DTR - Week 1 - Jesus as the Son of God

I want to invite you to open your Bibles with me to Matthew Chapter 16. And church, I've got some good news for you - we've just completed our first month of our Just Jesus series, where we explored Vintage Jesus. You know, our heart for 2025 is pretty simple - we want to See Him, Hear Him, Love Him, and Live Him together. That's what this whole year is about. And today, we're stepping into the second of our twelve MINI series for 2025. Now, it's no accident that we're starting this new series on the first Sunday of February. You know February, right? It's that month when suddenly everything turns red and pink, and everyone's thinking about relationships.

This reminds me of being a kid around Valentine's Day. There was always this... question hanging over everybody: 'Who's going to be my Valentine?’ And if you weren't already dating someone - which, let's be honest, in elementary school just meant telling your friends you were 'going out,' even though none of us were allowed to go anywhere - you had to come up with what felt like a master plan. Here's how it went: First, you'd look around your classroom, trying to act like you weren't looking. Then, you'd pick out that special someone. And then came the big moment - writing that note. You know the one: 'Would you be my Valentine? Check yes or no.’ But the worst part wasn't writing the note - it was waiting after you gave it to your friend to deliver it. Do you remember? How Those minutes felt like forever as you waited for them to bring back that folded piece of paper… And you know what's funny? Years later, we're still trying to figure out relationships - just with bigger consequences than a checked box on a note. And that brings us to what we're talking about today. In fact, for this whole month, we're going to be talking about a relationship that matters more than any other. A relationship that changes everything else in our lives. You see, in Matthew 16, Jesus has this conversation with His disciples. But it's not just any conversation - it's basically the biggest 'define the relationship' moment in history. And where it happens matters. Jesus takes His disciples to this place called Caesarea Philippi. Now, if you were there back then, you'd see temples everywhere. Every God you could think of had a spot there. It'd be like walking through a city where every building was a different kind of church or temple. And right there, in this place where everyone's trying to figure out which God is real, Jesus looks at His disciples and asks them two questions that will determine how then define the relationship. Look with me in Matthew 16, find with me verse 13 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” SO first, Jesus asks, 'Who do people say I am?' Pretty straightforward, right? He’s just asking for the word on the street. Who do people say that I am…. And The disciples probably looked around at all those temples as they answered in verse 14: 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” But then Jesus asks the question that really matters - the one that each of us still has to answer today, he turns if from who they thing.. to who do you think… Look in verse 15… 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” You see, Jesus wasn't interested in public opinion polls. He wasn't looking for what people were saying on the ancient equivalent of social media. He wanted to know what they - personally - believed about Him… He wanted to know if their minds had agreed with their hearts. Think about that for a minute. These guys had been walking with Jesus, eating with Jesus, seeing miracles, watching Him change lives. But now it was time to put it into words - to really define who Jesus was to them. And Peter - you know Peter, right? The one who always seems to speak first and think later - the guy had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth… but this time he gets it exactly right.

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Now, this wasn't just Peter throwing out a good answer like we sometimes do in church. right? You know what I mean - when the pastor asks a question and we all know to say 'Jesus' because that's usually the right answer? I’ve done that… We all have… But, No, this was different. Jesus tells Peter something incredible. Look with me in verse 17, 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. (NIV) Now, to understand this before we turn the next page to look at chapter 17, look at what Jesus said,… he said who revealed this to you? The father right. He wasn’t defining the relationship through anything else… Jesus was telling Peter, 'You didn't get this from others, and who they thought I was… You didn't figure this out by being smart, or better than anyone else.. You didn't learn this from another person.' No - this kind of understanding, this revelation of who Jesus really is, it came directly from the Father. This was a moment where God the Father, opened Peter's eyes to see Jesus for who He really was. The Father defined a moment in Peter's heart and mind through a conversation with Jesus.

And this brings us to a critical question: Where does defining the relationship begin? Think about any deep relationship in your life. Did it start with studying facts about the person? No - it started with a real encounter. When I met Alicia for the first time, I probably could have learned a lot about her from other people. I could have asked her friends about her. But our relationship didn't really begin until we met. Face to face. Personally. Until there was that moment of real connection, everything else was just information. That's what God wants with us. Not secondhand information, but firsthand revelation. Not just knowledge about Him, but a real, personal encounter with Him. He doesn't want you to just know facts about Jesus - He wants you to know Jesus. That's why Paul says in Philippians 3:10, 'I want to know Christ.' Not just know about Him - but know Him. Experience Him. Have a real relationship with Him.” And when that happens - when we truly know Him - everything changes. Just like it did for Peter.

