The Sunday School Lesson

MATT. 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

HEART OF THE LESSON In John 2 we learn that Jesus did many miracles in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, A large number of people believed in Him as a result. However, "Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men.... he knew what was in man" (vss. 24- 25). Now that the cross was drawing near, Jesus wanted to make certain that His own disciples would not turn away as many other "believers" had.

1. The people confused (Matt. 16:13-14). The general feeling among the Jews was that Jesus was someone special, for He could do miracles. But not all agreed He was the Messiah. Many speculated that He was one of the prophets (maybe even John the Baptist) come back to life.

The bottom line is that they found it hard to believe that a humble, "uneducated" rustic from Nazareth was their Messiah. Thus, even if Jesus had wanted to establish an earthly kingdom at that time, the people were too confused to make loyal followers. For their faith to survive the coming turmoil and the Lord's crucifixion, they would have had to have a firm understanding of who Jesus was.

2. The disciples correct (Matt. 16:15-17). Jesus wanted there to be a clear contrast between the bewilderment of the multitudes and the understanding of the Twelve. When He asked the apostles what they believed, He expected a different answer.

Peter, the recognized leader of the disciples and usually the first to speak, immediately affirmed their belief that Jesus was the true Messiah of Israel. This was the central point that they were not to turn away from.

Jesus' response is enlightening. He had spent over three years teaching, training, and doing many signs and wonders to shape His disciples' thinking. He did not, however, say that Peter's discernment had come because of what he had seen and heard. Rather, it came because the Father had done an internal work in his heart. This is a difference we often see: two people see and hear the

same things and have the same experiences, but one turns to the Lord, and the other trusts in himself.

3. Peter commissioned (Matt. 16:18-20). Only after He confirmed Peter and the disciples' unwavering belief in His identity did Jesus move on to give Peter "the keys of the kingdom of heaven." The church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20). This metaphor emphasizes that all of Christendom is rooted in the teachings of Christ and the apostles-no teaching is valid that runs contrary to theirs. All of the apostles' teaching, however, centered on the fact that Jesus was the Messiah who had been prophesied in the Scriptures.

If this fact was so important, you might ask, why did Jesus not want His disciples to tell anyone? The main reason at that time probably related to the fact that He was going toward Jerusalem and wanted to spend the majority of His time with the Twelve.

4. Peter corrected (Matt. 16:21-23). After the ringing statement of faith Peter had made we might think he understood Jesus' mission. However, Peter apparently still thought of his Messiah as a Political rather than a spiritual deliverer. Thus, when Jesus spelled out what was necessary for the Messiah to do-be killed and rise again-Peter was beside himself The Misguided rebuke he gave Jesus was abruptly turned back on him

Sadly, even the Lord's most loyal supporters can think that they know better than their Master. May we submit to His ways always.

(Reprinted by permission of The Incorporated Trustees of the Gospel Worker Society and Union Gospel Press, P.O. Box 6059, Cleveland, Ohio, 44101)