18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah in 9:18-21. This event took place in Caesarea Philippi near the slopes of Mount Hermon in far northern Israel, a pagan city.
9:18
And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
In the context of having prayed alone, Jesus asked the Twelve who they believed He was—this question of who Jesus is is fundamental to discipleship. Jesus always prayed before major events in His life. His example in prayer exemplified dependence on the Father.
9:19
So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
Several ideas about who Jesus was floated among people. Some theorized that John the Baptist had come back. John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah and announced His coming. Elijah was an Old Testament prophet. The three responses were connected to prophets, but Jesus was more than a prophet. They regarded Jesus with respect, but they did not fully grasp who He was.
PRINCIPLE:
Understanding the identity of the person of Christ is fundamental to discipleship.
APPLICATION:
We cannot diminish who Jesus was if we are going to be disciples of His. Love and devotion toward Jesus are at the heart of following Him.
