Jesus Is The One
Jesus Is the One: Why the Identity of Christ Is the Foundation of Everything
What is the church actually for? And what does it mean to be part of one? These are questions worth asking, especially if you've ever wondered whether faith is something personal and private or something you're meant to live out loud. The answer starts with one question Jesus asked His disciples over 2,000 years ago, and it still demands an answer from every person alive today.
Key Verses
Matthew 16:13-19
1 Timothy 2:3-6
Romans 1:16
Titus 2:11
Colossians 1:15
John 12:32
Who Do You Say Jesus Is?
In Matthew 16, Jesus takes His disciples to a place called Caesarea Philippi. This wasn't just any location. It was a hub of idol worship, where people could literally pick and choose which God they wanted to follow. Carved into the cliffs were niches filled with idols. There were temples to Zeus, to the God Pan, and even to Caesar, who the Romans believed was divine.
It was in this setting, surrounded by false gods and competing claims to truth, that Jesus asked the most important question any human being will ever face.
"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?'" - Matthew 16:13
The disciples gave the popular answers of the day. Some said John the Baptist. Others said Elijah or Jeremiah. These were respectful answers. But Jesus pressed further.
"He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'" - Matthew 16:15
Why "Almost Right" Answers About Jesus Are Dangerous
The most dangerous answers about Jesus are the ones that are almost right.
If Jesus is just a great teacher, you can admire Him without obeying Him. If He's just a moral example, you can respect His life without surrendering to Him. If He's just one spiritual option among many, He becomes a part of your life rather than the center of it.
Peter got it right. He said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus responded by telling Peter that this wasn't something He figured out on His own. It was revealed to him by God the Father.
Peter wasn't saying Jesus was one among many. He was saying Jesus is one above all.
What Does It Mean That Jesus Is the Son of the Living God?
Paul puts it plainly in Colossians 1:15: "Jesus is the image of the invisible God." If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. He is the window into God's nature, character, and being.
Jesus is not an ordinary man with good ideas. He is fully God and fully man. He holds all things together. He was present at creation. He came not to overthrow a political empire, but to go to war with something far more deadly: death itself.
And He won.
Jesus Is Building His Church
After Peter's confession, Jesus makes a stunning declaration.
"Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." - Matthew 16:18
The rock Jesus refers to is not Peter Himself. We know this because just a few verses later, when Peter tries to talk Jesus out of going to the cross, Jesus calls Him Satan. What changed? Only his confession. When Peter confessed Jesus rightly, Jesus said He could build on that. When Peter contradicted the mission of Jesus, He became a stumbling block.
The foundation of the church is the true confession of who Jesus is. That is the load-bearing wall. Everything else can change. Music, methods, strategies, buildings. But the identity and lordship of Jesus Christ is non-negotiable.
What Happens When Jesus Stays Central?
Jesus said, "When I am lifted up, I will draw all men and women to myself." - John 12:32
When Christ is the confession, Jesus becomes the builder. He promised it. "I will build my church." That's not a suggestion. That's a guarantee. And for 2,000 years, through empires rising and falling, through plagues and wars and cultural revolutions, Jesus has kept that promise. He has continued to build His church in catacombs, in open fields, in living rooms, in cathedrals, and in modern auditoriums.
Wherever people gather around the person of Jesus, committed to His Word, sharing communion, baptizing new believers, and teaching the next generation, Jesus builds.
The Church Is Not a Cruise Ship
There's a big difference between a cruise ship and an aircraft carrier. A cruise ship exists to serve the passengers. An aircraft carrier exists for a mission, and everyone on board knows their role.
The church was never meant to be a place where people come to consume. It was designed to be a rescue mission. God saves us, and then He sends us.
"God wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is one God and one mediator who can reconcile God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus." - 1 Timothy 2:4-5
"I am not ashamed of this good news about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes." - Romans 1:16
The pattern of the New Testament is clear. You are saved, and then you are sent. Not necessarily to a foreign mission field, though some are called to that. Most often, you are sent to your family, your workplace, your neighborhood, the sideline of a soccer game, wherever God has given you influence.
You Have Been Given the Keys
Back at Caesarea Philippi, right behind the temple of Pan, there was a cave. The Greeks and Romans called it the Gates of Hell. It was believed to be the doorway to the underworld. People would bring their sacrifices there, desperately hoping the gods would hear them and save them.
Jesus stood at that very spot and said this:
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." - Matthew 16:19
All those people searching for salvation in all the wrong places. And Jesus looked at His disciples and said, I'm giving you the keys. The key of the gospel, the truth of who Jesus is, unlocks the darkest cages in every human heart.
There is no situation too dark. No person too broken. No gate too strong. The good news of Jesus Christ, His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave, can set people free, bring hope, and transform lives and eternities.
Brokenness does not get the final word. Addiction does not get the final word. Shame does not get the final word. Death itself does not get the final word. Because Jesus has unlocked the door.
Everyone Working Together to Reach the Next One
You might feel unqualified to share your faith. You might feel like you don't know enough or haven't been a Christian long enough. But this was never about how qualified you are. It's about Him and what He has placed in your hands.
All you need to do is look for opportunities and share the hope that is within you. As you do, God will show up in ways you never imagined.
God's primary strategy for reaching the world is the local church. A gathering of people saved by grace, learning what it means to live on mission together, in community, as the family of God.
Life Application
This week, take Jesus at His word. He has given you the keys. That means you already have what someone in your life needs to hear.
Your challenge this week: Identify one person in your life who doesn't yet know Jesus. Pray for them by name every day this week. Ask God to open a door for a natural conversation about faith, and when it opens, walk through it. You don't need a script. You just need to share what Jesus has done in your life.
As you reflect, ask yourself these questions:
Who do I say Jesus is? Have I truly settled the question of His identity in my own life, or is He still just one priority among many?
Peter's confession that Jesus is "the Messiah, the Son of the living God" is described as the load-bearing wall of the church. Why do you think getting the identity of Jesus right is so foundational, and what happens when a church or an individual gets it wrong?
Am I living as someone who has been sent, or am I treating my faith like a spectator sport?
Jesus promised, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” How does that promise give you confidence or courage when you
think about sharing your faith in a culture that can feel hostile or indifferent to the gospel?Who is the "one" in my life that God might be calling me to reach? What is one step I can take toward them this week?
Setlist
WFC Lenexa + WFC Anywhere
Praise - Elevation Worship
Center - Bethel Music
Jesus Be The Name - Elevation Worship
WFC Speedway
I Know A Name - Elevation Worship
Breakthrough - Red Rocks Worship
When You Walk Into The Room - Brian & Kate Torwalt
Be sure to save our Spotify Worship Playlist, updated weekly with the upcoming Sunday’s set!
