Luke 9:18-22

Jesus died in our place so that we could live eternally with Him in the Kingdom of God!

John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of all!

To follow God's lead many men and women have faced risks to step out in obedience to God's guidance.

● "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8).

● Esther followed the commands of her uncle Mordecai to approach the king on behalf of her people, the Jews, even though it was against the law to do so (Esther 4:14-16).

● The conversion of Saul to Paul in the book of Acts took place only as he was obedient to the voice of Jesus in the midst of blindness (Acts 9:3-19).

We may be tempted to think this type of courage is only for ancient heroes of the Bible, but in truth, they were people a lot like you and me, just following His lead one step at a time. First5 

Our Father invites us to request his help. The scripture says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV). Max Lucado

Luke 9:18-22

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.” 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.” The New King James Version

In Matthew, Jesus refers to the Son of Man when He asks this question, associating this apocalyptic, messianic figure with Himself.

Peter, perhaps acting as the group’s spokesman, identifies Jesus as God’s anointed one.

As in Matthew and Mark, Peter’s confession is followed immediately by Jesus’ first prediction of His death and resurrection. Following His resurrection, Jesus’ disciples would be commissioned to make known explicitly what His signs and wonders revealed—Jesus’ identity as God’s Son and anointed one. Faithlife Study Bible

The emphasis here is on the messianic role of Jesus. He is the Promised One who was ushering in a new era. However, Jesus would soon reveal to the disciples that His messiahship would have elements of suffering that the disciples did not expect. 

Jesus knew that the messianic role that the people and the disciples expected was much different from His actual role as the Messiah. The element of suffering that the Messiah would endure was not a part of popular expectation. Thus Jesus’ messiahship could not be openly proclaimed before the true nature of the Messiah was revealed. 

The disciples struggled to understand what Jesus was saying. They could not comprehend how Jesus’ predictions fit into God’s plan. Only after Jesus’ resurrection and His explanation of the Scriptures to them did they begin to understand. The NKJV Study Bible

Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.