True Confession of Truth

And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 16:17).

The word ‘blessed’ means ‘happy’ but not in a superficial or frivolous way. The root form of the word means ‘great’ or ‘enlarged’, and its earlier meaning had to do with prosperity. It was used at times as a synonym for rich. Since the Jews believed prosperity came from God, a blessed person was one who had the favor of God resting upon him. Is that the meaning of Jesus here?

Our Lord used this word ‘blessed’ not in terms of happiness or prosperity. He elevated the term to the spiritual plane to express God’s approval based on righteousness and holiness which rests in the love of God. Those who know Jesus as the Christ, the Lord and Savior, are truly honored by God for their righteous and holy conviction regarding His Son.

In this statement, blessed are you, Simon Barjona, Jesus expressed His acceptance of Peter’s confession as true, thereby affirming that He indeed is the Messiah of God. This confession is true because that’s who Jesus is. It is true because Peter did not come by this conviction on his own - flesh and blood did not reveal this to you. Multitudes of people were exposed to the miraculous power, the authoritative teaching, the compassionate and generous benevolence, and the holy and righteous life of Jesus, yet never believed Him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. In fact, many would cry out for His crucifixion and only John and a few women would be at Calvary to comfort Him in His death.

The truth was revealed to Peter by God Himself. We would say the Holy Spirit of God opened Peter’s eyes to see and his mind to understand that Jesus is God, the Son of God, the Messiah of God. That’s the way it has always been and will always be. How is it that people can sit under the powerful preaching of a Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, or today’s John MacArthur, Charles Stanley, Greg Laurie, R.C. Sproul, etc., and not understand their need for Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? It is because their eyes are blinded to the truth. Their spirit has not been awakened by the Holy Spirit to the Gospel and who Jesus is. John the Apostle said it this way (John 1:12-13), But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who has led me to the truth of who You are, of my sinfulness and the need for salvation, and for extending grace to me and the faith to believe in You. I know beyond the shadow of doubt, had it not been for Your intervention in my life through the Holy Spirit, I would be lost in sin and condemned to eternal separation from You. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless Your holy name. Amen.”

Pastor