雖然耶穌花了很多時間服事飢餓的人，面對敵意不斷升高的法利賽人，安慰信心十足的迦南婦人，但很明顯的，祂最關切的是門徒──祂即將離開，留下他們繼續祂已經開始的傳道事業，祂的神蹟、比喻、醫治與講道均以忠信的門徒為中心，預備他們走橫亙在前的艱困歲月。

        不妨把馬太福音當作一座山，從山腳慢慢的爬上山峯，然後再走下山。有些聖經註釋家認為：本卷書的「山峯」，即重要的轉捩點，是十六章彼得那篇戲劇化的信仰告白。
        在此之前，耶穌一直設法以言語或行動證明祂是彌賽亞，如今祂要看看門徒是否已經學會這個功課了！
        耶穌對祂的門徒做了一次「民意調查」：「人說我人子是誰？」門徒呈上來的報告是分歧的！有人說祂是約翰，有人說是以利亞，又有人說是先知中的一位，這時耶穌直截了當的問：「你們說，我是誰？」門徒頓然不再能躲在輿論後面，他們必須依照基督的神蹟與信息，做一個明智的個人抉擇。
        根據你在馬太福音前半段所讀到的，你會怎樣回答耶穌這個尖銳的問題：「你們說，我是誰？」
        現在翻到十六章十六節，那是這個問題的標準答案，花幾分鐘背下這段經文──讓它成為你自己的答案。

        尋找福音書中的教會
        幾十世紀以來「教會」一詞被用來描述基督徒的團體，在福音書中只出現三次，現代的聖經譯本都可找著。「教會」一詞狹義是指地方的會眾，廣義則包含世上所有個別的信徒加總成為一個普世合一的教會，她的根基就是耶穌基督。

基督是三位一體的上帝與罪人靈魂的交點。

English

        Though Jesus takes time to minister to hungry crowds, confront the increasingly hostile Pharisees, and comfort the believing Canaanite woman, it is clear that His primary concern is for the disciples—those He will soon leave behind to continue the work He has begun. His miracles and parables, healings and discourses all focus on His faithful followers to prepare them for difficult days just ahead.

        Think of the Book of Matthew as a mountain, with the action rising to a peak and then subsiding. Some commentators have suggested you'll find the "peak," the pivotal end of the book, in the dramatic confession of Peter in chapter 16.
Up to this point Jesus has been seeking to prove His claim of Messiahship through words and deeds. Now it is time to see if , the lesson has been learned.
        Jesus gives His disciples a public opinion survey: "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" The disciples report that public opinion is divided. Some say He's John, others Elijah or one of the prophets. Then Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter: "But whom say ye that I am?" And suddenly the disciples have no public opinion to hide behind. They must make an intelligent personal choice based on Christ's miracles and messages.
        On the basis of what you have read in the first half of Matthew's gospel, what would be your response to Jesus' penetrating question: "Whom say ye that I am?"

        Finding the Church in the Gospels
        Although the term church has been used for centuries to describe groups of Christians, the word is used only three times in the Gospels, and all three can be found in today's reading. In a primary sense, the word church refers to a local congregation; in a broader sense, it is alt the local churches and individual believers seen collectively as one universal church whose foundation is Jesus Christ.

Christ is the meeting point between the Trinity and the sinner's soul.