Inquiry:
How did Peter find out that Jesus was the Messiah? Matthew 16:16-17 says that God revealed it to Him, but John 1:40-41 says that Andrew told him. Is there a contradiction?
Response:
Yes, Andrew came to Peter and told him, “We have found the Messiah (which is translated, the Christ)” (John 1:41). His brother brought him to the Lord, and Peter began following Jesus.. At this point he knew Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, but his confession in Matthew 16:16 goes well beyond this. There, he states that Jesus is not only the Christ, but also “…the Son of the living God.”
Flesh and blood (Andrew) introduced Peter to Jesus, and it appears that he accepted his testimony about Him being the Christ. However, we must understand that the Jews expectation was that the Christ would be a military leader who would restore their nation to it’s former glory. Their expectation was wrong.
Through the course of time, Peter came to learn who Jesus, the Messiah, really was. He was not just a carpenter’s son from Galilee, but was in fact the Son of God. However, God revealed this truth to him, not flesh and blood.
There is no contradiction.
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