What Faith in Jesus Demands

In this section of scripture, the apostles (led by Peter) finally get the answer concerning Jesus' identity correct: he is the Christ. But this "correct answer" is not the end of the "test", it's merely the beginning. Faith in Jesus - believing he is who he says he is - demands something. Jesus himself says it demands bearing your cross, denying yourself, and counting your life in this world as dispensable compared to knowing Christ and his kingdom.