February 26, 2025 | Be God's Family
Peter Proclaims Jesus as the Christ
Scripture: Matthew 16:13-28(NIV)
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Devotional
Jesus revealed surprising information to His disciples about the future in Matthew 16:13-28. Jesus told them that He was “I Am”, He would build His church through Simon Peter, and He would be killed and resurrected. Some believed that Jesus was John the Baptist or a prophet from the Old Testament. Jesus asked His disciples “who do you say I am?” and Simon replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15-16). Jesus blessed Simon and gave him the new name Peter, which means rock in Greek. Jesus told Peter that “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18-19). What a tremendous shock it must have been for Peter to hear that he would be the one to build the Christian church! He felt weak and unworthy. What a change occurred in his life after he was filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost! He did indeed become “The Rock” thereafter for the early Church.
Jesus told His disciples that He would suffer and be killed and resurrected three days later. His death and resurrection were part of the fulfillment of the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. In an early prophecy about the Messiah, King David wrote, “10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:10-11).
Jesus warned His disciples that they would have to “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). God would reward them because of their acts. Jesus asked, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26; KJV).
The Apostle Paul later told people there would be heavenly rewards for those who had changed their lives to follow Jesus. He praised the people who had turned from serving idols to serving the true God (1 Thes 1:8-10). He told them that if they were persistent in doing “good, seek glory, honor and immortality, He [God] will give eternal life” (Romans 2:7).
Questions for Reflection
How have you taken up the cross to follow Jesus?
How has the Holy Spirit strengthened you?
What are new ways you could “take up the cross” of Jesus?
Poem
You Are My Christ!
Psalm 61
You are my Christ!
I stand on Your rock
My house, a strong tower
My soul in you locked
Though hell’s gates assail me
My confidence sure
For You shall sustain me
Life’s storms to endure
For You are my fortress
You are my shield
You are my Christ!
By Spirit revealed
