 Key Verse
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Meditation Jesus reveals His long-suffering love to disciples through the process of personal relationship. Jesus takes time to teach, rebuke, and reveal Himself so disciples can enjoy the abundant life of following Him. In today's reading we see that after feeding multitudes (14:32-39), no one understood Jesus. His enemies demanded more signs (1-12), crowds thought He was a prophet, Elijah, or John the Baptist reincarnated (13-14), and His disciples were completely confused. Rather than rejecting everyone wholesale, Jesus took time to teach, rebuke, and reveal His identity. When asked directly by Jesus, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter had the right answer but the wrong attitude. “You are Christ, the son of the living God!” This phrase will be the Rock on which Jesus builds the Church, but the person of Peter proves to be more of a sand pile. Peter rebuked Jesus for sharing His inevitable suffering (21-23) before three times denying he knew Jesus (26:69-75). The rock of the Church is the revelation of Jesus’ identity- Jesus and His work is the “cornerstone” of the church (21:42, Ephesians 2:19-20). Jesus patiently walks with us to reveal Himself, helping unpack the implications of being His disciple. Jesus is the living God who came to suffer and die so all who trust Him can have abundant life through taking up our own crosses behind Him. (24-26) Disciples who know Jesus personally will walk in love as He loved us, giving Himself for us. To know the long-suffering love of Jesus is to show the long-suffering love of Jesus in our lives, labor, and loves. Today’s Reading And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed. The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees 5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord![e] This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you in today’s reading, especially the long-suffering love of Jesus? -Where has Jesus been patient with you as He has patiently revealed Himself to you? -Jesus is the cornerstone of the church and the proclamation of His divinity and Lordship, in the context of a grace-based relationship, is the rock of the church. How can you center Jesus and His work in your life, labor, leadership, and what you say with your lips? Key Verse 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
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