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About The Episode:
Embark on a transformative spiritual journey with us as we uncover the undying truth of our identity in Jesus Christ. Through scripture and heartfelt conversation, we reveal how Peter’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah is more than a biblical narrative—it’s the bedrock of our faith, a source of inspiration, and a guide for personal growth. In this episode, we contemplate the delicate interplay between praise and discipline, as exemplified by Jesus’s interaction with Peter, and invite listeners to reflect on their own paths, seeking the divine over the distractions of the mundane.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- A biblical study of Peter and Jesus
- How to know and embrace who Jesus is
- The significance of divine revelation
- How our identity in Christ remains steadfast in the midst of challenges
(0:00:01) – Knowing and Embracing Who Jesus Is (8 Minutes)
This chapter, I remind you of your secure identity in Christ and encourage you to accept the challenge to rise higher, regardless of your current state. I discuss the importance of recognizing yourself as God sees you, rather than through the eyes of man. Using the book of Matthew, I invite you to engage with the Scriptures afresh, to ponder deeply who Jesus is to you, and to make this a personal, devotional experience. We examine the story of Peter’s revelation of Jesus as the Christ, emphasizing that true understanding of Jesus’ identity comes from the Father. This insight into who Jesus is can transform your perspective on life, your family, and your aspirations, reinforcing the message that if God used imperfect people in the Bible, He can certainly use us too.
(0:08:25) – The Blessing and Rebuke of Peter (13 Minutes)
This chapter examines the profound personal relationship with God that can begin in childhood, highlighting the importance of having parents who introduce their children to Christ, but ultimately recognizing that truly knowing Jesus is an act of divine revelation, not human effort. I share insights on the pivotal exchange between Jesus and Peter in the Bible, where Jesus commends Peter for his divine insight and then rebukes him for his earthly mindset, drawing parallels to our own spiritual journey. This moment serves as a reminder that our focus should be on God’s plans rather than human expectations, and how easily we can be distracted by worldly concerns. The chapter encourages listeners to reflect on their own experiences and challenges them to consider where their focus lies in their personal walk with Christ.
(0:21:55) – Encouragement to Overcome Challenges (8 Minutes)
This chapter explores the importance of resilience and growth in the face of criticism and failure, drawing parallels with sports teams overcoming losses and the biblical figure of Peter. I discuss the concept of righteousness as standing up again in alignment with God’s will, embracing rebuke as an opportunity for maturity, and the wisdom in making adjustments for personal growth. I emphasize the importance of knowing one’s identity in Christ, as secure and unchanging, despite the challenges and corrections we face. Encouragement is given to listeners to accept challenges, rise above discouragements, and to remember their calling, just as Peter was reminded of his identity and purpose by Jesus. This message is aimed at inspiring believers to maintain their course, fortified by the assurance of God’s unchanging love and the transformative power of His guidance.
(0:29:56) – Prayer and Farewell Message (1 Minutes)
This chapter centers on a heartfelt prayer expressing gratitude for unwavering love and the divine plans for our lives. I emphasize the importance of listening to spiritual guidance, seeking strength and grace for swift obedience to higher wisdom, and fulfilling our destined roles. After the prayer, I extend an invitation to listeners to reach out via email or visit my website for further connection and conversation. I sign off by expressing appreciation for the time shared together and the ongoing engagement with our community.
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Full Transcript
This transcript is auto-generated and not perfect. We hope it blesses you.
00:00 – Jaime Luce (Host)
And I want you to remember that who you are in Christ is secure. It’s not changing. God hasn’t changed his mind. You are who he says. You are not who man says you are. You are who God says you are. You’re still his child. He loves you. He is always going to be calling us up higher. So today, what do we have to do? Accept the challenge Today. Accept the challenge. If you’re down, get back up. No matter where you are, come up higher. Who you are in Christ is secure. Your Father loves you. You are blessed for knowing who his Son is.
00:54
Welcome to the Jamie Luce Podcast. Thanks for tuning in today. It’s my pleasure to spend some time with you in the Word of God. Today is going to be more a little bit like a devotional. I was reading in the book of Matthew. If you’ve been listening to the podcast weekly, then you know I’m sort of in Matthew.
