Peter’s confession About Jesus (Mt. 16:13-20)

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 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 ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.

Caesarea Philippi was a town on the Northern end of Palestine that was rebuilt by Herod the Great’s son Philip in honor of Emperor Caesar Augustus.  Jesus asked his disciples about the rumors of his identity.  The title ‘Son of Man’ was used in the Book of Daniel (Dan 7:13-14).  There were rumors that John the Baptist was resurrected (Mt. 14:2), that Elijah had returned (Mt. 17:10), and that Jerimiah had returned (2 Mac. 15:13-16).  It was also thought that other prophets would return in the Messianic age.  When Jesus pressed the disciples, Peter acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah, “the Son of the living God (v. 16).”  Jesus told Peter that his confession of faith was revealed to him by God and gave Peter primacy over the disciples and the post-resurrection Church.  When Jesus was before the Sanhedrin after he was arrested, Caiaphas the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?”  When Jesus answered, “I am,” he was found guilty of blasphemy (Mk. 14:61-64).

Jesus’ miracles and prophecy could eventually have led Peter to the conclusion that Jesus was of Divine origin, but Jesus made it clear that it was God who revealed to Peter alone that he was God’s son, the Messiah, the promised savior.  Peter had been singled out by God to be the human foundation for Jesus’ Church.  Thus one must have a belief in the divinity of Christ to be a true member of his Church.  Jesus then clarified the different meanings of Peter’s name.  Simon Bar-Jonah = son of Jonah (v. 17) = son of John, Peter’s father (Jn. 1:42).  Cephas (Jn. 1:42) means the Rock in Aramaic and it is upon Peter the rock that Jesus will build his Church (v. 18).  Peter was given primacy (Jn. 21:15-17).  He was given the keys, i.e. all the power necessary to carry out the mission of growing the Kingdom.  The ‘Church’ is the Kingdom of God in an interim state where salvation is determined on Earth and God will bind or loose whomever Peter, or the disciples (Mt. 18:18) bind or loose.  Binding should be understood as binding the devil and exorcising evil spirits.  Peter would be the foundation on which the Church comprised of both Jews and gentiles would be sustained through the Holy Spirit, and evil will not prevail against it. 

Almighty God, grant us the gift of faith to believe in the divinity of Christ as you revealed it to Peter..  May we be among those loosed from the bonds of sin who are brought to salvation by God’s merciful grace.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

                Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.