Matthew 16:13-18 Rocks
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 27, 2019 Matthew 16:13-18
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(Understanding the Text) They left the area of the Sea of Galilee and went into the area of Caesarea Philippi, which is north in the area today known as the Golan Heights. It is in a disputed area claimed by Israel and either Lebanon or Jordan (I’m not sure which). The point is that Jesus took the disciples out of Galilee to an area that is as far north as you can get and still be sort of in present day Israel.
Hastings’ commentary says “The scene of Christ’s charge to Peter (Mat_16:13-20, Mar_8:27). Here was a sanctuary of Pan—a fact still remembered in the modern name Banias—and when Herod the Great received the territory from Augustus in B.C. 20, he erected here a temple. His son Philip refounded the city, and changed its name from Paneas to Cæsarea in honour of Augustus—adding his own name to distinguish the town from the similarly named city founded by his father on the sea-coast. For a while it was called Neronias, but ultimately the old name came once more to the surface and ousted the others. Here Titus celebrated with gladiatorial shows the capture of Jerusalem. It was captured by the Crusaders in 1130, and finally lost by them to the Moslems in 1165. It lies 1150 ft. above the sea in a recess of the Hermon mountains, and is well watered. Under the ancient castle of the Crusaders a copious stream issued from a cave, now much choked with fallen fragments of rock, where was the shrine of Pan. The modern village is small, and the remains of the Roman city meagre.”
(Revelation of God) Jesus took the disciples far away from the crowds and far away from anyone else in order to make the announcement that He was the Messiah. He did not want anyone else influencing them when He confirmed what they suspected or believed. John the Baptist had pointed Jesus out as the Messiah, but Jesus had been careful to never confirm His Messiahship. Now, the disciples were ready for the next step in their training. They had already gone out alone to proclaim the message. They had helped with the miracles of the feeding of the 5,000/4,000. They had performed miracles with Him, but He had never confirmed to them that He was more than a prophet like Elisha, who could do miracles.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus opens the conversation with a rabbinical question. Who do other people say that I am? The answers show the confusion of the people: John the Baptist-risen from the dead, Elijah-who should come before the Messiah, Jeremiah-why him?, one of the prophets. The people seemed to believe that someone would come back from the dead. They knew that Jesus was unlike anyone living, so they must have assumed that one of the old miracle-working prophets was at work. The disciples were careful to avoid the M-word to this point.
Then Jesus asks who the disciples believed that He was. Peter did not simply answer the anointed one, but that Jesus was the Anointed One, the Son of the Living God. He had been listening to Jesus speak of God as His Father, so Peter dimly understood that that relationship was important. Jesus confirmed His identity.
Jesus identifies Peter by his full name here, Simon Bar-Jonah. Then He says that Simon is Rock/Petro according to Strong’s dictionary. Petro is the masculine form of the word. Later when Jesus says “upon this rock,” He uses the feminine form of the word. In other words, the word is modified to be a man’s name in naming Peter, but it is used as a general word in its normal form in the statement about building the church. That was my understanding using Strong’s; however, the SDA commentary says that Petros is a small rock while petra is a huge rock or rock shelf. It says that probably Jesus was using Aramaic to speak and actually said that Simon was Cephas, which can be translated as either small or huge rocks; however, it points out that for Matthew to use the two different forms in Greek may indicate the difference in meaning.
Names in the Bible are used symbolically. I think that it was not Peter the man that Jesus was saying He would use to build His church, but Peter as a symbol of faith in Jesus. Jesus would build His church on the faith that His disciples had in Him. That faith would be strong enough to triumph over any adversary, obstacle, or barrier. Satan himself would not be able to overcome the disciples’ faith in Jesus. This was something Jesus could work with, their faith in Him as the Anointed Son of the Living God. As long as the disciples believed that the Living God was their Master and the Anointed One was their leader, they could go out and conquer the world for the kingdom of heaven.
Note: I have a little different understanding of this text presently. I need to study it more.
(Application) My application for myself is that I need to have faith in Jesus as my leader and the Father as the Living God so that I will not fall. As long as I put my trust in the Living God and follow the Lamb wherever He leads me, I will triumph. I need to stop feeling inadequate because some preacher is trying to rile people up and quotes numbers of baptisms. I need to stop doubting myself when other people’s definitions of success in Christian living and missionary work do not match my life. I need to stop worrying and comparing myself to others. I have one job and a promise that it will lead to success. I need to trust the Living God and follow the Lamb. As long as I trust the Father to be the God of the Universe who is intimately involved in His creations, loving us and wanting the best for us and interacting with us, as long as I trust Jesus and follow His leading in my life, I will be where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to do. That is heaven’s definition of triumph.
(Prayer) Give me faith to trust You to take care of Your business. Give me guidance to follow where You lead. Give me confidence in the path that You have led me. Don’t let others chip away at my confidence in Your leading.