Paper 157 Overview: At Caesarea:Philippi

Paper 157 describes a pivotal period in Jesus' ministry when he and his apostles journeyed to Caesarea-Philippi, a significant turning point when Peter declared Jesus to be "the Son of the living God." Before this journey, Jesus attempted to meet with his family in Capernaum, but Pharisees monitoring his mother's house prevented this reunion. This paper also includes the story of the temple-tax collector and how Jesus handled the situation gracefully to avoid unnecessary controversy.

At Caesarea-Philippi, Jesus directly asked his apostles who they thought he was, leading to Peter's momentous confession of Jesus' divine nature. Jesus confirmed this revelation came from the Father and declared he would build "the brotherhood of the kingdom of heaven" upon this recognition of his divine-human nature. Jesus then began teaching more openly about his divinity and the spiritual nature of the kingdom, preparing his apostles for the challenging times ahead when he would complete his mission on earth.

Before taking his twelve apostles to Caesarea-Philippi, Jesus arranged through David Zebedee's messengers to meet his family at the Zebedee boatshop in Capernaum on Sunday, August 7. His brother Jude had coordinated with Mary and all of Jesus' siblings to be present for this reunion, and Jesus traveled with Andrew and Peter to keep this appointment. Unfortunately, a group of Pharisees, knowing Jesus was in Philip's territory across the lake, decided to visit Mary's home to gather information about his whereabouts.

The arrival of these Jerusalem emissaries caused great anxiety for Mary and the family, who correctly suspected Jesus was planning to visit them. The Pharisees installed themselves in Mary's home and summoned reinforcements, effectively preventing any family members from leaving to meet Jesus. Although Jude and Ruth attempted several times to send word to Jesus, they were unsuccessful due to the vigilant Pharisees. When Jesus learned of the situation through David's messengers, he decided against visiting his family, resulting in another missed opportunity for connection through no fault of either party.

While Jesus, Andrew, and Peter waited by the lake near the boatshop, a temple-tax collector recognized Jesus and approached Peter privately. He inquired whether Jesus paid the temple tax, a potentially contentious matter given Jesus' strained relationship with religious authorities. Peter, noting the tax collector's suspicious expression, understood this might be an attempt to trap Jesus in refusing to pay, which could be used against him.

Peter quickly affirmed that Jesus did pay the tax and promised to return with payment, though none of them had brought money with them. When Peter informed Jesus of his commitment, Jesus agreed they should pay to avoid unnecessary offense, saying: "If you have promised, then should you pay." Jesus instructed Peter to catch and sell fish to raise the needed funds, remarking somewhat humorously about finding a fish with a shekel in its mouth. David's messenger, who overheard this conversation, arranged for Peter to receive several baskets of fish that were sold to cover the tax for all three men, a practical solution that later evolved into the miraculous account recorded in Matthew's Gospel.

On Monday, August 8, Jesus and the twelve apostles encamped in Magadan Park near Bethsaida-Julias. They were joined by more than one hundred believers, including evangelists and the women's corps, who had traveled from Capernaum for a conference. Many Pharisees, learning of Jesus' presence, also arrived, and some Sadducees joined them in their ongoing efforts to entrap Jesus.

Before the private conference with believers, Jesus held a public meeting where the Pharisees heckled him and attempted to disrupt the gathering. Their leader demanded a sign of Jesus' authority, to which Jesus responded by pointing out their ability to forecast weather by observing the sky while remaining blind to the spiritual signs of the times. After this confrontation, Jesus withdrew to plan a mission throughout the Decapolis region with his followers. He warned them about the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Sadducees, urging them not to be deceived by outward religious forms but to focus on "the spirit of living truth and the power of true religion."

Early Tuesday morning, Jesus and the twelve apostles departed for Caesarea-Philippi, the capital of Tetrarch Philip's domain, situated in a beautiful valley with views of Mount Hermon. This location held personal significance for Jesus, who had visited Mount Hermon earlier in his ministry. As they journeyed, the apostles discussed how different people perceived Jesus based on their recent experiences in Phoenicia and elsewhere.

