account will help to put the gospel John wrote into perspective.   Most scholars believe the other Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) had been completed by 70 A.D..  It is believed by most that John’s account was completed about 90 A.D..  John was led by the Holy Spirit to write a more spiritual account of the life of Jesus.  Near the end of this gospel, John states his purpose in writing this gospel:

Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book;  (31)  but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.   (John 20:30-31)

Who does John identify as “the Son of God”?  

As you study this lesson, list at least three three things which you think are “profoundly” important that will help you better understand about the person of Jesus Christ.  

 

 

Bible verses used here are from the World English Bible (WEB) unless indicated differently.  The World English Bible is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation.  That means you may make PDF copies of this lesson.  This version is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901.

Types of Questions:
   Observation          Interpretation
Application

If you have the Quest Study Bible:

On page 1552, in the introduction, read: “Why read this book?”

On page 1553, in the right column read: “Why did John use the Word  as the name of a person?”