Big Idea: Jesus, at last recognized as the Messiah, speaks of his own rejection and death but then is revealed in glory.

Understanding the Text

This is the climax to the christological theme that has been developing through the first part of the Gospel: the question “Who is this?” now receives two definitive answers, one from the human witness Peter (“God’s Messiah”), the other from God himself (“my Son”). Here too is the answer to John the Baptist’s question in 7:19. But Peter’s acclamation leads, to the reader’s surprise, to a declaration by Jesus that the Messiah’s mission is to suffer and die, before being raised to life again. This will now become the central theme of the Gospel, as Jesus repeats the warning at intervals (9:43–45; 13:31–35; 14:25–27; 17:25; 18:31–34). His determined…