UYesu nabafundi bakhe bafika eBhethesayida. Abantu bazisa kuye indoda engaboniyo baze bamcenge ukuba ayichukumise ukuze iphile.

Uyibamba ngesandla le ndoda aze aphume nayo kule lali. Emva kokuba eyitshicele emehlweni, uyayibuza athi: “Ubona ntoni?” Ithi yona: “Ndibona abantu, kodwa babonakala ngathi yimithi ehambayo.” (Marko 8:23, 24) Ubeka izandla zakhe emehlweni ale ndoda ize ibone kakuhle. UYesu uthi mayigoduke ingabuyeli kule lali.

Emva koko, yena nabafundi bakhe baya kwilali esemntla, iKesareya Filipi. Bahamba indlela ende neyonyukayo malunga neekhilomitha eziyi-40. IKesareya Filipi yindawo ephakame kangangeemitha eziyi-350 ukusuka elwandle, ibe kumntla mpuma wayo kukho iNtaba yeHermon enekhephu enkcochoyini. Olu hambo luthatha iintsuku ezimbini nangaphezulu.

Bathi besesendleleni uYesu aye kwindawo engenabantu ukuze athandaze. Kwiinyanga ezisithoba okanye ezilishumi, uza kufa, ibe unexhala ngabafundi bakhe. Abaninzi kubo baye bayeka ukumlandela, ibe abanye babhidekile okanye baphoxekile. Kusenokwenzeka bayazibuza kutheni engakhange avume xa abantu bebefuna ukumenza ukumkani, okanye kutheni engakhange abenzele ummangaliso ukuze bayazi ukuba ungubani.

Xa abafundi besiza kule ndawo akuyo uYesu uthi: “Abantu bathi ngubani uNyana womntu?” Bamphendula bathi: “Abanye bathi nguYohane umBhaptizi, abanye bathi nguEliya, kanti abanye bathi nguYeremiya okanye omnye wabaprofeti.” Abantu bacinga ukuba la madoda avusiwe ibe uYesu ngomnye wawo. Ukuze ayazi ukuba abafundi bakhe bacinga ntoni, uyababuza athi: “Nina, nithi ndingubani?” UPetros uthi: “UnguKristu, uNyana woThixo ophilayo.”​—Mateyu 16:13-16.

UYesu uthi uPetros makavuye kuba uncedwe nguThixo ukuze ayazi le nto. Uthi: “Wena unguPetros, ndiza kulakhela phezu kolu lwalwa ibandla lam, ibe alizukoyiswa lingcwaba.” Uthetha ukuba uza kwakha ibandla, ibe ukuba abantu balo bahlala bethembekile abazukoyiswa nalingcwaba. Uthembisa uPetros athi: “Ndiza kukunika izitshixo zoBukumkani bamazulu.”​—Mateyu 16:18, 19.

Akathi uPetros ubalulekile kunabanye abapostile okanye usisiseko sebandla. UYesu nguye isiseko ibandla eliza kwakhelwa kuso. (1 Korinte 3:11; Efese 2:20) UPetros uza kufumana izitshixo ezithathu. Singathi uza kuba nenyhweba yokuvulela amaqela abantu ithuba lokungena kuBukumkani bamazulu.

Isitshixo sokuqala, uPetros wayeza kusisebenzisa ngePentekoste ka-33 C.E., xa ebonisa amaYuda aguqukileyo nabantu abaguqukele kubuYuda  into abamele bayenze ukuze basinde. Esesibini wayeza kusisebenzisa ukuze avulele amaSamariya akholwayo ithuba lokungena kuBukumkani BukaThixo. Esesithathu, wayeza kusisebenzisela into efanayo ngo-36 C.E., xa evulela elo thuba abantu abangolukanga abangengomaYuda, njengoKorneli nabanye.​—IZenzo 2:37, 38; 8:14-17; 10:44-48.

Njengoko uYesu ethetha nabafundi bakhe, bayakhathazeka xa besiva indlela aza kuphathwa kakubi ngayo, aze abulalwe eYerusalem. UPetros akayiqondi into yokuba uYesu uza kuvuswa aze aphinde ayokuphila ezulwini. Umbizela ecaleni aze athi: “Zicingele Nkosi; soze zenzeke kuwe ezi zinto.” UYesu uyamfulathela aze athi: “Yiya emva kwam, Sathana! Uyandiphazamisa, kuba awucingi njengoThixo, kodwa ucinga njengabantu.”​—Mateyu 16:22, 23.

Ubiza abanye abangengobapostile aze abaxelele ukuba akuzokuba lula ukumlandela. Uthi: “Nabani na ofuna ukundilandela, makazincame, athwale isibonda sakhe sokungcungcutheka aze aqhubeke endilandela. Kuba nabani na ofuna ukusindisa ubomi bakhe uza kulahlekelwa bubo, kodwa nabani na olahlekelwa bubomi bakhe ngenxa yam nangenxa yeendaba ezilungileyo zikaThixo, uza kubusindisa.”​—Marko 8:34, 35.

Ukuze uYesu avuyiswe ngabo, abalandeli bakhe kufuneka babe nesibindi baze bazincame. Uthi: “Nabani na oneentloni ngam nangamazwi am kwesi sizukulwana sikrexezayo nesinesono, noNyana womntu uza kuba neentloni ngaye xa efika ekuzuko lukaTata wakhe, ekunye neengelosi ezingcwele.” (Marko 8:38) Ngoko xa uYesu esiza, uza ‘kuvuza ngamnye ngokwezenzo zakhe.’​—Mateyu 16:27.