So it is to the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, the utmost borders
satisfied. The struggle was between their convictions, which told them He was the Christ, and their corruptions, which said no, because He was not such a Christ as they expected. Those who choose to be sceptics may, if they please, hold the balance so that the most cogent arguments may not weigh down the most trifling objections, but the scales may still hang even. Again, it was an instance of their impudence and presumption that they laid the blame of their doubting upon Christ Himself, as if He made them to doubt by inconsistency with Himself. If wisdom's saying appear doubtful, the fault is not in the object— "they are all plain to Him that understandeth"—but in the eye. Christ would make us believe; we make ourselves doubt.
Tell us "in so many words'', either that thou art the Christ, or, as John the Baptist, that you are not (John i. 20). This pressing query of theirs was seemingly good. They pretended to be desirous to know the truth, as if they were ready to embrace it. But it was really bad, and put with an ill design. If He should tell them plainly that He was the Christ, there needed no more to make Him obnoxious to the jealousy and severity of the Roman Government. Everyone knew that the Messiah was to be a King. Therefore whoever pretended to be the Messiah would be prosecuted as a traitor, which was the thing they would have been at. For let Him tell them never so plainly that He was the Christ, they would have this to say presently, "Thou bearest witness of Thyself', as they had (cf. John viii. 13).
11. PETER'S GREAT CONFESSION
So it is to the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, the utmost borders of the land of Canaan, northward, that we must turn to hear, and see Jesus receive, the claim: ''Thou art the Christ.' It was in that remote corner, where there was perhaps less flocking after Him than in other places, where He found leisure for a private conversation with His disciples about people's estimates of His character and mission, and, finally, He puts this question directly to them: "But whom say ye that I am?" (Matt. xvi. 15).
(a) The disciples had themselves been better taught than others— had, by their intimacy with Christ, greater advantage of getting knowledge than others had. It is justly expected that those who enjoy greater plenty of the means of knowledge and grace than others should have more clear and distinct knowledge of
Christ 47 the things of God than others; those who have more acquaintance with Christ than others should have their sentiments concerning Him and be able to give a better account of Him than others.
(6) The disciples were trained up to teach others, and therefore it was highly requisite they should understand the truth themselves. "Ye that are to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, what are your notions of Him who sends you?" Ministers must be examined before they are sent out, especially what their sentiments are of Christ, and whom they say He is. For how can they be owned as ministers of Christ, that are either ignorant or erroneous concerning Christ? This is a question we should, every one of us, be frequently putting to ourselves: '"' Whom do we say, what kind of one do we say, that the Lord is? Is he precious to us? Is he, in our eyes, the chief of ten thousand? Is He the beloved of our souls? It is well or ill with us, according as our thoughts are right or wrong concerning Jesus Christ.
This was the question; now let us observe Peter's answer. To the former question concerning the opinion others had of Christ several disciples answered according as they had heard people talk. But to this Peter answers in the name of all the rest, they all consenting to it and concurring in it. Peter's temper led him to be forward in speaking upon all such occasions —sometimes he spoke well; sometimes amiss.
Peter's answer is short, but it is full, and true, and to the purpose. Here is a confession of the Christian faith, addressed to Christ, and so made an act of devotion. Here is a confession of the true God, as the living God, in opposition to dumb and dead idols, and of ''Jesus Christ whom he sent, whom to know is life eternal'. This is the conclusion of the whole matter. The people called Him a prophet, but the disciples own Him to be "'the Christ'', the "anointed one''; the great Prophet, Priest, and King of the Church; the true Messiah promised to the fathers, and depended on by them as He that should come. It was a great thing to believe this concerning one whose outward appearance was so contrary to the general idea the Jews had of the Messiah. Then, again, He called Himself the Son of man, but they owned Him to be the Son of the living God. The people's notion of Him was that He was the ghost of a dead man, Elias or Jeremias; but they know and believe Him to be the Son of the living God, who "has life