Matthew 16
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The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Matthew and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end
Read and summarize
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— Prayers ( Blue )
— Promises ( Green )
— Warnings ( Red )
— Commands ( Purple )
Q: About 7% of the world is born physically blind. What percentage of the world is born spiritually blind?
Q: Why did Jesus refuse to provide a miracle to the Pharisees and Sadducees ( 16:1-4 )?
The Blind who will never see ( 16:1-4 )
( 16:1-4 ) Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
RC Sproul
— At first glance, chapter 16 seems to be repeating earlier accounts
— Earlier Scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus asking for a sign , but He said He would only give them the sign of Jonah ( 12:38-39 )
— A delegation of Pharisees asked why He and His disciples were transgressing the traditions of the Jews ( 15:1-2 )
— Now back in Jewish territory He is confronted again, but notice something unique about this encounter
— The Pharisees and the Sadducees demanded a sign from heaven; the first time we see the Sadducees; earlier it was the scribes
— They tried to explain away Jesus’ other miracles as sleight of hand
— They wanted something beyond:
— the healings
— Deliverance from demons
— Multiplication of loaves and fish
— They wanted an unmistakable sign from heaven that would settle the question of Jesus’ identity once and for all
— This, they were sure, would be a feat beyond Jesus’ power
— Although Jesus could have easily impressed them, He refused
— He knew that even a miracle in the sky would not convince them He was the Messiah because they had already decided not to believe in Him
The weather report
( 16:2) He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’;
— We have a saying, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky at morning, sailor take warning”
— When the sky is red at night the weather the next day will be fair
— But if the sky is red in the morning, the weather is likely to turn foul very soon
— In Jesus’ opinion, they were better meteorologists than biblical scholars
( 16:3 ) You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.
— Despite their religious training, their primitive and limited knowledge of the weather was far superior to the their knowledge of God
— You are oblivious to the times in which you are privileged to live, the very times of redemption by God’s own Son, before whom you now stand
— It was the beginning of the messianic age that Jews had long hoped for, but those Jewish leaders did not recognize it
— Today we have those who can predict the weather, stock market and interest rates but are oblivious to God’s plan for the world
Seeking a Sign
RC Sproul
— Jesus first told the Pharisees and Sadducees that their seeking after a sign showed that they were part of a wicked and adulterous generation, a generation that was not faithful to its God
— He was speaking about people whose hearts are hard, so hard they feel God ought to perform a special miracle just for them
— The world today is filled with people just like these Pharisees and Sadducees
— They say: “I know what the New Testament says, but I wasn’t there, so unless I can see this Jesus with my eyes and touch Him with my hands, I’m not going to give any confidence or consideration to Him
— When Jesus rose again, He appeared to all of the apostles except Thomas
— Thomas said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” ( John 20:25 )
— Jesus said, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29). Not all are given the privilege of seeing Jesus’ wounds in order to bolster their belief, but they believe nonetheless
— People may want more from God, but He has already given enough evidence to make everyone of us culpable to knowing the truth
We are all blind
— About 7% of the world’s population is considered legally blind; since the fall everyone is born spiritually blind
— Because we are physical we are all born blind to spiritual things realities
— Two types of people
— Those who never see ( those who reject Christ )
— The blind who will be made to see ( those who embrace Christ have Him as their truth teacher )
— Many people, like these Jewish leaders, say they want to see a miracle so that they can believe
— Jesus knew that miracles never convince the skeptical
— Jesus had been healing, raising people from the dead, and feeding thousands, and still people wanted him to prove Himself
— These are those who will never see — they just wanted to test Him and discredit Him
— They knew the weather but were spiritually blind
Four Characteristics of these blind
( 1 ) They seek fellowship with darkness
— The Pharisees teamed up with the Sadducees
— They love darkness rather than light
( 2 ) They cursed the light
— Their intention was to shame Him and mock Him
— They sought no genuine evidence
( 3 ) They only plunge into deeper darkness
— They knew the weather
— Jesus said, you’re not bad at the weather but when it comes to discerning spiritual reality they were stone blind
( 4 ) He is abandoned by the Lord
— He departed from them
— Do you expect God to prove Himself to you personally before you believe?
— Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” ( Jn 20:29 )
The Pharisees with the Sadducees—strange combination because the Pharisees were the extreme religionists; the Sadducees were the unitarians, the modernists. They did not believe in the supernatural, or the resurrection
Q: Jesus “offended” the conservatives and the liberals. What does that mean for us? Do we choose sides?
In this chapter we will see three viewpoints concerning Jesus
1. The Pharisees and Sadducees consider Him an imposter and do not believe that He is the Messiah
2. The multitude thinks He is John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another of the prophets. (v14) In this, they were complimentary, although they missed the mark completely
3. His disciples present the third viewpoint. They believe that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ), the Son of the living God
“...sign of the prophet Jonah”: Second time that Jesus has used the prophet Jonah as a “sign of the times” (Matt 12:40). Jesus first use referred to Jesus being raised from the dead
Q: Did these Pharisees and Sadducees accept the “sign of Jonah” when Jesus was raised from the dead?
Going Deeper
— The Pharisees and Sadducees were Jewish religious leaders, and their views were diametrically opposed on many issues
— The Pharisees carefully followed their religious rules and traditions believing that this was the way to God
— They also believed in the authority of the Scripture and in the resurrection of the dead
— The Sadducees only accepted the books of Moses as scripture (Gen, Ex, Lev, Num, Duet) and did not believe in life after death
— The Sadducees were aristocratic and made their fortunes operating the lucrative Temple concessions
— In Jesus, however, these two groups had a common enemy, and they joined forces to try to kill him
Q: The disciples had witnessed Jesus feeding 5,000 and 4,000 people and yet they were concerned about bread. What does tell us about their spiritual condition ( 16:5-12 )?
The Blind who are made to see ( 16:5-12 )
( 16:5-12 ) Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” 8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
( 16:5 ) had come to the other side
— After rebuking the Pharisees and Sadducees Jesus departed and went to the other side
— Back in Gentile territory
— Caesarea Philippi was a city about twenty-five miles north of the Sea of Galilee
— It had been built by one of the sons of Herod the Great, Philip
— Philip named the city Caesarea in honor of Caesar Augustus, but because there was already a city named Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast, he added his own name to distinguish the two cities
( 16:5b )they had forgotten to take bread
— Despite the Lord’s teachings and miracles the disciples functioned primarily on the physical level
— Jesus could always sense their confusion
— Jesus then repeats the warning so that they might hear that He never used the word bread, but had spoke about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
— As He frequently did, the Lord took their extremity as a divine opportunity to teach His truth
— This is an apt example of how Christians should disciple other Christians, walking alongside them and helping them interpret life’s struggles, perplexities, problems and opportunities in light of spiritual truth and resources
Those who are taught to see are the opposite of the those who are who will never see:
( 1 ) Seek the light
( 2 ) Curse the darkness
( 3 ) Receive greater light
( 4 ) They are taught by the Lord
Seek Light
( 16:5 ) Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread
— The disciples followed Jesus
— They pursued the light
— We also see the Pharisees and Sadducees and these were groups of leaders that the disciples were taught to revere and respect
— Here we can see that disciples followed Christ and left the religious leaders behind
Cursed the Darkness
— They turned their backs on those who only would lead them deeper into darkness
— You have the words that we must hear
They Received Greater Light
— Jesus personally taught them
— We are all blind but those who are made to see are taught by the Lord
— The marvelous doctrine of illumination: when you who know Christ go to the Word of God, you have the God of the Word resident in you who opens the scripture
— Jesus used the occasion of the disciples forgetting to take break as an opportunity to teach them
— They had just witnessed Christ feed thousands of people and they are still operating on the physical level
— This is a great example of discipling — take every one of the extremities that the disciples faced and use it as an opportunity to teach divine truth
— Interpret life in terms of its spiritual significance
Q: Why is this warning of the leaven here ( 16:6 ) ?
