Peter’s confession… a story long picked apart on account of questions of authority. A point of contention between Catholics and Protestants.
The former emphasizes Peter, the latter emphasize confession.
Peter—Rocky, his nickname
Peter—that sinking rock saved by Jesus’ intervention on the stormy sea.
Peter—like a bird’s dead weight tumbling off of a skyscraper,
passing window after window after window,
only to outstretched its wings,
the last second curve to horizontal flight.
Peter—master of the two steps forward one step back dance of discipleship
—his confession the culmination of his travels with Jesus, all of it, the meaning of Jesus, revealed to Peter by God.
Peter, this sinking rock who also soars on account of the Spirit’s revelation and the graciousness of his Lord and his God.
His confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
-A prophet, but more than a prophet, be it John, Jeremiah, Elijah or someone similar.
-The Anointed, the one marked and called to redeem the people, to save them. The King of the Kingdom of Heaven.
-The Revelation of God; when you see the Son, you see the Father also. This truth announced at the Jordon River when Jesus was baptized.
You are the Messiah, the Son of God.
Yes, confession and person, the two parts of Peter’s confession…
But, what centuries of commentators, Catholic and Protestant alike, did not focus on is something any real estate agent knows well: Location, Location, Location.
Let us pray
Location, Location, Location.
Peter makes his famed confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God,” in a location that emphasizes every word of that confession. Caesarea Philippi.
Caesarea Philippi. An underground spring, the source of the Jordon River
—the source of the water of Christ’s baptism…
the medium by which God proclaims, “This is my beloved Son, in him I am well pleased.”
Upon that rock, will the Church be founded and bubble up and out unto all the earth.
Caesarea Philippi—the cave and spring long dedicated to pagan practices.
There was founded a temple to Pan and later to a whole pagan pantheon, and eventually a place to participate in Emperor worship.
Upon that rock, is revealed the Son of God!
Caesarea Philippi—named for Caesar in Rome and the Tetrarch Philip—son of Herod.
Named for other Lords, small lords and mini-messiah—other Kings than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Upon this rock the Kingdom of Heaven is founded.
Caesarea Philippi—An economic and administrative hub of Rome,
a center of imperial power…
and the place to which the Roman legions who leveled Jerusalem returned to celebrate their victory over the Jews.
Upon this rock the Prince of Peace who rides a donkey, not a war horse, is confessed to be Christ.
Location, Location, Location.
Caesarea Philippi frames and pinpoints the point of Peter’s confession and the nature of the Church founded upon it.
It is not a bloodless proclamation, but a bold one;
not a compromised Church, but a challenging one.
Faced with false idols, little lords, and violence of all sorts—we are a people like Peter, following after the Lord and God revealed in Jesus.
And today, just as then, located in strange times and a particular place, let us continue to Proclaim the Gospel and Be the Church.
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