Did Peter Realize That Christ Was The Messiah?
Hello Mike, I always assumed that Peter had received the revelation that Jesus was the “Son of the living God”
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”
The first part of my question: did Peter actually realize “You are THE Christ…”
Eph 1:9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which he purposed in Himself
10: that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him.But then:
Mat:16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying “far be it from you Lord, this shall not happen to You.
23: But He turned and said to Peter, “get behind me Satan. You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of men.Is this the same as:
Act 4:26: The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ. Rom 8: 6: For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spritually minded is life and peace.
7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of god, nor indeed can it be.
8: So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God.Job 40:2 Shall the one who contents with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.
And finally:
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Our quickness to believe the lie – our righteousness (filthy rags) is amazing. So truly:
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said “it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”
Please correct me on all mis- points. I have hesitated to communicate until I am self- assured that I am not short on any point, but that part of me (self- righteous) MUST DIE. Blessing to you and your wonderful family, A____
Hi A____,
I cannot express how pleased I am to see that you are applying what you are learning.
Peter and all the apostles lived every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God, not by actually doing every sin mentioned in the Old Testament, but by simply acknowledging that it was in their flesh (as it is in yours and mine) to be guilty of all the blood of all the prophets from Abel to Zecharias.
No, Peter had not yet fully realized that Christ was the Messiah at the time Christ told Peter that “flesh and blood had not revealed that to him, but that it had been revealed to Peter by His heavenly Father.” But God had begun showing this to Peter just as He slowly reveals His word to each of us. We simply are not capable of receiving it all at one time. Look at these words Christ prayed to His father just shortly before all of His disciples forsook him and denied even knowing who He was:
Joh 17:6 I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word.
“They have kept your Word?” In a matter of hours they would all forsake and deny Him, yet “speaking of those things that are not as though they were,” Christ says “they have kept thy word.”
Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
As Peter and all of the apostles demonstrated on the day of Pentecost, Christ was right.
Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Peter no longer was afraid for his life. Nevertheless, your analysis is exactly right. Mat 16 22-23 is the fulfilling in Peter, and in all of the rest of the apostles, and also in us, of the prophecy in Act 4:26, quoted from Psa 2. But Christ had begun a good work in His apostles, and He performed that work. He will also perform that work in you, and you will be able to say “sin does not have dominion over me, because I am not under the law but under grace.”
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
I really enjoyed our talk, and I am always inspired by your zeal for our Lord and His Word.
Your brother and your friend,
Mike
Other related posts
- With What I Have Been Given (April 2, 2008)
- Why Is The Lie of The Trinity Needed? (January 23, 2006)
- The Spirit Upon David (January 9, 2011)
- Studies in Psalms - Psa 16:13-19 "If Thou Wilt Enter Into Life, Keep the Commandments", Part 3 (February 14, 2019)
- Studies in Psalms - Psa 14:1-7 "Sanctified, and Meet For The Master's Use" (February 11, 2017)
- Elect Presently Experience The Millennium? (August 4, 2008)
- Did Peter Realize That Christ Was The Messiah? (August 15, 2008)
- Did King David Have His Holy Spirit? (February 4, 2009)
- Definition of a True Christian (March 30, 2009)