Reflection on God the Savior

Week 3 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 16: Saturday March 6

Theme for the Week: The Apostles’ Creed as a Statement of our Faith

Passage for the Day: Matthew 16:15-17

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.

Reflection: In this passage from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has asked the disciples who people think he is. After getting answers that range from John the Baptist, to Elijah, to Jeremiah (all raised from the dead), Jesus asks the disciples who they think he is.

Peter—active, always volunteering, “shoot from the hip” Peter—blurts out “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter amazingly has nailed Jesus’ identity. Or is it surprising! Jesus comments that Peter knows this because God has revealed it to him. Peter could not say or understand this on his own. God has chosen Peter as the one to speak this amazing good news.

Early on the magi knew that the baby born in Bethlehem was to be the Messiah. Jesus’ disciples, along with all the people who followed Jesus around heard Jesus’ preaching and teaching, and they saw all the things that Jesus did. The demons recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Finally God gives Peter the wisdom to understand exactly who Jesus is. But even Peter did not “get” what being the Messiah meant. Peter was thinking power and might, while Jesus knew that being the Messiah meant dying so others would live.

Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross so that your sins would be forgiven and so you could be reconciled to God. This is the essence of the second part of the Apostles’ Creed: God in Jesus saves me!!!

Prayer Themes: Pray that Jesus will continue to be a presence in my life through God’s Word and the gift of Holy Communion. Pray for others to know Jesus. Thank God for Jesus’ sacrifice. Pray that as Peter was given the insight to know Jesus, I might also come to know him.