During a lunch break, Jesus posed a surprising question to his apostles: "Who do men say that I am?" After hearing various responses about how he was viewed as a prophet or extraordinary man, Jesus asked the more pointed question: "But who say you that I am?" Simon Peter immediately stood and declared, "You are the Deliverer, the Son of the living God." All eleven other apostles rose in agreement, indicating Peter had spoken for them all. Jesus acknowledged this recognition had been revealed by his Father and instructed them to keep this truth to themselves for the time being as they continued their journey to Caesarea-Philippi.

Since Jesus' baptism by John and the water-to-wine miracle at Cana, the apostles had periodically accepted him as the Messiah, but their hope would rise and fall as Jesus' words and actions sometimes contradicted their expectations. They lived in an ongoing state of confusion as they tried to reconcile their traditional concept of the Messiah with their experiences of Jesus' extraordinary yet puzzling ministry.

The following day at noon, as the apostles gathered in Celsus' garden for their meal, Jesus asked if they still affirmed Peter's declaration regarding his identity. Peter, speaking for all of them, confirmed they believed Jesus was "the Son of the living God." Jesus explained this recognition came not from human knowledge but through spiritual revelation from the Father. He then made the momentous declaration that upon this "rock of spiritual reality" he would build "the brotherhood of the kingdom of heaven" which no forces of evil could overcome. Jesus entrusted them with "the keys of the outward kingdom"—authority over the social and economic aspects of their spiritual fellowship—while instructing them to temporarily keep his divine identity confidential.

The revolutionary aspect of Peter's confession was his clear recognition of Jesus' divinity—that he was the Son of God rather than merely a human Messiah. This transcended traditional Jewish expectations, as the concept of the Messiah in Jewish thought did not include divinity. The apostles now acknowledged the dual nature of Jesus as both the Son of Man (human) and the Son of God (divine).

For three years, Jesus had primarily identified himself as the "Son of Man" while the apostles persistently viewed him through the lens of their Messianic expectations. Recognizing this fundamental disconnect, Jesus now chose to explicitly acknowledge his divine nature and build his kingdom upon this combined understanding of his human-divine identity. Rather than continuing to dissuade them from their Messianic hopes, he decided to reveal his true nature as the Son of God and incorporate this truth into their developing concept of his mission and identity.

Jesus and the apostles remained another day at Celsus' home waiting for messengers from David Zebedee to arrive with funds. The declining popularity of Jesus' public ministry had resulted in a significant reduction in financial support, and their treasury was empty upon arriving in Caesarea-Philippi. Matthew was reluctant to abandon Jesus during this financially challenging time, though he anticipated receiving money from the sale of his last property in Capernaum.

With Peter's confession, Jesus entered the fourth and final stage of his earthly life. The first stage encompassed his childhood years when he was only dimly aware of his origin, nature, and destiny. The second stage spanned his increasingly self-conscious youth and advancing manhood, ending with his baptism. The third period extended from his baptism through his years as teacher and healer until Peter's confession at Caesarea-Philippi. This fourth and final stage began with his acknowledgment of divinity and would continue through his final year on earth, characterized by his open recognition of his divine nature while completing his mission to reveal the Father's love to humanity.

That evening, Andrew took the initiative to hold private, searching conferences with each of the apostles. These conversations proved beneficial and encouraging with all the apostles except Judas Iscariot. Andrew had never developed the same close relationship with Judas that he shared with the others, and he became concerned about Judas's increasingly withdrawn attitude.

Andrew consulted Jesus about his concerns regarding Judas, and Jesus advised him to continue trusting Judas while keeping their conversation confidential. Judas had been affected by multiple disappointments: John the Baptist's death, Jesus' rebukes, the failure to make Jesus king, public humiliation when Jesus fled from the Pharisees, and the empty treasury. As a Judean among predominantly Galilean apostles, Judas had taken personal offense at Jesus' warning about the "leaven of the Pharisees." Moreover, while the other apostles engaged in sincere prayer when Jesus sent them off alone, Judas often dwelt on fears, doubts, and thoughts of revenge, creating a growing spiritual distance between himself and the Master.