Blessed are You Simon Barjona - Matthew 16:17

Matthew the apostle wrote, “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that you are John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He said unto them, But whom say you that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”, and in chapter sixteen and verse seventeen of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona” where we read:

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven.

The verse reads, “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona:”. Matthew began with the words, “and Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “answered” or “responded and began to speak” “and said” which means “uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto him” which refers to “Peter”, “blessed are you” which means “Oh how happy and supremely fortunate are you Peter”, “Simon” or “little stone” “Barjona” which means “son of Jonah”. Matthew shared how Jesus told Peter He was “blessed” because He recognized Him as the Messiah.

The verse goes on to say, “for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. ” Matthew added the words, “for flesh and blood” which means “because, since and on account that mere human or earthly nature of man apart from divine influence which is prone to sin and opposed to God” “has not revealed it” which means “has not uncovered, laid open or unveiled the fact that Jesus is the Messiah” “unto you” or “to Peter”, “but” or “nevertheless, moreover and” “my Father” which refers to “God who is Jesus' Heavenly Father” “which is in heaven” or “who dwells and abides in the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings”. Matthew shared how Peter did not gain the knowledge of Jesus being the Messiah by “earthly and fleshly” means, but by God Almighty who dwells in the “heavenly spiritual realm”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus recognized Peter for the source of His discovery as to who He really is. The implication is that only by the “Heavenly Father” was Jesus known as the Christ, and any effort in the way of the “flesh” would be futile. God desires to have a loving, spiritual and personal relationship with every person, and when a person yields their life to Him and His ways, they shall know that He is indeed the Christ, the Messiah.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus tells Peter, “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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