Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”Jesus was questioning his disciples about what others said about him; specifically how they identified him. Next he asked his disciples who they thought him to be. Peter answers brilliantly, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” (v. 16). Christ goes on to tell Peter this has been revealed to him by the heavenly Father and tells Peter, “on this rock I will build my church,” (v. 18).
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. 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. 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.” Matthew 16:16-19, NIV
How excited and pleased Peter must have been at this. Peter was a person capable of great emotion—filled with the capacity for great love, but at times perhaps, could be somewhat over zealous.
Later, Jesus began to explain to his disciples how he would suffer and die and be raised again the on third day. However, popular thinking was the Messiah would overthrow the enemies of
This time there are no accolades for Peter from Jesus, but rebuke. Jesus tells 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,” (v. 23).
Like Peter, we have our highs and lows. And like Peter, Satan loves to attack us when he sees us growing in Christ-likeness. Throughout our earthly journey, Satan will be there to try to coax us into displeasing God. However, as Christians, we can be comforted in knowing God lives within us and blesses our attempts to grow closer to him:
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:7-8a, NIVGod Bless!
