Its Background Peter’s great confession at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16; see Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20) marked the beginning of a new emphasis in Jesus’ instruction of his disciples. Now that they were fully convinced that he was the Messiah, Jesus began (ἤρξατο, ērxato) to emphasize the necessity of his death and resurrection19 (which latter event, as the instrumental means to his enthronement at the Father’s right hand, he apparently thought