Mediator. He is made known, in Daniel's vision, as the Son of man, Dan. 7. 13. I am the Messiah, that Son of man that was promised. But,
2. He inquires what people's sentiments were concerning him: "Who do men say that I am? The Son of man?" (So I think it might better be read.) "Do they own me for the Messiah?" He asks, not, "Who do the Scribes and Pharisees say that I am?" They were prejudiced against him, and said that he was a deceiver and in league with Satan; but, "Who do men say that I am?" He referred to the common people, whom the Pharisees despised. Christ asked this question, not as one that knew not; for if he knows what men think, much more what they say; nor as one desirous to hear his own praises, but to make the disciples solicitous concerning the success of their preaching, by showing that he himself was so. The common people conversed more familiarly with the disciples than they did with their Master, and therefore from them he might better know what they said. Christ had not plainly said who he was, but left people to infer it from his works, John 10. 24, 25. Now he would know what inferences the people drew from them, and from the miracles which his apostles wrought in his name.
3. To this question the disciples gave him an answer; (v. 14.) Some say, thou art John the Baptist, &c. There were some that said, he was the Son of David, (ch. 12. 23.) and the great Prophet, John 6. 14. The disciples, however, do not mention that opinion, but only such opinions as were wide of the truth, which they had gathered up from their countrymen. Observe,
(1.) They are different opinions; some say one thing, and others another. Truth is one; but those who vary from that commonly vary one from another. Thus Christ came eventually to send division, Luke 12. 51. Being so noted a person, every one would be ready to pass his verdict upon him, and, "Many men, many minds;" those that were not willing to own him to be the Christ, wandered in endless mazes, and followed the chase of every uncertain guess and wild hypothesis.
(2.) They are honourable opinions, and bespeak the respect they had for him, according to the best of their judgment. These were not the sentiments of his enemies, but the sober thoughts of those that followed him with love and wonder. Note, It is possible for men to have good thoughts of Christ, and yet not right ones, a high opinion of him, and yet not high enough.
(3.) They all suppose him to be one risen from the dead; which perhaps arose from a confused notion they had of the resurrection of the Messiah, before his public preaching, as of Jonas. Or their notions arose from an excessive value for antiquity; as if it were not possible for an excellent man to be produced in their own age, but it must be one of the ancients returned to life again.
(4.) They are all false opinions, but built upon mistakes, and wilful mistakes. Christ's doctrines and miracles bespoke him to be an extraordinary Person; but because of the meanness of his appearance, so different from what they expected, they would not own him to be the Messiah, but will grant him to be any thing rather than that.
[1.] Some say, Thou art John the Baptist. Herod said so; (ch. 14. 2.) and those about him would be apt to say as he did. This notion might be strengthened by an opinion they had, that those who died as martyrs, should rise again before others; which some think the second of the seven sons refers to, in his answer to Antiochus, 2 Macc. 7. 9. The King ofthe world shall raise us up, who have died for his laws, unto everlasting life.
[2.] Some, Elias; taking occasion, no doubt, from the prophecy of Malachi, (ch. 4. 5.) Behold, I will send you Elijah. And the rather, because Elijah (as Christ) did many miracles, and was himself, in his translation, the greatest miracle of all.
[3.] Others, Jeremias: they fasten upon him, either because he was the weeping prophet, and Christ was often in tears; or because God had set him over kingdoms and nations, (Jer. 1. 10.) which they thought agreed with their notion of the Messiah.
[4.] Or, one of the prophets. This shows what an honourable idea they entertained of the prophets; and yet they were the children of them that persecuted and slew them, ch. 23. 29. Rather than they would allow Jesus of Nazareth, one of their own country, to be such an extraordinary person as his works bespoke him to be, they would say, "It was not he, but one of the old prophets."
II. He inquires what their thoughts were concerning him; "But who say ye that I am? Ye tell me what other people say of me; can ye say better?" 1. The disciples had themselves been better taught than others; had, by their intimacy with Christ, greater advantages of getting knowledge than others had. Note, It is justly expected, that those who enjoy greater plenty of the means of knowledge and grace than others, should have a more clear and distinct knowledge of the things of God than others. Those who have more acquaintance with Christ than others, should have truer sentiments concerning him, and be able to give a better account of him than others. 2. The disciples were trained up to teach others, and therefore it was highly requisite that they should understand the truth themselves; "Ye that are to preach the gospel of the kingdom, what are your notions of him that sends you?" Note, Ministers must be examined before they be sent forth, especially what their sentiments are of Christ, and who they say that he is; for how can they be owned as ministers of Christ, that are either ignorant or erroneous concerning Christ? This is a question we should every one of us be frequently putting to ourselves, "Who do we say, what kind of one do we say, that the Lord Jesus is? Is he precious to us? Is he in our eyes the chief of ten thousand? Is he the Beloved of our souls?" It is well or ill with us, according as our thoughts are right or wrong concerning Jesus Christ.
Well, this is the question; now let us observe,
(1.) Peter's answer to this question, v. 16. To the former question concerning the opinion others had of Christ, several of the disciples answered, according as they had heard people talk; but to this Peter answers in the name of all the rest, they all consenting to it, and concurring in it. Peter's temper led him to be forward in speaking upon all such occasions, and sometimes he spake well, sometimes amiss; in all companies there are found some warm, bold men, to whom a precedency of speech falls of course; Peter was such a one: yet we find other of the apostles sometimes speaking as the mouth of the rest; as John, (Mark 9. 38.) Thomas, Philip, and Jude, John 14. 5, 8, 22. So that this is far from being a proof of such primacy and superiority of Peter above the rest of the apostles, as the church of Rome ascribes to him. They will needs advance him to be a judge, when the utmost they can make of him, is, that he was but foreman of the jury, to speak for the rest, and that only pro hac vice—for this once; not the perpetual dictator or speaker of the house, only chairman upon this occasion.
Peter's answer is short, but it is full, and true, and to the purpose; Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. Here is a confession of the Christian faith, addressed to Christ, and so made an act of devotion. Here is a confession of the true God as the living God, in opposition to dumb and dead idols, and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, whom to know is