Now, watch what happens when we flip the page to chapter 17. Because something incredible is about to unfold. Peter has just had this moment where he realizes Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus tells him, 'This wasn't your idea - my Father revealed this to you.’ But God isn't done yet. Because sometimes the Father doesn't just tell us who Jesus is - He shows us. Look at it with me. Verse 1: 'Six days later...' - Just six days. The words from the last conversation are probably still ringing in Peter's ears - 'This was revealed to you by my Father.' And now Jesus takes Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and leads them up a high mountain to be alone. Look at verse 2 with me. The Scripture says, 'As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.’ Now, try to picture this. You're Peter. Six days ago, you had this revelation that Jesus is the Son of God. And now, you're standing there watching as Jesus starts... glowing. His face is shining like the sun. His clothes are literally radiating light. But it gets better. Verse 3 tells us that suddenly, Moses and Elijah appear and begin talking with Jesus.

Now, pause… Moses and Elijah! These aren't just any ordinary people - these are two of the biggest names in Israel's history. And Peter, James and John are there watching all of this, and all of sudden three people are before them. And Peter - you know Peter, right? - he does what many of us would probably do. He starts talking. It's like... it just pours out. You ever been in one of those moments that's so incredible, so overwhelming, that your mouth starts moving before your brain can catch up? That's Peter. Here he is, standing on a mountain, watching Jesus glow like the sun, seeing Moses and Elijah - two of the biggest names in Israel's history - and what does he do? He starts making construction plans!

Look at what he says in verse 4: 'Lord, it's wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I'll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ Peter's trying to capture the moment, trying to build something permanent, trying to... just do something. Anything. Because sometimes when we don't know what to do with a holy moment, what do we do… we try to manage it. We try to take ownership of it… We try to take the lead in it. But before Peter can even finish his construction proposal…he gets interrupted… Verse 5: 'But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”’

Have you ever had God interrupt your plans? Your ideas? Your well-meaning but misguided attempts to figure things out There are so many times I would go... 'Ya know God... you would be a lot cooler if you did...' and then fill in the blank. Like that time I thought I had the perfect plan for my life, and God was probably up there thinking, 'Oh, really? You think so?’ That's what's happening here. Peter's getting ahead of God - just like I have done so many times, just like we all do. We try to build our own shelters, create our own solutions, manage our own spirituality. We say things like: 'God, I've got a great plan for how this should work...' 'Lord, I think I know what would be best here...' 'Jesus, what if we just…' But God stops Peter mid-sentence - doesn't even let him finish his grand construction plans - and essentially says, 'No, Peter. You don't understand... you don't need three shelters. You don't need multiple options. This is my Son... Listen to him.’

This brings us to a crucial question: When it comes to defining your relationship with Jesus, where are you?

Let me ask you something - when it comes to defining our relationship with Jesus, I believe we can trace every person's journey through these three stages we see in Peter's life. And today, I want us to be honest about where we are.

First, there's what I call 'The Spectator.’ Let's talk about The Spectator for a minute. You know what a spectator is, right? It's someone who watches but never gets in the game. In sports terms, it's like someone who knows every stat, can name every player, has every jersey - but has never actually played the game. They've got all the knowledge, but none of the experience. We see this all through the gospels… Jesus had what? People that just followed and watched. "You know, I’ve watch some home renovation shows. I can tell you all about load-bearing walls, backsplashes, and proper crown molding. I can quote Chip and Joanna Gaines. But put me in front of a wall with a hammer? Well, let's just say knowing about renovation and actually doing it are two very different things. And that's exactly what happens with Jesus sometimes. We can be experts about Jesus without ever really knowing Jesus. Look at John 5:39-40 with me. Jesus is talking to some religious leaders, and He says something fascinating: 'You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.’ Did you catch that? These people knew their Bibles inside and out. They could quote Scripture all day long. But they missed the whole point - they knew about Jesus, but they didn't know Jesus. Think about social media today. You might follow someone's every post, know their favorite coffee shop, what they do on weekends, where they vacation - but does that make you their friend? No - you just know about them. You're a spectator in their life. And here's what's dangerous about being a spectator - you can feel really good about yourself because you've got all the right information. You're in church. You know the songs. You know the stories. But at the end of the day, you're still just watching from the sidelines. You’re still hinging your faith on your initial salvation moment, but yet many times you have never moved closer to him. BUt understand this: Information without transformation is just religion.

And let me ask you something - are you just coming to church and bibles studies collecting information about Jesus, or are you really being transformed by Jesus?