01:17
When I read this today, I just thought, boy, this is a great reminder and a really great encouragement. So I wanted to encourage you on your faith walk, whether you are someone who is in a ministry of some sort, or whether it’s you doing what you do for your family, your friends and those that you come in contact with, if you’re just a disciple of Jesus. I wanted to encourage you because we all, as much as we would like to, me included, we would all like to do this perfectly, which it’s impossible to do that in the flesh. But we attempt to do our best, and my goal is to enable us to do what we can with the knowledge we can from the Word to help us to do that, but also to remember that we are human, and so were the disciples. So was Jesus, for that matter, but he was the Son of God, and when we look at the lives of the disciples, it really can encourage us anybody in Scripture, for that matter. If we look at the people that God used from Genesis to Revelation, we can see the imperfections in all of those used, but that qualifies us. We realize if they were qualified and the Lord calls us, then we’re qualified as well.
02:38
So if you’ll get your Bibles and turn with me to, let’s see Matthew, and I went to the wrong one. Here we go, chapter 16. I almost said 15, 16. And I’m going to read to you this portion of Scripture that I’m sure you’re very familiar with, but I want you to listen with, if you can, with different ears. Do your best to put behind you anything that maybe you already know about this passage and try to hear it fresh. Try to put yourself in this, in this scenery, in this story, and what that would feel like. I want you to picture, peter, I want you to think about. If that was you, how would you feel? I want you to really make this personal today, make this a devotional time with you and the Lord. It really can lead into a beautiful prayer time of and just relationship with the Lord, a conversation of Him speaking to you and you to Him, and hearing His heart for your life. But we will pick up in.
03:49
Let’s start in verse 13. It says now, when Jesus came into the district of Cicera, philippi, he asked His disciples who do people say that the Son of man is? And they said some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them but who do you say that I am? And before I go on, maybe we need to ask that question of ourselves who do I say that Jesus Christ really is, and what does that mean for me personally? What does that mean for my life. What does that mean for my family? What does that mean for my decisions? What does that mean for my appetites? What does that mean for my goals? What does that mean for my hopes and my dreams? If Jesus were sitting with us today and he said to you who do you say I am?
05:12
And I don’t want you to think about the Sunday school answer. You know it’s the story of a little child saying no matter what the question is, he answers Jesus because we’re in Sunday school. That’s not necessarily the case and we need to know. Don’t give a pat answer. Really, think about it. What has he been to you? What are you expecting Him to be? Who do you say that he is? When you read his word, are you thinking of him as simply a prophet? Are you thinking of him as God and unattainable, unrepeatable, uncopiable, unimitatable is a better word. Do you think of him as unimitatable? How do you see him? Who do you see him as? Think about that for a minute and then let’s see what Peter has to say.
06:14
Picking up in verse 16,. Simon Peter replied you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered him Blessed are you, simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father, who is in heaven. Okay, let’s stop there for a minute. What he’s saying is for you to truly understand who I am. That knowledge and that declaration of knowledge didn’t come because a person came and said Jesus is the Christ, or Jesus is Messiah, or Jesus is the Savior of the world. Having the knowledge of who he is, that revelation, when you really know who he is that doesn’t come just because somebody came and shared who Jesus was. I mean, jesus was walking and talking with them before they came to this revelation. They had revelations of him when he met them, when he in the storms on the water, new things became known to them about who this man was. But it was. Jesus says If you really know who I am, that’s because the Father has made it known to you. The Father who sees you, who knows you, who ordained your life. This Father has made known to you, which means not only does this Father love you, but this Father has a plan for you, a good plan for you, and that plan, that good plan, is predicated upon you knowing who Jesus Christ is and what that means for your life.
08:25
As much as I would love to give credit to my parents for raising me in a Christian home. Thank God they did. Who knows where I’d be? Who knows who it would have taken to give me the knowledge of who Christ is? But what’s beyond that is God gave me parents who knew him. God also in me caused me to know him. As a child I would talk to God in my room at night when it was dark. I would talk to him and have profound for a child’s age, profound things opened to me. I knew he had ordained my life, who my parents were, what country I was born in, what city and home I lived in, who my family members were. He or I knew that as a child, no one said that to me. That came to me as I thought and pondered about him and talked to him as a little child.
