e conscious that God is
intrusting him with place and duty in the world, and is using him to be
a blessing to others. He must walk worthy of his high calling. A new
sanctity invests him--the Lord has set him apart for holy service.

Another event which had a marked influence on Simon was his recognition
of the Messiahship of Jesus. Just how this great truth dawned upon his
consciousness we do not know, but there came a time when the conviction
was so strong in him that he could not but give expression to it. It
was in the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi. Jesus had led the Twelve
apart into a secluded place for prayer. There he asked them two solemn
questions. He asked them first what the people were saying about
him--who they thought he was. The answer showed that he was not
understood by them; there were different opinions about him, none of
them correct. Then he asked the Twelve who they thought he was. Simon
answered, "The Christ, the Son of the living God." The confession was
wonderfully comprehensive. It declared that Jesus was the Messiah, and
that he was a divine being--the Son of the living God.

It was a great moment in Simon's life when he uttered this wonderful
confession. Jesus replied with a beatitude for Simon, and then spoke
another prophetic word: "Thou art Peter," using now the new name which
was beginning to be fitting, as the new man that was to be was growing
out of the old man that was being left behind. "Thou art Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church." It was a further unveiling of
Simon's future. It was in effect an unfolding or expansion of what he
had said when Simon first stood before him. "Thou shalt be called
Cephas." As a confessor of Christ, representing all the apostles,
Peter was thus honored by his Lord.

But the Messianic lesson was yet only partly learned. Simon believed
that Jesus was the Messiah, but his conception of the Messiah was still
only an earthly one. So we read that from that time Jesus began to
teach the apostles the truth about his mission,--that he must suffer
many things, and be killed. Then it was that Simon made his grave
mistake in seeking to hold his Master back from the cross. "Be it far
from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee," he said with great
vehemence. Quickly came the stern reply, "Get thee behind me, Satan:
thou art a stumbling-block unto me." Simon had to learn a new lesson.
He did not get it fully learned unti