The Chosen and Friends: God With UsNäide

All-Powerful and Unconquerable
From Come and See

If in what you just watched you thought the disciples looked a little more shoulder-slumped than usual, there’s a reason. John the Baptizer has just been beheaded at the behest of Herod Antipas, a Roman tetrarch (that is, a ruler of a quarter of Rome). The disciples have just been reminded in crushing and place-putting fashion that the political powers of the day are awfully powerful—a truth that’s underlined by a stroll through Caesarea Philippi. It’s right there in the name of the city. The “Caesar” of “Caesarea” is Caesar Augustus, founder of the Roman Empire. And the “Philip” in “Philippi”? That would be the iron-fisted tetrarch who was the son of Herod the Great—the one who slaughtered the children of Bethlehem—and half-brother of Herod Antipas (who killed the Baptizer).

Awfully powerful, indeed.

In fact, Rome trumpeted to Israel (and every surrounding nation) that they were all-powerful—and unconquerable, too.

But then, Caesar had long been dead by the time the disciples walked the streets of his namesake city.

And when the events of Matthew 16 rolled around, the tetrarchs—Philip included—were only ever busying themselves with jealous and petty acts against one another and utterly failing to help the people in any real way.

The powers are not who they say they are. They are, in fact, powerless and quite conquerable.

But Jesus?

It’s quite a declaration there in Caesarea Philippi—“You are the Christ”—because it’s another way of saying, “You are everything these political powers can only claim to be.” But Simon (soon to be Peter) says what he says because through a veil of signs and wonders he’s watched Jesus do what no political power has ever done. He’s seen first-hand that Jesus is all-powerful. And not too far from the events of Matthew 16—right around, oh, Matthew 28:1-10—he’ll see that Jesus is unconquerable, too, won’t he?

In our own Caesarea Philippi, may we all see what Simon Peter sees through the Son—and through the pompous declarations of the political powers of the world: the God of Israel alone is all-powerful and unconquerable.

About The Author
Come and See is a faith-based nonprofit that exists to share the authentic Jesus with at least one billion people worldwide. Because of the generosity of supporters around the world, Come and See is able to ensure that all seven seasons of “The Chosen” are produced, translated into 600 languages, made globally accessible, and free to all. Learn more at comeandsee.net.