09:39
And folks, when you know who Jesus is, though, we are grateful and give honor to whom honor is due for those who may have introduced us to the man of Jesus Christ. But for you to know him, to call him Lord, that was the Father’s doing, not man’s doing. That was the Father’s doing, and Jesus’ reply to that is blessed, are you so? This is a blessing. You need to understand that it doesn’t. It’s not everybody who knows who God is. I mean, look around the world, please. All you have to do is turn on the TV, walk outside, go into your local coffee shop. You’ll find out real quick. Blessed are you, simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father, who is in heaven, and I tell you you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
11:11
Now the passage does go on, but I really wanted to point out several things that I felt will be an encouragement to you in your walk as a Christian. This exchange between Jesus and Peter is an important one, not just for Peter, but for you and I as well, and that’s the whole. Reason. I call this a devotion is because this is something that we can make personal. This is something that affects us personal, not just what Jesus said to Peter and we’re going to talk about what Jesus said to Peter and how that affected Peter, but this is for us personally. So be listening and really looking for those ways that this is a reflection for you.
11:56
This same Peter that Jesus is talking to just three verses later. Same book, same chapter. Now, I’m not sure how much time has passed, but it is literally only three verses later. This is what Jesus is doing. He’s no longer praising Peter for and saying blessed are you, peter, and you’re the rock, and I’m building my church on this, and the gates of hell won’t prevail against it. He now is saying something else. Let’s look at that. Three verses later, jesus says to Peter get behind me, satan. That would be bad enough. He goes on to say you are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind on the. Let’s see, you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.
13:02
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14:02
So first, jesus is correcting in Peter, because if you’re in Peter’s shoes, listen to what he’s. Jesus is saying I’m going to die, I’m going to suffer, I’m going to die and raise again in three days. Not only did these disciples, at the time that Jesus actually was crucified and resurrected, forget all of that, but he did tell them and this was so troubling to Peter why? Why was this troubling to Peter to hear this? Well, number one, because he loves Jesus and he doesn’t want him to die. But second of all, they had an expectation of Jesus. They expected him to be who to come and take over. They were under the Roman rule and they expected him to come and take over, remove Roman rule and rule. They expected and they expected for themselves to rule alongside him. So this is a twofold thing.
15:03
And Jesus is pointing out he doesn’t correct him on the fact that he’s not saying Peter, you’re listening to the devil because you’re an evil person and you’ve got it all wrong and I you know. Instead, what is he saying? He’s saying Peter, the problem is you have your mind on earthly things, things that will please man. You have man’s ideas rolling around in your mind, and the things that you’re saying right now, those would hinder me, because I’m not here to please man, I’m here to do a job. I’m here for this very thing to sacrifice and die. I’m telling you my plan and you’re trying to tell me no, far be it from you, that will never happen.
15:52
So and guys hear me on this this can be us so many times because we think we’re good-natured people, we’re not evil people, but we’re not realizing that we are looking from a perspective that is very human, very man-pleasing versus God-pleasing, and God may have a completely different agenda. He may be asking us to do something and we’re thinking, oh, it’s because of this, that’s why he wants me to do that. That’s the reason he wants me to do it. And then all of a sudden we realize he’s whatever he’s telling us to do wait, wait, wait, wait. That won’t make that happen. And we want to do things the way we want to do them. We want them to happen the way we want them to happen. And Jesus is correcting him and saying that is a hindrance, that is a problem. That’s not who you are, that’s not what I’ve called you to do, it’s not why I’m here.
16:47
So we have to see this for what it is. It is a rebuke. But what it is not is an attack on Peter. It’s not a removal of his identity, it is not an unseating of his identity and who he is. I’m sure we can all imagine how cutting those words would be and that would bring a feeling of sadness, maybe fear of what’s to come, maybe that would stir up within us a insecurity inside of us.
