Sunday 24 August 2008

Background

At the heart of this passage is a question - "Who do you saythat I am?"

Simon Peter answers in his own language - "You are theMessiah".

The word Messiah is a Hebrew title meaning 'the anointed one'. Whenthe Gospel writers translated this into Greek they used the word'Christos' from which we derive the title Christ that is sofrequently given to Jesus.

It was Jewish tradition to anoint their kings as well as theirpriests. So when Judea was an occupied country, with a foreignRoman government, the people spoke of their longing for a Messiah.Someone anointed by God to be their rescuer. Simon had grown upamong a people longing for some heaven-sent rescuer.

Throughout Jesus' ministry Simon has heard him preaching about thekingdom of God and now declares that in this kingdom, Jesus is theking. Jesus' response (verse 18) echoes the name Peter, which means'the rock'.

Peter's declaration of faith - "You are the Messiah, the Son of theliving God" - becomes the rock on which the Church is built.

To Ponder

What answer would you give to Jesus' question"Who do you say that I am?"

What word would you use to sum up what isimportant to you about Jesus?