TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Matthew 16:13-18
The Galilean ministry is nearing its end. It has been filled with astonishment and accomplishment. Jesus and the twelve have gone through every village, town, and city preaching, teaching, and healing (Matthew 4:23; 9:35). The final journey to Jerusalem is on the horizon, and the Lord has to know what the Apostles, to whom He has entrusted so much, really believe about Him. He asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Then, the question becomes much more personal, and it has to be: “But who do you say that I am?”
Everything going forward depends on their response. Speaking for the group, Peter exclaims, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” We know this simple yet profound statement, acknowledged prior to being baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins, as the good confession. But why is the confession good?
First, our confession of faith is good because it is the truth. The Apostles affirmed their belief in Jesus in Matthew 16. In the following chapter, Jesus ascends the Mount of Transfiguration where He is transformed in order to discuss with Moses and Elijah His pending crucifixion. Accompanying this incredible scene is the voice of God, heard by Peter, James, and John: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him” (17:5). There is no higher authority than God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and who identifies Jesus as His Son.
Second, the confession is good because it leads to salvation, eternal life with the Godhead and the redeemed of the ages in Heaven (Romans 10:10). Whatever is involved in salvation is good, while whatever contributes to one being lost is evil.
Third, the confession is good because it brings glory and honor to the One whose name God has exalted above every name (Philippians 2:9). We not only make the good confession with our lips but also with our life of faithfulness and service every day.
Today, I will…remember my confession of faith is more than an act of obedience in becoming a Christian; it is an act of faith to be lived daily as a Christian, with joy, gratitude, and praise!