Caesarea Philippi

1-min Devo:

Only one event in the New Testament takes place at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus brought His talmidim here to a notoriously pagan and wicked area to give them a test. He wanted to see whether they were ready for the grueling physical and emotional journey that lay ahead. If you know the story in Matthew 16 when Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter gave the correct answer, a beautiful confession of Jesus as Messiah. However, when Messiah said He must suffer, Peter’s actions revealed he had not fully submitted, resulting in a scolding by Jesus. We might say Peter got an A on the theory part but failed the practical portion of the exam. Often, we’re the same way. If we’re asked a fundamental question about our faith, saying the correct answer is often easier than living out those words. Beautiful Caesarea Philippi reminds us to live out our faith every day in our deeds as well as our words.