What is the meaning of Matthew 16:13-17?

¹³ 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? ¹⁴ And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. ¹⁵ He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? ¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. ¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-17 KJV)

William Burkitt’s Commentary

Observe here, 1. Our Saviour’s question, and the disciples answer, Our Saviour’s question is twofold:

1. Whom do men say that I am? Not that the Son of God was ignorant what men said of him; but he had an intention more firmly to settle and establish his disciples in the belief of his being the promised Messias.
2. And therefore, 2. He puts the question to them, Whom do you, my disciples, say that I am? “You, that have heard the holiness of my doctrine, and seen the divinity of my miracles: what say you to me? And what confession do you make of me?”

Christ expects greater measures of grace and knowledge, and higher degrees of affiance and faith, from those that have enjoyed the greatest means of grace and knowledge. The disciples were eye and ear-witnesses of his doctrine and miracles, and accordingly he expects from them a full confession of his divinity.

Observe, 2. The answer returned,

1. By the apostles in general; and they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some Elias: some Jeremias. It is no new thing, it seems to find diversity of judgments and opinions concerning Christ and the affairs of his kingdom. We find, that when our Saviour was amongst men, who daily both saw and heard him, yet there was then a diversity of opinions concerning him.
2. Peter, in the name of the rest, and as the mouth of all the apostles, makes a full and open confession of his being the Son of God; thou art Christ the Son of the living God.

Whence note, that the veil of Christ’s human nature did not keep the eye of his disciples’ faith from seeing him to be the Son of God as well as the Son of man; thou art Christ the Son of the living God.

Observe, 3. How highly pleased our Saviour was with this confession; he pronounces Peter, and the rest in him, Blessed, who had by him made this Christian confession; Blessed art thou, Simon; and tells him,

1. What did not enable him to make that confession, Not flesh and blood; that is, not man, nor the wisdom and reason of man.
2. But postitively, God the Father, by the operation of his Spirit, and the dispensation of the gospel has wrought this divine faith in you, and drawn forth this glorious confession from you, that I am indeed the Son of God.

Thence learn, That no man can savingly believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, and Saviour of the world, but he in whom God himself by his Holy Spirit has wrought such a persecution by the ministry of the gospel.