He said "will raise up… a Prophet like me." The expression "like me" should be understood not in the sense of nature, but in the sense of activity. Moses likened himself to Christ not by nature, but by actions, because if he had used the expression "like me" in the sense of nature, then not one but many would have risen. Emmanuel is called a Prophet according to His humanity — a mediator, as Moses was in his time, between God and men. Likening Him figuratively to Moses, I allow myself to call Him even Moses — I allow myself to compare the truth with the shadow. Christ is born in Bethlehem, Moses was born in Egypt. Moses is an Israelite, Christ according to the flesh is also. Moses is of the priestly lineage, Christ is through the Virgin of the lineage of David. In the time of Moses — Pharaoh, in the time of Christ — Herod. Pharaoh kills children, Herod slaughters infants; the one slays children of the male sex, and the other likewise destroys the male sex. Moses is saved through the agency of his mother; and by His Mother and together with Her, Christ too was saved.
"Shall be destroyed from among the people." Being immortal, the human soul is not completely destroyed, but falls from whatever good state it had previously been placed in. So too Judas was destroyed, that is, excluded from the ranks of the apostles. Therefore, since the soul is immortal, by its destruction we understand the deprivation of those blessings which it would have tasted if it had lived in a manner pleasing to God.
"You are sons of the prophets." He says "sons of the prophets" instead of saying "you should neither despair nor think that you have been deprived of the promises." "You are sons of the prophets," so that they spoke "to you" and for your sake all this was accomplished. And what does "sons… of the covenant" mean? This is said instead of "heirs," but heirs not merely enrolled, but such as sons are. He said "sons," among other things, also in order to show that they are heirs by adoption. So then, if you yourselves desire it, you are heirs. This is why Peter says: "you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant… Jesus," whom God, "having raised up… sent to you first… to bless you." God sent Him to other nations as well, but to you, who crucified and killed Him, He sent Him first. When? Only from the cross? No, even after that, and after the resurrection. To do what? "To bless you" and save you, if you yourselves truly desire to turn away "from your evil deeds."