Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Messiah of God.” 21 He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
The daily blog from now until Advent (November 30, 2025) will move semi-continuously through Luke’s “journey” and Jerusalem teaching—from Peter’s Confession and Christ’s Mission in Lk. 9:18-22 to the apocalyptic discourse in Lk. 21:5-36.
Jesus is praying, and the disciples are near Him (v. 18). In Luke, prayer prepares decisive moments. After this time of prayer, Jesus asks who the crowds think He is. Their answers—John the Baptist, Elijah, or a prophet from long ago—are respectful but incomplete (vv. 18-19). Luke has already shown how widespread these opinions were. Herod heard reports of Jesus’ works and was told the same three views: John raised from the dead, Elijah, or an ancient prophet arisen (Lk. 9:7-8). The repetition of the same list in vv. 18-19 shows how pervasive these opinions had become as Jesus’ deeds spread through the region. People recognized God’s power in Him, but they fit Him into familiar biblical categories—like John the Baptist, Elijah, or a past prophet returned—rather than receiving Him as the promised Messiah.
Then Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter speaks for the group: “The Messiah of God” (v. 20). According to Matthew, Peter’s confession is a gift of revelation from the Father (Mt. 16:17). Jesus then governs how this truth is received: He commands silence and immediately begins to define the Messiah’s mission (Lk. 9:21-22), because the true confession must be held together with the cross and the third day.
Jesus “rebukes” them and orders silence for a time (v. 21). The silence is protective. If the “Messiah” is announced without the cross, people will force a political meaning onto a divine mission. He therefore states the mission plainly: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised” (v. 22).
Here, the confession (“You are the Messiah”) and the mission (“The Son of Man must suffer… be killed… be raised”) are inseparable. The “must” (Greek: dei) states divine necessity. God’s plan requires this path. “Son of Man” is Jesus’ chosen title. It can mean “a human being,” but it also recalls Dan. 7:13-14, where one like a son of man receives everlasting dominion from God. Jesus unites this royal figure with the Servant who suffers (cf. Is. 52-53). He will save not by earthly victory but by obedient suffering, real death, and true rising.
Luke names those who will reject Him: the elders, chief priests, and scribes (v. 22). These were leadership groups of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. “Elders” were respected lay leaders. “Chief priests” belonged to high-priestly families who oversaw temple worship. “Scribes” were trained experts in the Law. Together, they represent an official, public rejection. Jesus teaches that His death will not be a private tragedy but a formal condemnation (Lk. 22:66-71). Even that does not cancel God’s plan. It fulfills what the Messiah came to do (Lk. 24:26-27, 44-46).
“Be killed” means an actual, violent death. “On the third day be raised” means a real resurrection. This is not a memory or symbol. The eternal God will act in human time and raise Jesus from the dead—an event with both historical and eternal consequences for mankind. In Scripture, ‘the third day’ often marks decisive divine help (cf. Hos. 6:2). Jesus places the cross and the Resurrection together to teach the disciples the gravity and the hope of His mission, though they would not grasp this fully until after He was raised.
Jesus’ death is also recorded outside the New Testament. The Roman historian Tacitus reports that “Christus” was executed under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius (Annals 15.44). The Jewish historian Josephus likewise notes that Jesus was condemned under Pilate (Antiquities 18.3.3). These accounts fix the crucifixion in public, datable history and confirm what the Gospels report.
Peter’s confession is therefore the door into right understanding. To call Jesus “the Messiah of God” is correct only if we accept how He defines His work. He is not a nationalist king or a miracle-worker sent to confirm human plans. Many in Israel—including some religious leaders—misread God’s promises, expecting immediate political restoration rather than the Messiah who would suffer, die, and be raised as the Scriptures foretold (cf. Is. 52-53; Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 12:10). He is the Anointed One who offers His life for sinners (Mk. 10:45) and who is raised in power (1 Cor. 15:43). The confession without the cross becomes a misuse of His title. The cross without the confession reduces Jesus to a tragic figure. Kept together, they deliver the Gospel: Jesus is the Christ who saves by His suffering, death, and third-day rising.
Luke shows Jesus praying at decisive moments (cf. Lk. 3:21; 6:12; 9:18; 9:28; 22:41). He prays because, as true man, He lives in perfect communion with the Father and seeks the Father’s will before acting. His prayer orders His mission and strengthens His obedience. Prayer steadies the disciples against false images of Jesus. Prayer also prepares obedience, because following a crucified and risen Messiah demands trust. For the disciples, Jesus’ prayer clears away false ideas, prepares them to receive His hard sayings about the cross and the third day, and forms them to ask rightly (cf. Lk. 11:1). For us, prayer keeps our confession (“You are the Messiah of God”) aligned with Christ’s own definition of His mission. It makes us steady, humble, and obedient; it strengthens us to carry our crosses; and it protects us from reshaping Jesus to fit our plans rather than letting His word shape our lives.
As Christians today, we confess with Peter that Jesus is the Messiah of God. We then receive from Jesus what that confession entails: the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and on the third day be raised. This truth corrects expectations, purifies hope, and gives firm ground to faith. We do not shape Christ around our plans; we allow His mission to shape our lives.
Lord Jesus Christ, Messiah of God and Son of Man, fix our hearts in the truth of your mission. Guard us from false expectations. Help us confess you faithfully, follow you through the cross, and live by the power of your Resurrection. Strengthen the weak, console the sorrowful, and make us steady in hope. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- The Navarre Bible: Luke, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008), on Lk. 9:7-8, 18-22.
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018), “Luke,” on Peter’s confession and the passion prediction.
- The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Brown et al. (1990), “Luke,” on the dei (“must,” v. 22) and the Son of Man.
- St. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444), Commentary on Luke (on Lk. 9:18-22).
- Tacitus, Annals 15.44.
- Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3.
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