Paper 157 Overview: At Caesarea:Philippi

This paper describes Jesus and his apostles visiting the area of Caesarea-Philippi. Before going there, Jesus tried to meet with his family in Capernaum, but Pharisees were watching his mother's house. During their journey, Peter made an important declaration that Jesus was "the Son of the living God." Jesus told his apostles this truth came from his Father in heaven.

Jesus then began teaching the apostles more openly about his divine nature. He explained that he was building a spiritual brotherhood in his Father's kingdom. Jesus started preparing his followers for the final phase of his mission on earth, telling them plainly that he was not just a teacher but the divine Son of God who would soon face great challenges.

Before taking the twelve apostles to Caesarea-Philippi, Jesus arranged to meet his family at the Zebedee boatshop in Capernaum on Sunday, August 7. David Zebedee had arranged with Jesus's brother Jude for Mary and all of Jesus's brothers and sisters to be there. Jesus went with Andrew and Peter to keep this appointment.

Unfortunately, some Pharisees knew Jesus was in the area and decided to visit Mary's home. They stayed there waiting for Jesus to arrive. This prevented any of Jesus's family from leaving to meet him. When David's messengers told Jesus about the Pharisees, he chose not to visit his family, so once again, they missed seeing each other.

While Jesus, Andrew, and Peter were waiting by the lake near the boatshop, a temple-tax collector recognized Jesus. He asked Peter if Jesus paid the temple tax. Peter said yes and promised to return with the money, even though none of them had brought any funds with them.

When Peter told Jesus about this promise, Jesus agreed they should pay the tax to avoid giving offense. He told Peter to go fishing and sell the catch to pay for all three of them. David's messenger, who overheard this conversation, helped provide fish that Peter could sell to pay the tax. Later, this event was expanded into a miracle story about Peter catching a fish with a coin in its mouth.

On Monday, August 8, Jesus and the twelve apostles camped in Magadan Park, near Bethsaida-Julias. Over one hundred believers, including evangelists and the women's corps, came from Capernaum for a conference. Many Pharisees also came to try to trap Jesus.

The Pharisees demanded a sign of Jesus's authority to teach. Jesus answered that they could predict the weather by looking at the sky but could not recognize the signs of the times. After this, Jesus withdrew to plan with his followers for a mission throughout the Decapolis region. He warned them about the "leaven" (influence) of the Pharisees and Sadducees, urging them to follow the spirit of living truth rather than empty religious forms.

Early Tuesday morning, Jesus and the apostles left for Caesarea-Philippi, located in a beautiful valley with views of Mount Hermon and the Sea of Galilee. As they journeyed, the apostles discussed their recent experiences and how different people viewed Jesus.

During lunch, Jesus asked them, "Who do men say that I am?" After hearing various answers, he asked, "But who say you that I am?" Peter jumped up and declared, "You are the Deliverer, the Son of the living God." Jesus told them this truth had been revealed by his Father in heaven, but for now, they should tell no one.

Since Jesus's baptism by John and the water-to-wine miracle at Cana, the apostles had sometimes believed Jesus was the Messiah. However, Jesus often confused them by saying or doing things that didn't match their expectations of a Messiah. This created an ongoing conflict between their ideas and their experiences with Jesus.

The next day at noon, Jesus asked if they still agreed with Peter's declaration about who he was. Peter confirmed they all believed Jesus was the Son of the living God. Jesus explained this belief came through revelation from his Father's spirit, not from human knowledge. He said he would build his spiritual kingdom on this foundation and gave them "the keys of the outward kingdom" - authority over the social aspects of their fellowship.

The important new element in Peter's confession was his clear recognition that Jesus was the Son of God - divine, not just a human Messiah. The Jewish concept of the Messiah did not include divinity, but Peter acknowledged both Jesus's humanity (Son of Man) and his divinity (Son of God).

For three years, Jesus had called himself the "Son of Man" while the apostles kept thinking of him as the expected Jewish Messiah. Now he decided to openly acknowledge his divinity and build his kingdom on the concept of his combined nature as both human and divine. This was a bold departure from their previous understanding.

Jesus and the apostles remained another day at Celsus's home waiting for messengers from David Zebedee with funds. After their public ministry became less popular, their treasury had become empty. Matthew was reluctant to leave Jesus during this difficult time, though he expected money soon from selling his last property in Capernaum.

Jesus was now entering the fourth and final stage of his human life. The first stage was his childhood when he was only dimly aware of his nature and destiny. The second stage extended through his youth and early manhood until his baptism. The third stage covered his ministry as teacher and healer up to Peter's confession. The fourth stage began at Caesarea-Philippi, marked by his open acknowledgment of his divinity.

That evening, Andrew held personal conferences with each apostle. He had productive talks with all of them except Judas Iscariot. Andrew had never felt as close to Judas as to the others, and now he was worried about Judas's attitude, so he spoke with Jesus about it.

Jesus told Andrew to continue trusting Judas but not to mention their conversation to the others. Judas had been upset by several events: John the Baptist's death, Jesus's rebukes, Jesus refusing to be made king, and the empty treasury. Being from Judea while the others were from Galilee, Judas took offense at Jesus's warning about the "leaven of the Pharisees," thinking it referred to him.