Peggy,please go through the commentaries for each verse(Matt.16:13-23).May the Lord use you for the extension of His Kingdom.
I take this opportunity to write a few more lines.Mark tells that Jesus & His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Phillipi & on the road He asked the disciples,”Who do men say that I am?”Caesarea phillipi is not a coastal city.It is about 25 miles north of Sea of Galilee located at the main source of River Jordan.”Coast of Caesarea Phillipi “in Matt.16:13 mean “the region of Caesarea Philippi”-places around or attached to the city.
Herod the Great built a temple for Pan here & the city was previously called Paneas.Philip the tetrarch changed the name to Caesarea in honor of Tiberius Caesar,a Roman Emperor & added (his name)Phillipi to it.Luke did not mention the name of the place in his account.(Luke 9:18-22)

Commentary by Alexander
Posted on: 8/7/2008 04:35 am

The Jews were expecting a political leader to build a kingdom for them.
Matthew wrote the Gospel especially to the Jews.He presented Jesus as the long awaited Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.He said about the kingdom of Heaven.Matthew’s Gospel is a link between the Old Testament & the New Testament.After about 400 years of silence after the Book of Malachi
(written about 430 B.C),John the Baptist was sent to announce the coming of Messiah.(Matt.17:10-13).
The Jews expect Messiah as * A prophet like Moses(Deut.18:15-19).*Elijah’s return (Malachi 4:5,6).But their great expectation is like Son of David to come & build a kingdom.(II Sam7:16;Ps89:3,4;132:12.;Ezek.34:24,25;37:24,25;
Hos.3:5)
Jesus has told the disciples that it had been written about Him in The Law of Moses,Prophets & the Psalms.(Luke 24:27,44).From Genesis to Malachi,there are many prophecies about the coming of Messiah.They were fulfilled in Christ.
Now about 2000 years had passed since the first Jews confessed Jesus as Messiah.On God’s time line (in one way)we stand at the same point with them.Jesus came as Saviour in the First Advent.He will return as King of kings.We wait for the Second Return of Jesus Christ(just as they wait for the Messiah).

Commentary by Alexander
Posted on: 7/31/2008 10:08 am

For how many years had the Israelites anticiapeted the arrival of the messiah?

Commentary by cheryl
Posted on: 7/30/2008 02:16 am

Caesarea is a coastal city(on the Mediterranean sea)-home city of Cornelius
(Acts10;1)&Philip,the Evangelist.(Acts 21:8)
Caesarea Philippi is a city in the north extreme of Palestine.Idol worship existed there.Roman god Pan was worshiped.It was Philip,son of Herod the Great,named the city Caesarea Philippi to distinguish from the other city mentioned above.An interesting & important conversation & discussion took place between Jesus &His disciples when they visited this city.The details are found in the Synoptic Gospels.(Matt.16:13-23;Mark 8:27-33;Luke 9:18-22).
Jesus worked many miracles.He fed 5000 men (excluding women & children)with 5 loaves & 2 fish.(Matt.14:17-21).He healed the lame,blind,dumb,maimed & many others.(Matt.15:30)He fed 4000 men (excluding women & children)with 7 loaves & few little fish.(Matt.15:32-39).Great numbers of people gathered everywhere Jesus went.
At Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked His disciples,”Whom do men say I Son of Man am?”He calls Himself as the Son of Man.In Luke’s Gospel,it is informed that as Jesus was praying alone,He asked the question to the disciples who were with him.(Luke 9:18)-In Luke’s Gospel we find Jesus praying in 3:21;5:16;
6:12;9:18-20;9:29-36;11:1;22:39-46;23:34,46).
Did the disciples knew the mind of the people who were coming to Jesus?Why did they come to Jesus?Did they come to get physical healing only?Did they come to meet their financial needs only?Did they come to see miracles only?Did they have spiritual hunger?
Today what do people think about Jesus?Why do they seek Him?What is the fate of the people who do not know Jesus?We have to pray that people may know Jesus in their personal life as their Saviour & to grow in the spiritual life.

Commentary by Alexander
Posted on: 7/24/2008 15:00 pm

I am a Sunday School teacher looking for more information on Matthew 16:13-23

Commentary by peggy
Posted on: 7/23/2008 12:28 pm