Matthew 16:13-20
Peter's Confession of Christ
13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14They 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?"
16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And 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. 19I 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." 20Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
Jesus ask His disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"...Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man (Matthew 11:19)...He wants and expects an answer from His disciples...His disciples replied, that some thought the Son of Man is John the Baptist, and some think the Son of Man is Jeremiah or one of the prophets...
Then Jesus ask the Twelve, who they think He is...Simon Peter answers Him...Peter means rock...He says "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."...Jesus blesses Simon Peter...Peter knows Jesus to be the Son of Man, because God had revealed this to Him...Jesus tells His Disciples that on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it...The disciples would be given the keys to the kingdom of heaven...Whatever the disciples refuse or prohibit on earth will be refused or prohibited in heaven, and whatever they permit or allow on earth will be permitted or allowed in heaven...They will set the standard for His followers...The Twelve will be the standard for Christian living...The people who follow His disciples, after He dies, and is resurrected will be taught and follow them on earth...The Twelve will be the ones on earth to build the church...Confession, of who Jesus is, to others is how the church will grow...They confession of believers, like Peter did here, is the rock (confession about Him to others) of the church, and will be the foundation to the new church...These confessions about Him to others are very important, (again) it is how the new church and Christianity will grow...
Jesus then tells His disciples that they are not to tell anyone that He is the Messiah...After His death, the resurrection, the Sign of Jonah, would prove that He is the Son of Man...
Jesus wants us to seek Him and ask who He is...Jesus knew better than His disciples, what people thought about Him and who He was...Jesus knows all things...They would all have been thinking about Him, as they walked with Him everyday...They would see Him heal everyone who believed in Him and do many miracles...Jesus wanted the Twelve disciples to express their ideas about Him aloud and to others...He wants us to find Him with all our hearts, with all our minds, and with all our souls...When we find Him, He wants all of us and not just a part of us -the heart, the mind, the and our soul, everything...We either believe that He is our Messiah or we don't...We cannot believe that He might be or believe in one-half of a Messiah...And after we believe, He wants us to tell others...Jesus teaches us that whoever acknowledges Him before men, I will acknowledge him before My Father in heaven...But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32-33)...