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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. (Matthew 16:13-20 NIV Bible)
St. Peter is known as the one who allows or not allows people into Heaven. This is because Jesus gave him the keys in Matthew 16:19 which we will get to in a moment. This is the same man who betrayed Jesus three times, as Jesus said he would. Ours is a God of second chances. This passage gives us another glmpse of the core of who this man Peter really was. As the disciples and the Lord come to this region of Caesarea Phillippi, Jesus asks them, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" Jesus, as well as the Twelve, knew there was talk about Him, and them, to be honest. So, Jesus wants them to air out what they were hearing and feeling. Their responses are interesting; "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Please note these are all dead prophets, but great prophets. The people did not know what to think about Jesus. Jesus had turned their world upside down. Their longheld traditions and teachings were being challenged and interpreted in new ways. I would say wonderful ways, but still they did not catch on. The feeling among the disciples was the people were being impacted, but still confused. Jesus then asks them, "But what about you? Who do you say I am?" Here Peter shines, for he says without hesitation, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Boom. "Good answer," was what could have been Jesus' response. He finally got it. He realized Who Jesus really was. Jesus was indeed the Anointed One of God, aka the Messiah, the chosen One to bring the Good News of salvation.
Jesus' response is epic: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven." There was the connection; God had revealed this to him meaning Peter was connected to God through prayer and listening. This pleased Jesus for He says, "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." This is a promise that has echoed through the ages; Peter is said to be the Rock, a play on his name, the chuch needs an unyielding foundation from which the church can proclaim the good news of God's love that will stand strong against the challenges of time and the powers of darkness.
Jesus entrusts his disciple Peter with the symbolic handing over the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. This signifies the authority and responsibility to share the Gospel, which unlocks for humanity the treasures of heaven for them. To bind and loose on earth means the connection to the heavenly realm, showing the connection that God desires with His creation.
Peter is recognized as the first Pope of the Catholic Church. His body is buried in the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City near the site where he was martyred for his faith. He was faithful to Jesus and is known as a man of God. He left everything he knew and loved for the sake of Jesus. Peter answered yes when Jesus said, "Follow me." He also responded to becoming a fisher of people and did all he could thanks to his faith. This makes me ask myself if I have done enough? Has my faith guided me to do all I could for the sake of Jesus? How about you?
PRAYER: Living God, speak to me as I reflect on this passage of Your word. We are grateful for the revelation of Jesus, Our Messiah and Lord; may we, like Peter, recognize Your ability to work in and among us so that we can win more souls to Your work; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Seek to make Jesus known to all people today and all days!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
