Jesus Is the Messiah
Matthew 16:13-21
Peter Says Jesus Is the Christ
13 Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. He said to his followers, “Who do people say I amh?”
14 They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptizer.i Others say you are Elijah.j And some say you are Jeremiahk or one of the prophets.l”
15 Then Jesus said to his followers, “And who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ,m the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah. No one taught you that. My Father in heaven showed you who I am. 18 So I tell you, you are Peter.n And I will build my churcho on this rock. The power of deathp will not be able to defeat my church. 19 I will give you the keys to God’s kingdom.q When you speak judgment here on earth, that judgment will be God’s judgment. When you promise forgiveness here on earth, that forgiveness will be God’s forgiveness.”r
20 Then Jesus warned his followers not to tell anyone he was the Christ.
Jesus Says He Must Die
21 From that time Jesus began telling his followers that he must go to Jerusalem. He explained that the older Jewish leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law would make him suffer many things. And he told his followers that he must be killed. Then, on the third day, he would be raised from death.
h 16:13 I am Literally, “the Son of Man is.”
i 16:14 John the Baptizer The man God chose to tell people about Christ’s coming and to prepare them by warning them to change their lives and by baptizing them (see “baptize”) as a sign of their decision to change. Read Mt. 3; Mk. 1:1-11; Lk. 1:5-25, 57-80; 3:1-18.
j 16:14 Elijah A very important Israelite leader and prophet who spoke for God during a 25-year period ending about 850 b.c. In the time of Jesus, the Jews were expecting Elijah to come again before the Messiah. See Mal. 4:5-6.
k 16:14 Jeremiah A man who spoke for God about 600 b.c.
l 16:14 prophet A person who speaks a message from God. Many of the books in the Old Testament are messages spoken or written by “the prophets,” who were some of those God chose to speak for him. God often used dreams or visions to tell or show his prophets what they should say.
m 16:16 Christ Literally, “Anointed,” a title that comes from the Old Testament ceremony in which perfumed oil was poured or rubbed on someone being appointed to a high office, especially that of prophet, priest, or king, to show that this person was chosen by God for that role. The Hebrew word is “Messiah,” a title used for Old Testament kings and for the one God would send as prophet, priest, and king to bring people back to a good relationship with him.
n 16:18 Peter The Greek name “Peter,” like the Aramaic name “Cephas,” means “rock.”
o 16:18 church Literally, “assembly” or “community,” the people who have been brought together as God’s family through their common faith in Jesus Christ. The word often refers to a group of believers who meet together or who live in the same area, but it is also used to mean the worldwide community of all believers in Christ.
p 16:18 power of death Literally, “gates of Hades.”
q 16:19 God’s kingdom The “reign” or “rule” of God over all humanity—a time of great blessing for those who submit to him by accepting Jesus as the Christ (appointed king), who represents God’s kingdom on earth and was the perfect example of submission to the will of God. When people give control of their lives to Jesus, they become a part of God’s kingdom and begin to enjoy the blessings he has promised his people from the beginning. (Note that in Matthew this term also translates the Greek word “kingdom” by itself or the phrase, “the kingdom of the heavens,” which was used by Jews as a way to avoid saying the divine name.)
r 16:19 When you speak … God’s forgiveness Literally, “Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.”