Daily Bible Reading 3rd August 2026 // Luke 9:18-27
18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
With these verses we come to one of the climactic points of the gospel record. Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi has a twofold significance: first in relation to the disciples, and their being drawn to faith in Christ, and second, in relation to the meaning, for them and for us, of Christian faith and Christian discipleship. The passage is one of cardinal importance for a proper understanding of our Lord's work and ministry. There were, in fact, two distinct stages in His ministry: up to this point, He had been concerned to manifest Himself as the promised Messiah. Everything that has been recorded thus far was designed to point in this direction. His baptism and anointing with the Spirit had announced Him, to those with eyes to see and ears to hear, as God's Anointed, the promised Messiah. And everything, from that point to this, underlines the steady and consistent development of His claim to be that Messiah - His authority manifested and displayed in the mighty works He wrought - miracles, wonders and signs, which we have interpreted - and rightly interpreted - as credentials of His kingship, and proofs that His claim was not an idle one. Then, having demonstrated in every possible way, by deed and by word, His supreme and unique claim, He put this question to His disciples: 'Whom do ye say that I am?' He had, so to speak, presented His case and His claim, and now He waited for their response and reaction to it.