Now, let's talk about the Casual Follower. This is different from the spectator because they've actually gotten in the game - sort of. They're playing, but they've got one foot on the field and one foot off. You know what I mean? These are the people who follow Jesus... when it makes sense. When it fits their schedule. When it doesn't cost too much. The Casual Follower has moved beyond just watching. They're involved. They're participating. But - and this is key - they're following Jesus on their terms. It's like what Jesus describes in Luke 9. Three different people come to Jesus, and each one says something like, 'I'll follow you, but...' 'But first let me go bury my father’ 'But first let me say goodbye to my family’ 'But first let me get my life together’ It's like having a gym membership. One time I bought a planter fitness membership but Hardly ever went. I was committed enough to pay the monthly fee. I bought all the gear. I showed up sometimes. But when life got busy, when it's inconvenient, when something better comes along - well, the gym can wait, right? That's how some of us treat our relationship with Jesus. We're in... sort of. We follow... sometimes. We surrender... partially. But here's what Jesus says- 'No one can serve two masters.' He doesn't say no one should serve two masters. He says no one can. It's impossible. Matthew 6:24 The problem with being a Casual Follower isn't that you're not trying - it's that you're trying to define the relationship on your own terms. And that never works with Jesus." Listen, church, Part-time devotion is still full-time indecision. Because when it comes to Jesus, there's no such thing as casual commitment. He's either Lord of all, or He's not Lord at all."

And that brings us to the third response - The Surrendered. The Surrendered life - this is what happens when you stop trying to negotiate your relationship with Jesus and simply say, 'Whatever you want, Lord.’ I want what you want. Look at what happens to Peter and the others in verse 8 again - 'When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.' That would have been embarrassing to make three shelters to only look up and only see Jesus there. That's what surrender looks like. Everything else fades away. All the other voices quiet down. All the other priorities shift. You know, it's like what happens in a marriage. There's a difference between dating and 'I do.' Amen? When you're dating, you're still keeping your options open. When you get engaged, those options close very quickly… But once you say say 'I do,' you're saying 'I don't' to every other possibility. That's what surrender to Jesus looks like. It's not just adding Jesus to your life - it's making Jesus your life. "Look at what Paul says in Philippians 3:7-8: 'But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’ Listen - the Surrendered person isn't perfect. They still struggle. They still fail. Peter did - even after his mountain-top experience, he denied Jesus three times. But here's the difference: surrendered hearts have settled the question of who Jesus is and who's in charge. They're not trying to build three shelters anymore. They're not trying to keep their options open anymore. They're not trying to negotiate with God anymore. They're focused on Jesus alone. When Jesus becomes your everything, suddenly you see exactly where everything else belongs."

We've got the same choice he had. As our Peter comes up… You see, Simon Peter had a 'Define The Relationship' moment with Jesus. He moved from watching to following, and from following to surrendering. And when he and the others looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. Today, it's your turn for a DTR moment with Jesus. No more 'it's complicated' status with Him. No more trying to build three shelters. Just Jesus. Because here's the truth we've seen today: How you define your relationship with Jesus defines everything else. Everything. And God's invitation is the same as it was on that mountain: 'This is my Son... listen to Him.’”

"You know, when you walked in today, you got something. It might have reminded you of those old school Valentine's notes. Pull that out for a minute. But this isn't just any 'check yes or no' note. This is your DTR moment with Jesus. And unlike those grade school valentines, this one really matters. Look at what it says: Spectator: I know about Jesus ☐ Casual Follower: I follow Jesus when it's convenient ☐ Surrendered: Jesus is my everything ☐ Now, here's what I want you to do. First, and you don’t need other duo it now… you can pray over it and then fill it out… but first, I want you to check where you are right now. Be honest - this is between you and God. But don't stop there. On the back, there's a space for you to write where you want to be. Because here's the truth - you can move from spectator to surrendered. You can go from casual to committed. All it takes is for you to be honest for where you are, and where God wants you to be…. I wan tot challenge you to take this home. Put it on your fridge for at least this month. Let it remind you every day of the choice you're making about your relationship with Jesus. Because remember - how you define your relationship with Jesus defines everything else. Let's pray…"

Let's pray together... Father, thank You for that mountain moment when You revealed who Jesus really was. And thank You that You're still revealing Jesus to us today. Right now, some of us are spectators, some are casual followers, and some are surrendered. But all of us need to see Jesus more clearly. Lord, for those who checked 'spectator' - move them from just knowing about You to actually knowing You. For those who checked 'casual follower' - show them that partial commitment is still indecision. And for those who checked 'surrendered' - strengthen their resolve to keep their eyes on Jesus alone. Because when we look up, like those disciples on the mountain, we want to see no one except Jesus. And now may you leave here today knowing this truth: How you define your relationship with Jesus defines everything else in your life. May you have the courage to move from watching to following, from following to surrendering, until Jesus becomes your everything. In Jesus' name, Amen. And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit reveal to you who Jesus really is, transform how you see Him, and empower you to surrender everything to Him. Go in peace, knowing that when Jesus becomes your everything, everything else finds its proper place. God bless you, church. See you next week." *