When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades (Hell) will not overcome it" (Matthew 1:13-18).

Caesarea Philippi is located near Dan, a paradise of beautiful ponds and lush woods at the head waters of the Jordan River. Set at the russet cliffs of Mt. Hermon, a rock-hewn cave has stood for thousands of years. Nearby are niches, which contain statues of the pagan god Pan, the god of flocks and shepherds. To the ancient people, this cave was known as "The Gates of Hades (Hell)." The large dark opening of the cave was the scene of human sacrifice where people were thrown and never seen again.

Could the disciples have thought that Jesus would build his church at the location of this rock-hewn cave? Nothing is impossible for God! Maybe a better interpretation of the Scripture is that the name Peter means "rock," and Jesus would use Peter to preach the gospel, which He did.

However, the most accepted interpretation of the Scripture is that the "rock" is the truth about who Jesus is--the Messiah, the Savior of our souls--why He came to earth, worked as a servant, suffered, died and rose from the dead for our forgiveness and eternal life.

Think About It 
Jesus experienced every temptation, trial and suffering that we do, and more, but He did not sin. He is our Great High Priest who understands our predicament, loves us and  wants to be in relationship with us. We can cast our cares on Him, knowing He cares for us. The world today can be quite confusing with all its religions, weird ideas and beliefs. Some things people say make sense, but we will only know the truth if we read God's word and spend time with Him in prayer. He wants to take away our confusion. He wants to be our Friend.

Pray About It
Thank you, Lord, for vivid pictures in your word that translate the truth about who you are and why you came, and why you want to be with us forever. Open our eyes to your presence with us every day. In Jesus' name, Amen.

A rich young ruler asked Jesus, "Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life:" Jesus told him to keep the Ten Commandments including "love your neighbor as yourself," and the man said he had done this since he was a boy. As far as he knew, he did everything right, but his question shows the emptiness he felt.

Then Jesus said, "Go sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

​Still empty, the young man walked away sad. He thought he could earn a place in heaven, but Jesus said something different. First he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself," and then "Sell what you own and give to the poor." Do you think if the man loved his neighbor as he loved himself he would have hesitated to give to the poor? Do you think everyone should sell what they have and give the money away? I do not think that is the point of this lesson. The point is, God wants to be our God with no other gods before us (idolatry), whether it is fear, anxiety, money, time, relationships, health, service or anything else that stands in the way of our fellowship with Him.

Think About It
​ "Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). This is the same message Jesus gave the rich young man--humble yourself, take up your cross by being willing to give your all to God and others, then follow Jesus. This is the pathway to heaven.

Pray About It
Holy Father, teach us what it means to follow Jesus so we can be with you forever. Amen.

After Jesus called Philip to be one of his disciples, Philip went to his friend Nathanael. "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph," he said.

"Nazareth!" Nathanael exclaimed. "What good can come from there?" Nazareth was not an important city so he wondered how could the Messiah come from there?

Philip persisted. "Come and see!"

Jesus saw the two coming toward Him. "Here is a true Israelite, an honest man," He said.

This took Nathanael by surprise. "How do you know me?"

"I saw you under the fig tree before Philip came to you," Jesus said.

Nathanael recognized Jesus then as the Savior, the Son of God. Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that. I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Think About It
Jesus referred to Jacob's Ladder in Genesis 28:12, because He is the link between heaven and earth. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one goes to the Father (in heaven) but through Him (John 14:6). Nathanael would walk with Jesus and see Him in all his glory.

Pray About It
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for our connection through you to our Father in heaven. Make us aware of your glory, even today. Amen.

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