( 16:6 ) “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
Jesus says, don’t be concerned about bread-bread, be concerned about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
— In other words, get up on a spiritual level
— He wants them to not focus on their physical circumstances ( a day without bread isn’t the end )
— He wanted them to not think of the physical bread but whether they were being influenced by the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
Yeast
— He calls their teaching “yeast,” for like an increasingly penetrating principle it influenced their own as well as other lives
— In view of the fact that the disciples had already heard the parable of the yeast “which the women took and put into three measures of wheat flour, until the whole batch had risen” ( 13:33 ), there was really no good reason for misunderstanding what Jesus meant
— From the bread of Egypt, don’t take a piece to start the bread of the new people of God in their new land; Cut that off! and the unleavened bread symbolized that
— Leaven means influence
— The disciples missed the understanding of the leaven at first, thinking that they should not accept any bread from the Pharisees or Sadducees!
— They were operating on the physical level
— They were thinking that Jesus was worried that they would buy defiled bread!
Q: What is the leaven of the Pharisees? ( Luke 12:1 )
— Luke 12:1 tells us that it is
— Hypocrisy,
— Phony religion
— Externalism without the heart
— Legalism
— Ritualism
— Ceremonialism
— Everything on the outside and nothing on the inside
— Jesus identifies “leaven” as the false doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees
— Again human minds are superficial and are often unable to grasp the deep and often figurative meaning of Christ’s saying. Other examples of erroneous literal interpretation ( see Jn 2:19, 20; 3:3, 4; 4:13-15; 6:51, 52; 11:11, 12 )
Q: What did Jesus mean when He said beware of the leaven of the Pharisees ( 16:11 )? Does that apply to us today?
( 16:11 ) but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
— Yeast is put into bread to make it rise, and it only takes a little to effect the batch of dough
— The wrong teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees were leading many people astray
— Beware of the tendency to say, “How can this little wrong possibly affect anyone?”
The Lord’s wonderful Patience
— Look how wonderfully patient the Lord was
— He teaches the disciples until they finally understood He was talking about the doctrine that the Pharisees and the Sadducees taught which corrupt their faith?
— The great truth of this passage is the ministry that Christ has to those who are His own
— That even in our blindness, He takes patiently the time and effort needed to teach
“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” ( 1 Cor 2:9 )
— We are all blind, we can’t see it, spiritual reality is not available to human perception
“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” ( 1 Cor 2:10 )
— But God has revealed them to us by the HS
— God reveals to us, who were blind, the deep things of God
Going Deeper
— Leaven was often used figuratively to represent any sort of influence —usually, but not inherently, a harmful influence, as seen its use in Matthew 13:33 ( i.e., the kingdom of heaven is like leaven )
— When the Israelites were led out of bondage in Egypt, the Lord did not allow them to take any leavened bread with them, symbolically representing His intention that the people take no influence of pagan Egypt with them
— The leaven of the Sadducees was the religious liberalism
— The leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy ( Lk 12:1 )
— Both types of leaven are enemies of the gospel, they corrupt God’s truth and His people and have no place in His kingdom
Q: The Lord gave the disciples a final examination that consisted of but one question. The same question that every man and women must answer. What was the question ( 16:13-15)?
The Examination ( 16:13b-15 )
( 16:13-15 ) When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
— This was the apostles’ final examination, consisting of but one question, the ultimate question that every human being must face: Who is Jesus Christ?
— The disciples answered Jesus’ question with the common view — that Jesus was one of the great prophets come back to life
— This belief may have stemmed from Deut 18:18 when God said He would raise up a great prophet from among the people
— Peter, however, confessed Jesus as divine and as the promised and long-awaited Messiah
— If Jesus were to ask you this question, how would you answer? is He your Lord and Messiah?
