Matthew 16King James Version
Jesus asks the disciples, 'Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?' Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, some Jeremiah. 'But whom say ye that I am?' Peter answers, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus blesses him: upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. From that time he begins to tell them he must go to Jerusalem and be killed and rise again. Peter rebukes him. Jesus says, 'Get thee behind me, Satan.'
The Pharisees and Sadducees demand a sign; Jesus refuses and warns about their leaven. He asks his disciples who people say he is, then who they say he is. Peter answers: you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus blesses him, names him the rock, and gives the keys of the kingdom. He immediately predicts his suffering and death; Peter rebukes him and is rebuked in return. Jesus tells the disciples to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow him.
The moment Peter names Jesus correctly, Jesus begins explaining what kind of Messiah he will be, and it is nothing like what any of them expected.
16: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." The confession everything in Matthew has been building toward, and it arrives mid-book.
Caesarea Philippi was built at the foot of Mount Hermon near the headwaters of the Jordan. The area had shrines to Baal and later to the Greek god Pan, with a cave called the Gates of Hades. When Jesus says the gates of hell will not prevail against his church, he is pointing at the rock face behind him.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, still looking for signs; the disciples in the boat; Peter, who names and is named; Jesus, who praises and then corrects Peter in the same scene.
Peter's confession is the hinge of Matthew's gospel. Everything before it moves toward it; everything after it moves toward the cross. The church-building promise ('on this rock I will build my church') is Matthew's only use of the word 'church' in a narrative context. The Caesarea Philippi setting is pointed: it was a pagan cult site, a location of human power.
For when you have understood something true about a person you love and immediately discovered you also misunderstood them completely. Peter's high and low happen in the same scene, within a few verses. 'Get thee behind me, Satan' arrives right after 'blessed art thou.' The swing is real.
1The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
5And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
6Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
7And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
8Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
9Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
10Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
11How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
12Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17And 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.
18And 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.
19And 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.
20Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
21From 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.
22Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23But 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.
24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.