December 21, 2025 Text: Matthew 16:13-20
Dear Friends in Christ,
Ever had something happen to you that came “out of the blue?” Maybe it was something that was said that caught you off guard. Or could it be an action that happened so suddenly that you had no time to react. If you have spent any time on earth, you have had occurrences, maybe multiple times, that came “out of the blue.”
This Advent series “Advent Blues” takes us to Caesarea this morning. Something is going to be said that catches the disciples off guard. But one of the disciples has an answer that we will focus in on.
“OUT OF THE BLUE – JESUS AS MESSIAH”
We are in Caesarea; it is late in Jesus’ ministry, and He is there with his 12 disciples. This is a pagan place surrounded by statues of Greek and Romans gods. Jesus starts the conversation, “’Who do people say 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?’” (vs. 13-15)
Jesus asks a stunning question “out of the blue.” Peter speaks for all of the disciples when he responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (v. 16). It was out of the blue that this understanding came. Jesus does acknowledge that Simon Peter’s revelation was given by God. “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (v. 17).
Does what Peter answers seem out of the blue to you? Was it spontaneous and impulsive, like Peter’s personality? Well, it was not. A theologian named James Stewart wrote, the disciples “were beginning to feel toward Jesus just as they had always felt toward God. They found now that, when they tried to think of God, it was Jesus’ face they saw.” Jesus did not want his role as Messiah to be a bolt out of the blue – an impromptu strike of lightning – but an executed plan that began with God and was carefully fulfilled in and through Jesus. How could people know Jesus as God’s Son if He only trumpeted himself? By pointing to the Father, Jesus’ followers saw the Son was not just a son, but “the Son of the Living God.”
There had been ancient prophecies, and the Jews looked forward to the Messiah coming. Daniel and Isaiah painted wonderful pictures of him. In 70 B.C. though there came the Book of Enoch. The Messiah was to be militant, and terror would grip his enemies. This was not the Messiah Jesus came to be. He had to teach people all over again. Daniel and Isaiah showed a Suffering Servant not a patriotic nationalist who comforted the beleaguered Jews.
Christ the Messiah, the One who comes in love. Paul wrote this to the Romans, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (5:8)
In the South Pacific during World War II, a 19-century Melanesian religion was revived among tribal peoples. It happened because airplanes dropped immense crates of supplies to help the embattled people with food and medicines and also dropped weapons and war equipment for the armies defending them. As the people were primitive, they thought it was one of their gods blessing them with material gifts dropped out of the blue. Thus the cult became a thriving religion.
The plan of salvation was not intended to provide material wealth or war supplies, but eternal joy. Jesus the Messiah was not an unexpected supply drop, but one whose planned invasion of earth had been carefully charted by heaven long ago. Thus the prophets foretold him. A people was appointed to receive him. And God gave to the world, out of the blue, a promise long made and now fulfilled. It was Jesus, the Infant of Bethlehem. It was Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth. It was Jesus, the Galilean rabbi. It was Jesus, the crucified one of Calvary, and the risen one of Easter. In him all the pieces of the puzzle of salvation fit together – all the prophecies and all the proofs of his earthly ministry. Jesus came from out of the blue, intent on fulfilling the Father’s plan to save the world. It was not a momentary decision, but the plan love carved out before the beginnings of the universe.
Jesus is Messiah – Alleluia!
Amen.