Q: Jesus asks this same question to every generation. Who am I? What might people say today about who Jesus is?
— “Some said that He was the greatest teacher this world has ever seen”
— “One person said that He was a founder of religion”
— “Another felt that He was a good man”
— “Another put Him in a class with other men who were famous in history -- just "one of the prophets," you see”
Going Deeper
— The Son of Man was Jesus’ most common designation of Himself and is used of Him some eighty times in the NT
— It was clearly recognized by Jews as a title of the Messiah ( Dan 7:13 ); but because it emphasized His humanness, many Jews preferred not to use it
— No doubt it was for that reason that Jesus did prefer it— to focus on the humiliation and submission of His first coming and His work of sacrificial, substitutionary atonement
Q: The disciples witnessed Jesus perform miracles but neither they nor thousands of others were convinced that He was the messiah. Why ( 16:17 )?
( 16:16-17 ) Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
— This was Peter’s finest hour
— Jesus as the Messiah was recognized here and there by various people
— But the OT teaching about the Messiah was complex and there was disagreement and confusion as to whether Jesus fulfilled what was written there
— Many of the Jewish people were focused on the idea that the Messiah would be a King who would deliver them from the oppression of the Romans
— The Messiah would indeed deliver His people, but He would deliver them from their sins
— He would be not only the King following David but also the Priest who would be the Suffering Servant of Israel, who would offer up for His people the perfect sacrifice once and for all—Himself
— Very few understood this priestly role the Messiah would play or the fact that He would suffer
— The idea that the Messiah would be divine was something virtually everyone failed to grasp.
— It took some time for the disciples to see the truth, but they finally got it—Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah the Old Testament had foretold.
— Peter was blessed because Christ’s identify was divinely communicated to him; not by flesh and blood
— Peter did not figure this out on his own; he could make this confession because of God the father
— Peter received a divine revelation through Christ as first hand revelation ( 1 John 1:1-3 ) — Christ was that divine revelation
They needed divine revelation
The disciples were not finally convinced of Jesus’ messiahship and divinity because of His teaching or His miracles, amazing as they were
— Those things alone were not sufficient to convince the Twelve
— Just as they were not sufficient to convince the thousands of other people who heard the same truth and witnessed the same miracles but failed to accept and follow Him
— Man’s human capabilities, here represented by flesh and blood, cannot bring understanding of the things of God ( cf. 1 Cor 2:14 )
— The Father Himself must reveal them and bring understanding of His Son to human minds
J. Vernon McGee
“Christ” is Greek for Meshiach in Hebrew, the anointed one. “Simon Barjona”: Son of Jonah or Son of the Dove. The Dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Peter was shown truth by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee"; that is, "You didn't learn it by being with Me." I hear folk say, "Well, if I could have been with Jesus for three years [the apostles had been with Him about two and one half years now], then I would really know who He is." Would you? My friend, you can know Him just as well today because the Spirit of God has to make Him real to you.
Going Deeper
A Divine and Supernatural Light
RC Sproul
You probably have heard of Jonathan Edwards, the magnificent preacher of eighteenth-century New England, and his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” But ... it was not that sermon that catapulted Edwards to national fame and prominence. Rather, it was his earlier sermon “A Divine and Supernatural Light,” in which Edwards expounded the idea that in our fallen humanity we are blind to the truths of God, and unless God the Holy Spirit opens our spiritual eyes, we cannot see the loveliness of Christ. This means that if we think Jesus was “a great man” and “a prophet,” we are blind. We have missed the most important truth that can be proclaimed about Him. To see Him in His true dignity and preeminence requires a divine and supernatural work on our souls by God the Holy Spirit. We all need this work. With it, we cannot confess Him as Christ, as Peter did.
