There Jesus is with his disciples in Caesarea Philippi, named after the Emperor– They are no longer in Galilee but farther north up at one of the headwaters of the Jordan River - at the foot of Mount Hermon in what is today known as the Golan Heights. This is not a Jewish town – but a pagan town through and through. – Up on the hill, over the town, is a large pagan temple to the god Pan – an ugly pagan god, half man and half goat – If you ever have the chance to visit, you will see just how dominating the temple is – towering over up in a cliff over everything – this is not a place a Jew would want to be – the gates of the netherworld surely did not seem far away.
But there Jesus is with his disciples – and what are they doing? In a sense – hiding. This gospel comes right after Jesus has managed to make both the Pharisees and the Sadducees – the two large sects of Jewish elites, mad at him – (he did call them an adulterous generation). This is in chapter 16 of Matthew’s Gospel – Chapter 17 is the transfiguration, and from there, he travels to Jerusalem and his passion. It is not a situation to inspire confidence in Christ.
But it is here that Christ set off to found his Church – setting St Peter over it – “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” – This is a crucial passage of Scripture – Christ’s – but how can he do this? – it all hinges on who Christ is.
For just before giving St Peters the keys - It is in this location – in pagan territory - not long before turning towards Jerusalem, that he asks his disciples two questions – Who do people say that I am? Who do YOU say that I am? – for ought one follow Christ, even when things are not looking so good? Many heresies throughout Church history are errors about who Christ is – and today is no different – Who do people today say Christ is?
For some – He is merely a historical figure with chance influence but of no significant importance today – There are also those who hold him higher – and see him as a great moral teacher – but no more – still just a man who taught how one ought to live. There are those that put him with the great figures of other religions, but just as a prophet. All of them consider him only human – maybe inspired by God - Yet this does not seem to be one worth following when times are hard. Back in the first century, who did people say Christ was? – “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
If he is merely a prophet, is he worth following? – A prophet does not create his own Church – that is for God. A prophet declares the forgiveness of sins – but only God can actually do it - The disciples are out in pagan areas under the temple of Pan – Everything seems to be going wrong – all the Jewish leaders are opposed to him - Why is Christ worth following? – because he is not just a man – but God become a man – for here is Peter’s confession of faith - “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – That is someone worth following – even when times seem bad – with the gates of the netherworld seeming so close – For only God can bring the answer – And it is also precisely who Christ claimed to be – the son of God – God become flesh for the salvation of the world.
And what other options are there? How can one think he is merely a great moral teacher? He has claimed to be God – no great moral teacher claims to be more than he is – As he claimed to be God – to found a Church – if he was not God – that he could only be crazy or lying. –. Jesus does not leave the option of just thinking he is a great moral or religious teacher like others – no – he is different. As CS Lewis put it – he is either a liar, insane, or he is who he says he is. Our assertion is that, as seen in death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, He is exactly who he says he is.
We might not literally be living under a pagan temple like Caesarea Philippi – but we also do not live in a society that favors Christianity – there are no longer social benefits to be being Christian – those days are gone. And while we are not facing outright persecution – at least not in the US – there is a soft oppression of unfavorable opinions –there are social costs to being Catholic today – yet we follow Christ – why? Because he is who he says he is – that we make that save profession of Christ as Peter – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Because of that faith, we are part of that Church Christ founded when he gave the keys to St Peter.