Why did Jesus take his disciples all the way to Caesarea Philippi to ask them who people say the Son of Man is?
This journey shows the disciples’ final separation from the Jewish leaders’ heresies (the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) and detachment from the people, and with that, a new phase. Jesus wants the disciples to show the fruit of his preaching, so he moves to a distant area—both for safety and to speak with his disciples in peace (for he is not in the district of Caesarea Philippi to preach), and also for the confession which Israel ought to have made, yet refused to make, to be heard, outside of Israel.
The question that Jesus poses relates to this specific place and time. In deliberate isolation, to enlighten the disciples, he asks them what people say about him. Matthew draws us into a doctrinal discussion (see Matthew 16:21) through a few questions, parallel to how Jesus engages his disciples with his questions.
The journey to Caesarea Philippi signifies that the disciples’ separation from the heresies of the Jewish leaders (the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) has now effectively been complete. The disciples have been detached from their people, and with that, they have entered a new phase. The teaching that Jesus has given up to this point has borne fruit, and the Saviour now wants them to express this positively. For that purpose, he leaves the Jewish land for a distant journey—both to be safe and to speak with his disciples in peace (for he did not go to the district of Caesarea Philippi to preach), and also that the confession which Israel ought to have made, yet refused to make, might now be heard—to Israel’s shame—outside of Israel.1
The question that Jesus poses here has everything to do with this particular place and time. He purposefully withdraws from the western shore of the sea of Galilee and asks his disciples what people say about him. He is asking for its own sake rather than looking for information. In other words, by way of questioning, he seeks to make the disciples aware of the reality in which they now find themselves. The evangelist Matthew draws the readers in and makes us part of a doctrinal discussion (see Matthew 16:21) by means of a few questions. In that way he involves the disciples in the situation in which Jesus finds himself at that moment.2
13 Jésus, étant arrivé dans le territoire de Césarée de Philippe, demanda à ses disciples: Qui suis-je au dire des hommes, moi le Fils de l'homme?