17:22
But Jesus had already told Peter that he was blessed and that he was the rock and that God had chose him to build his church and that hell itself will not be able to destroy what is built. So which is it? Is it a blessing or is it a rebuke and a curse? Which is it? I say yes because it’s both. Yes, it’s both. God uses in our humanity to build his spiritual kingdom the thing that he has put in us, the identity he’s put in us, but he uses us in our humanity. So, really, what we see happening with Peter should be a relief to us, because if Peter, who was an apostle, who wrote books in the Holy Scripture, who is considered the rock, the one that Jesus used to begin to truly build the church of God, to go to the Gentiles first, to go into a Gentile home and bring Christ there to spread the gospel, he was such a tool, he was such a rock and he battled even after being filled with the Holy Spirit. He had arguments between him and Paul that Paul had to rebuke him. He was still a man of flesh and yet he was not disqualified from what God called him to do. It didn’t stop the work of God. Hell itself could not destroy what God was building through Peter. So we can take courage, because this is where this is very personal, this is where this becomes our story.
19:17
I know we make mistakes, I know we have times when we have fallen down, but let’s look at Proverbs 24-16. For a righteous man falls seven times. A righteous man, not an evil man, not a disqualified man, not a oh, what’s the word I want to use? Oh, if it comes to me I’ll tell you. But a righteous man, for a righteous man, falls seven times and rises again. He rises again. He’s not disgraced, that’s what I should say. He’s not disgraced. Is this an excuse not to grow in faith or to seek not to fall? Well, it’s twofold. Of course it’s not an excuse, of course not. But it should motivate us that when we know we have fallen, that’s all right.
20:28
I’m righteous. I’m a righteous person. The blood of Jesus Christ cleansed me. He exchanged His righteousness for my sin and because of that I get back up and we go again. And he is with me. He is for me, not against me. He will make the way straight before me. I get back up. Just because we’re righteous doesn’t mean there aren’t times when we blow it, but the righteousness in us says we get up. The righteousness says I have more to do. I can’t let this stop me.
21:06
If you’re a football fan and a football lover, you’ll find that some of the best whether they’re quarterbacks, receivers, you know the kickers, those poor kickers boy, this really relates to them. You can do really well. But if you have a blow, it recently the Cowboys kicker had his first miss and you can look at that two ways. That can either be a monkey off your back after about 23 or 24 kicks, or whatever the amount was of not missing 34 maybe, whatever it was and you can think, oh no, something’s wrong. Now I’m going to start missing and start missing again. But that same player came out and kicked a field goal and made it.
21:55
And these people, when you interview them, they’ll tell you or if they’ve had a terrible loss, if the team has had a terrible loss, and they come back for the next game. They say, no, you just have to put that behind you. We get back up, we get, we get at it again, no matter what the problems were. We have to understand that as right, to be righteous, to do it in right standing with the Lord. I got to stand back up right. Righteousness means that I am in right standing with the Father. Well, let’s stand back up, let’s do the righteous thing. Don’t get caught up in the self deprivation. Boy Peter could have done that. You know, he really could have done that. But instead of tearing ourselves down, realize OK, that was a blow, it, I got that wrong.
22:39
Why is people accept instruction, the words of rebuke? We have an opportunity when we hear them, and it takes a mature person to be able to hear a rebuke and then be able to say, ok, especially if it’s Jesus, there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s a perfect rebuke. But even if you’re dealing with other people and they have flaws and you have flaws and you’re hearing a rebuke, what is the mature thing to do? What is the wise thing to do? Is there truth in that anywhere? If there is truth in that Because I’ve examined and I’m looking If I blew it, if I didn’t do something the way I should have done something, if I didn’t prioritize the way I was supposed to, if I didn’t schedule my time right, whatever, it could be little things, it could be big things, but I know I have to make adjustments and grow. So I take that and, instead of being upset and wounded or offended, I take that and, with wisdom, I apply whatever changes, whether they’re micro or macro. I make those changes, I apply them to my life and I use them to go again. I use them to grow and go again.
