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Daily Devotional- 4/17 Peter Says That Jesus Is the Messiah- Matthew 16:13-20

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Daily Devotional- 4/17 Peter Says That Jesus Is the Messiah- Matthew 16:13-20 Daily Devotional- 4/17 Peter Says that Jesus is the Messiah- Matthew 16:13-20 Do you or any of your family members have a nickname? Sometimes a nickname is just a silly way to refer to someone based on how their name sounds (growing up, my mom called me Robin-bobbin!). Other times, we get a nickname because of a sometime about us or something we enjoy. For example, my cousins were called “Stretch” and “Checkmate” at their summer camp because one had grown really tall and other one loved to play chess! In our story today, Jesus uses Peter’s name to share an important truth with his disciples. You see, Peter was known by a few names depending on who was talking to him and what language they spoke. He is sometimes called “Simon” or “Simon Peter” or just “Peter”. The word for Peter in that language sounds a lot like “Rock”- it would be like calling your friend “Rocky”! Jesus had been spending a lot of time with his disciples, and they had learned more about who he was by hearing his teachings and watching him perform miracles. Peter, James and John even got to see Jesus appear with two prophets from ancient times! But Jesus hadn’t told them that he was God’s promised Messiah. He was waiting for just the right time! In fact, he’s going to ask some questions and wait for God the Father to reveal the truth that he’s the Messiah at the perfect moment. Turn in your Bible to Matthew 16:13-20 to read about what happened, or read here: Matthew 16:13-20 (NIrV): 13 Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. There he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah. You are the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! No mere human showed this to you. My Father in heaven showed it to you. 18 Here is what I tell you. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell will not be strong enough to destroy it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven.” 20 Then Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Peter was used by God to declare that Jesus was the Messiah- it’s not because he was super smart and studied all the right books (remember, he was a fisherman!), it’s because God chose the right time to use Peter to tell this important truth to the world for the first time. And then Jesus uses Peter’s “Rocky” nickname to share with the other disciples how important this truth is. He says that the truth that he’s the Messiah is the solid foundation for the future church, and no evil will be powerful enough to destroy it. The truth that Jesus is God is solid as a rock! Many years later, when Peter writes a letter to the early Christians, he uses this idea of a solid rock and calls Jesus the “living Stone” and calls all those who follow Jesus “living stones” that come together as part of God’s church. I wonder if he was thinking about this conversation with Jesus when he was writing about those “living stone” verses? Discussion Questions: • Who were some of the people saying Jesus really was? Why do you think they might think that he was someone who had come back to earth? • After Peter says that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus says that this is the “rock” that he will build something on. What is going to be built on this “rock” of truth? • What did Jesus tell the disciples not to do at the end of this passage? I wonder… • What it was like for Jesus to hear that people thought he might be a prophet or great leader who came back to earth? • If it was exciting for Jesus to hear Peter say the truth about who he really was for the very first time? • I wonder if the disciples or Peter were confused about what Jesus was saying and about Jesus’ instructions to not tell anyone else yet. • What do you wonder? Prayer: Jesus, thank you for being our Messiah coming to save us! Help us to remember the truth of your great love and power every day. Help us to say this truth boldly, like Peter! Amen. Family Activity: Share as a family your favorite nickname, how you got it, and why it’s your favorite. Don’t have a nickname? Spend some time as a family brainstorming a new nickname for each person that shows what you love or value about them in your family. Elementary Activity: Make a sign with your favorite nickname for your bedroom door or above your bed. Or, you can bless a friend by making and decorating a sign for them! They’ll be reminded about how much you care about them each time they see it! Preschool Activity: On a walk or in your yard, look for some rocks or pebbles that you can use to make an outdoor sculpture. If rocks are hard to find, look for other strong materials that you can use. You might even make a sculpture that reminds you of this story or another favorite Bible story! .
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