Sermon: Exodus 1:8-2:10, Matt. 16:13-20 Build upon Rock

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

Sermon: Exodus 1:8-2:10, Matt. 16:13-20 Build upon Rock

August 24, 2008

“Who am I?” This is a question we all ask. We want to know our own identity. We need to know who we are, why we are here, and what our purpose is. Our identity is tied to the names given to us by our parents, the educational degrees we have earned, the work we do, and the families we have. But since we are all children of God our identity ultimately comes from our creator. Today we will be exploring the issue of who we are by looking at the naming of two important biblical characters, Moses and Peter. But first will you pray with me?

Holy Spirit be with us as we read and interpret the Holy Scripture that has been preserved for us by the church for two thousand years. Help us to understand not only the original meaning of the verses we read but what you are saying to us through them today. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Exodus 1:8 - 2:10 ⁸ Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. ⁹ He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. ¹⁰ Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land." ¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. ¹² But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. ¹³ The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, ¹⁴ and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them. ¹⁵ The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ¹⁶ "When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live." ¹⁷ But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. ¹⁸ So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?" ¹⁹ The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." ²⁰ So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. ²¹ And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. ²² Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live." 1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. ² The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. ³ When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. ⁴ His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. ⁵ The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. ⁶ When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, "This must be one of the Hebrews' children," she said. ⁷ Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" ⁸ Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother. ⁹ Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it. ¹⁰ When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."

When Moses was born his identity was already established. The Egyptians saw him as part of a despised minority of foreigners that had grown too large and had to be stamped out; this put Moses life in jeopardy as soon as he was born. His mother saw him as a beloved son who had to be saved from death. To Pharaoh’s daughter he was seen as a gift of a beautiful baby whom she gave the name common to Egyptian royalty, Moses. And his own people, when they heard the name “Moses” thought of the Hebrew word “mashea” and remembered that Moses was one of their own, the one pulled from the water. From God’s perspective Moses was the one who would lead the Hebrew people out of slavery, through the waters of the Red Sea, and eventually to the Promised Land. So it was God who really named him Moses, mashea, because he was to be the one who would pull the Hebrews out of the water to safety and freedom.

Today our names are given to us by our mothers and fathers. This ability to name was given to us by God at creation when Adam gave names to the creatures God had created. I have studied my own genealogy and discovered that in the eighteenth century my ancestors were named after family members; then in the nineteenth century biblical names were used; and in the twentieth century we went back to family names so my middle name, Thomas, is my grandmother’s maiden name.

We all have names from our parents but our name is not the same thing as our identity. In Washington DC most people are identified by the work they do and where they are from. Where you work is important because Washington is a place of power and where you work indicates your proximity to that power. Where you are from is important because almost everyone in Washington is from someplace else. So in casual conversations the first things we always ask is “Where do you work?” and “Where are you from?”

I have found that Koreans approach identity in a very different way. They often seem surprised when I ask them where they work or which city in Korea they come from. For Koreans identity is determined by title and age. One’s title and age determines the respect that someone in owed. For example I am a “moxa”, or pastor. Because the title “moxa” is considered very prestigious in Korean culture the respect suffix “nim” is usually attached so I am called respectfully “moxanim”. When addressing each other Koreans use titles rather than names. The second aspect of Korean identity is age. The older you are the more respect you receive. So in casual conversations you will be asked how old you are. Although determining one’s age is vitally important in Korean culture you can see how offensive that would be in American culture. Just ask the typical American woman how old she is and see what happens.

I am still trying to figure out how people are identified in California culture. In casual conversations here people rarely ask what you do or where you are from. And we never ask for title and age. From what I can detect identity in California seems to be tied to cell phone numbers and email addresses.

Of course God gives us our real identity. We are Christians, followers of Jesus Christ the Son of God. And this brings us to Peter.

Matthew 16:13-20 ¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴ And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." ¹⁵ He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Just before beginning his journey to Jerusalem and the cross Jesus took his disciples to the northern part of Galilee near Lebanon and Mt. Hermon. They went to a new city built by the Tetrarch Philip and dedicated to the Emperor Tiberius. Notice these important people are identified by their titles.

While they were traveling Jesus was talking to his disciples and asking them questions. One question was about identity. “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” All educated Hebrews would know about the Son of Man. The prophet Daniel predicted that a human being would come directly from heaven to rule the earth with power given by God. Their expectation was that this person would come to lead God’s people from slavery to Rome to the promised land of the Kingdom of Heaven. Some were even speculating that this person had already arrived on earth. Could it be that Elijah, Jeremiah, or another of the prophets was about to return to earth from heaven? Could a great leader and prophet like John the Baptist be resurrected from the dead to rule God’s kingdom on earth? And as Jesus’ miracles became well known some were beginning to think that he might be the Son of Man.

Another question from Jesus to the disciples was: “Who do you say that I am”. This is a question we are still asking. Who is Jesus? Some say that Jesus was a good teacher of morality. Others say that Jesus was a prophet. And still others say that Jesus was an historical figure of minor importance in the first century. But for Christians the answer to this question defines who we are and gives us our identity. So lets look at the identity of the first Christian, Simon Peter.

Simon was given the Aramaic name Cephas by his parents. English speakers pronounce it Simon. Simon was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee as his father and grandfather had been. His identity was tied to his family and their work for generations. Changing identities in this culture was nearly impossible. You were expected to do what your father did and your son was expected to follow you. Your identity was tied to your family. But when Simon left his fishing nets to follow Jesus he left behind his identity and took on a new one as a disciple of Jesus. And now Jesus was asking him to identity who Jesus himself was. Simon identified Jesus as the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ, and as the Son of the living God. With this confession Simon identified himself as a Christian, one who believes that this Jesus of Nazareth was truly the long expected messiah and God’s own son. Whenever Jesus hears this confession from the lips of his people he knows that we are his followers and have assembled into his church. And that is why we confess each Sunday that we believe in Jesus Christ our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost.

When Simon made this confession Jesus knew that Simon now had a new identity as a Christian. So Jesus gave Simon a new name symbolizing his new identity. Jesus called him Peter or “Petros” which sounds to Greek speakers a lot like “petras” which means “rock”. Simon became Peter the rock upon which Jesus Christ would build his church.

Church history tells us that Simon Peter became the Bishop of Rome, and in that role he collected and preserved the writings which one day would become the New Testament. Peter and the bishops, priests, pastors and teachers who would follow would preserve these writings as authentic presentations of orthodox faith in Jesus Christ, protecting them from heretical teachings. It is upon this rock, the Word of God, that the church of Jesus Christ is built. This rock, the Word of God, will never be shaken in an earthquake; it will support the church forever.

As Christians we are identified as people who stand on the solid foundation of the Word of God. The Word of God contains the keys that unlock the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why it is so important to be in church every Sunday to hear the Word of God read, preached and taught. As we hear faithful preaching and teaching it enters our hearts changing us into disciples of Jesus Christ and unlocking the gates of heaven which lead to eternal life. So who are we? We are Christians who confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and the Son of the living God. Our identity is built on the solid foundation of the Word of God which though faithful preaching and teaching unlocks for us the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that you are the Christ, the Son of God. We thank you for blessing us with the church that has preserved the Word of God for two millennia. Open us to receive this Word into our lives though the preaching and teaching of this church today. And give us the new name “Christian”, as those who follow you. Amen.