(Read Matthew 16:13-16)
This morning continue our overarching series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. We have been studying the life of the Apostle Peter and our study brought us to Matthew chapter 16. We already studied this passage for weeks. But let’s go back to it today:
The Bible says,
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” The key I am focusing in on is how the common man related to Jesus as the son of His parents. They knew Him as “Jesus of Nazareth”. This was a reference to His earthly origins. The people who called the Messiah “Jesus of Nazareth” were people who did not acknowledge His divine assignment. Simon called Him, “The Messiah, the Son of the living God.” By acknowledging Jesus’ divinity Simon was able to receive from Jesus as the Son of God, not just the son of a man.
This reminds me of something that happened in Luke 4. 700 years before Jesus walked the earth the Lord allowed Isaiah to see Jesus and to write about Him. Isaiah said our Savior would come and say, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” (Isaiah 61:1,2). In Luke 4 Jesus was in His hometown in the Temple, in a worship service, and He was asked to read the scripture. When He opened the scroll the scripture He was assigned to read is what I just gave you from Isaiah. As Jesus read it He realized the scripture was talking about Him. He was literally reading His assignment 700 years after Isaiah penned it. After Jesus read it, He sat down and said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus was saying, “Hey, that’s me! What Isaiah wrote 700 years ago, He was writing about me! I am the Messiah. I am the Son of God. I am the Savior of the world. This is my divine assignment.” But do you know what the people present said? They said, “How can this be, since this is Mary’s boy? This is Joseph’s son, he can’t be the Messiah. This is the guy who fixed my roof last year, there is no way He could be the Savior of the world.” Do you see the problem? They knew Him as a man, but when He started walking in His divine assignment, they could not get past His humanity.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- Jesus did not start to fully walk in His divine assignment until the age of 30. This gave the people of His hometown three decades of experience with Him before He started walking in His divinity. When Jesus embraced His divine assignment and started walking in His purpose, the people of His hometown could not get past the fact that the carpenter they knew all those years was actually the Messiah. Because they could not get past knowing Him as the son of Joseph and Mary, they could not receive from Him as the Son of God.
- Like Jesus, there was a period of time (many years) that transpired before you started walking in your divine purpose. Those who knew you before may be so familiar with who you were in the flesh, that they may never receive or honor who you are in the spirit. They knew you as the son of your parents, so it may be hard for them to receive you as a son of God.
- It takes a level of honor to accept someone for whom God called them to be, and not for who you knew them to be.
- Others will never accept you for your divine purpose until you do. The first person who needs to get past your old self is YOU. Others will never honor your divine assignment if you don’t. So stop beating yourself up for who you used to be. Embrace your divine assignment, embrace the anointing that is already on you to complete it, and start walking in your divine purpose.
- To be successful in Christ you must get to the point where you accept and honor the assignment God gave you from the foundations of the world.
I will stop here for today. Once again, I have a lot more to say about this.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me from the foundations of the world, but when I was born I was unaware of those plans. I lived for years as the son of my parents. I was ignorant to my divine assignment and I lived as a mere man. But now I am Born-Again. Now Your Spirit speaks to me about my divine purpose. I now know how You have divinely anointed me to complete my assignment. You have already empowered me to do what You called me to do by Your grace. I want others to honor and respect the call on my life. But I can’t expect them to do it, if I don’t myself. It starts with me. I accept my divine assignment. I embrace the grace to be the person You called me to be. I honor myself and my divine purpose. I get past my old self. I forgive myself for living as a mere man. I forgive myself for living outside of my calling. I get past my humanity, I embrace my divinity, and I am ready to allow You to flow through me in order to change the world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