24:06
Those words of encouragement to Peter that he first heard, they were meant to secure in him his identity Before he was rebuked. He was told who he was in a very powerful way, a very personal way. It was said in front of all the other disciples. It was declared over his life, very similar to how when Jesus was baptized and the heavens opened and the father declares over Jesus this is my son, in whom I’m well pleased. And again on the mount of transfiguration, he takes Peter, james and John with him and they’re wanting Peter again being Peter, wanting to hurry up and do something and jump on the opportunity. Lord, this is wonderful. Do you want us to make tents for each of you? And the heavens open and the father says this is my son, listen to him, he’s the one I want you paying attention to.
25:03
And of course, peter feels a little bit rebuked, but he doesn’t run away from God. He comes to Jesus, he stays close. Don’t allow slip ups to take you away from your relationship with Jesus. Don’t be shamed. Jesus doesn’t come to shame you. He may come to reveal to you, but that’s for our growth Not to shame but to reveal, so that we are able to know in who we are. We know what to do now. So he was given that encouragement to secure his identity, so he could get back up and continue his course.
25:43
If we think about when Jesus had to warn Peter and say, peter, you know when he was going to the cross, you’re going to deny me three times. And Peter, of course, in his own assessment of himself, thinks there’s no way I’d ever do that. I love you, lord, there’s no way I’d ever do that. And yet Jesus knows he will. And when Peter does, he’s so broken up about it and I love that Jesus had come to him and said Peter, when you are strengthened, return to your brothers and strengthen them. It’s like you’re going to return, you’re going to get it right, you’re going to get up again. You’re Peter. Remember who I said you were. You’re the rock, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
26:46
I really want to give you that encouragement today. You may be feeling the overwhelming love of the Father today, or you may be hearing a word of correction and it might even feel like a strong rebuke, but I want you to embrace them both and I want you to remember that who you are in Christ is secure. It’s not changing. God hasn’t changed his mind. You are who he says. You are not who man says you are. You are who God says you are. You’re still his child. He loves you. He is always going to be calling us up higher.
27:29
So today, what do we have to do? Accept the challenge Today. Accept the challenge. If you’re down, get back up. No matter where you are. You’re not going to be able to get up, no matter where you are. Come up higher. Who you are in Christ is secure. Your Father loves you. You are blessed for knowing who His Son is. In fact, we are the most blessed. We have been saved, we’ve been sanctified. We’ve been washed by that blood made righteous in God’s sight. We are seated at the right hand of Father or seated in heavenly places, while Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. We have to have a right perspective as we are continuing on in this brand new year.
28:20
Remember who you are. Don’t let the discouragements try to take you out and don’t allow the corrections or rebukes to come under and knock the feet out from underneath you. Remember even Peter. Even Peter had that happen to him and he is an apostle. The apostle, folks, you have a calling and God has not changed His mind. He loves you. He got you through last year. He’s going to get you through this year. There’s nothing that has happened that has made Him change His mind about you or the plans he has for you. Stay the course and allow Him to do the work of molding you into all that he has called you to be, and there will be nothing that hell itself can do to destroy that work. God bless you.
29:15
Let me pray for you, father. I thank you for your word. I thank you for using ordinary people to show us wow, you can use us too. So, father, I pray your encouragement over your sons and your daughters today, no matter what they’re doing, no matter what they’re facing, no matter where they have failed. Father, I pray that they feel your hand, lift them, just as you saved Peter out of the waters that were raging around him While he attempted to walk to you in faith. I pray that each one today who needs it feels your hand, reach down and pull them up and let them know let’s go again, let’s do it again.
29:56
We thank you, lord, for your committed, constant, unfailing love to us, and the plans that you have for our lives. Cause us to hear you when you speak. Give us strength and grace that we would obey your word quickly and that we would accomplish all that you have called us to do. And it’s in Jesus’ name we pray, amen, amen. Thanks again for joining me today. We’ll see you next time, and if you’d like to get ahold of me, you can send me an email at mail at jamieloosecom. That’s J-A-I-M-E-L-U-C-E, or visit my website, jamieloosecom. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks so much for joining me today. Bye-bye.
