Today’s gospel asks the question, “Who is Jesus?” He wants to know how we define our relationship with Him. When I take my mom to a doctor’s appointment, the medical staff asks me, “How are you related to the patient?” I say, “I’m her son.” Essentially, I came from her, they may even notice a resemblance. When Peter is asked, “Who do YOU say that I am?” He says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Let’s unpack this profound statement, that separates Peter from the other Apostles and makes him fit to becomes the rock our Church is built on.
Peter’s statement shows a deep commitment to the Lord, and we see later his willingness to die for his faith. In contrast, the crowd’s answer to the same question falls short, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Though these are important figures in Salvation History, they are just PRECURSORS to the Messiah, pointing to a future coming, but Peter knows that the Messiah has already arrived.