20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” 21 And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Since the crowd did not know who Jesus was, did Jesus’ disciples come to grips with who He was?
9:20
He said to them, “But who do you [emphatic] say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ [Messiah] of God.”
Jesus asked the Twelve who they believed He was, but Peter, the leader of the Twelve, answered that Jesus was “the Christ of God” (Mt 16:16). Peter’s point was that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Peter’s answer was clear and precise. This confession was a crucial turning point for the apostles.
The coming Messiah was the national expectation of the nation of Israel. They believed that the Messiah would overthrow the Roman government and set up His kingdom.
9:21
And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one,
Jesus strictly warned the apostles not to tell His identity. It was not the right time for that. The nation of Israel was not yet ready for His message; they were expecting a Messiah who would establish a government that would bring salvation to the national entity.
9:22
saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Jesus summarized His future with four statements: (1) He would suffer many things, (2) religious leaders would reject him, (3) He would be killed, and (4) He would rise from the dead on the third day.
Jesus spoke of Himself as the “Son of Man,” a designation that occurs 30 times in Matthew. It carries the idea of His exaltation. The title “Son of Man” originated in Daniel 7:13-14.
This verse is the first proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the third day. These events are a “must.” Jesus’ suffering was no accident but a divine necessity. The fate of Jesus to be crucified is primary to understanding His mission.
Jesus foretold that religious leadership would “reject” Him as the Messiah. The word “rejection” is a technical term meaning to reject after thorough legal scrutiny. The national leaders of Israel would formally reject Jesus as the Messiah.
Three groups were unified about putting Jesus to death (note the singular “the” preceding the groups). This new information was a blow to the apostles because they had assumed the Messiah would establish His kingdom on earth during their lifetime. Jesus would not usher in His kingdom but suffer death before that event. He would ultimately rise from the dead in triumph.
PRINCIPLE:
Recognition of Jesus’ person is the first step of discipleship.
APPLICATION:
Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah opened the door to discipleship (Lu 9:23-50). To minister effectively, disciples must have a clear view of who Christ was and trust in Him. Jesus was more than a prophet; He was the Messiah, the promised Ruler, who had come to earth. If we do not understand Jesus’ unique role on earth, we will miss the significance of being a disciple. Jesus was not only a messenger, but He was also the message.
Jesus’ followers were to preach Jesus not as a healer but as Savior. Their message carried a “must,” an unalterable gospel. That “must” included suffering for sins on the cross. This understanding corrected the problem the apostles had that Jesus would immediately set up His kingdom and conquer Rome. It was imperative that the apostles understand the complete plan for the Messiah, which would involve trouble and suffering.