The Pragmatic Gospel
“Jesus wants us to see people through a lens of compassion and assess what motivates people” — A pastor at a pragmatic church
— Many churches are drinking the cool-aid thinking they need to win over the culture in order to bring people to Christ
— Whether it is truncating the Gospel or creating an inoffensive message, whether it is Joel Olsten saying that “God exists for one purpose and that is to fulfill your dreams”; that is a message you can sell to a bunch of sinners because it has no offensive character in it
— Pragmatism has taken over the church to such a degree that people assume you can’t reach people unless you bridge whatever stands in the way of the Gospel
— The assumption is that for some people it could be they don’t like the music, so we’ll bridge that way. For others they have racial issues, so we have to confront the social issue. The church has always been sucked into the lie that somehow there is a way that the kingdom of darkness can help the kingdom of light. People don’t do it thinking they will be seduced, they do it thinking it will access the gospel
— What does access the Gospel is love on a personal level, compassion, sympathy and understanding; when Jesus entered the world it was obvious people suffered and that is why He healed people and feed people. He was showing the compassion of God. But that is not the Gospel. The Gospel is salvation by Faith in Christ and repentance.
— There is always the temptation to borrow things from the kingdom of darkness that you think will aid you
— If you try to remove the offense, you are doing the Devil’s work. That is what Peter was doing when He told the Lord he didn’t need to die
( John MacArthur, The State of the Church )
Q: How do you recognize a true church? ( 16:16-20 )
The Church that Christ Builds ( 16:18-20 )
( 16:18-20 ) And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
— The meaning of this verse has been a subject of debate for centuries
— This is the first time that the word church appears
— The church will not come into existence until the day of Pentecost
Doctrinal Foundations of the Church
A Great Confession
— The church makes a great confession ( 16:16 )
— Peter confessed Christ; Christ is the cornerstone ( Eph 2:20 )
— A true church is known by a great profession
— Jesus is Lord; this was the common confession of the early church ( Phil 2:11 )
— You can tell if you are in a real church; is Christ preached and exalted
The Great Communication
—The foundation of the church requires divine revelation ( 16:17-19 )
— The apostles were given the responsibility to write down the truths that they received
— The early church gave themselves to the apostle’s teaching ( Acts 2:42 )
— The church is known by its divine submission to the apostles doctrine as revealed by the Word
— No church is built upon a pastor or an apostle ( i.e. Peter ), but rather on the Word of God
—The church has been the divine revelation of the gospel which is key that unlocks the kingdom of heaven ( 16:19 )
— Whatever opens the door to heaven is the key to heaven
— If you do not turn and repent, we can say that this person is bound in their sin
— To another we can say because you have believed the gospel, you are loosed from your sin
— Part of the church’s role in the world is to tell people what scripture says, you will die in your sins if you reject Christ ( John 8:24 )
— A mark of a real church is that it exalts the doctrine of the apostles, and it warns about being bound in sin leading to eternal judgment and if offers the good news of being loosed from sin in the gospel
A Great Contrast (separation from the world)
— Then He warned them not tell anyone that He was the Christ ( 16:20 )
— In the view of the Jews Christ was an earthly ruler; a military role and societal role; a global king of the world
— But Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world ( John 18:36 )
— What happened politically in Israel at that time had nothing to do with His kingdom
— When they wanted to make Him king what happened? He disappeared
— Jesus was not interested in the Jew’s political agenda
We see the decline of America but what happens has nothing to do with the kingdom of God; it is the outworking of the fall
— “who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.” ( Acts 14:16 )
— But the Lord still builds His church!
— Don’t connect the church with any temporal issues:
— Jesus didn’t fight slavery
—Jesus didn’t fight economic disparity
— Or deal with social justice
— The kingdom of God has nothing to do with the kingdoms of this world
— The church is not a hybrid — part culture and part kingdom
— We do need to stand-up for divine truth ( the family, the sanctity of life, etc. ) our reason for being here is to advance the kingdom and the gospel of Jesus Christ; the time will come when Jesus will say go and preach the gospel but that couldn’t be done until He rose from the dead.
— When all of the gospel events were finished, He was risen and the HS had come, then He sent His disciples to preach the gospel
— The church’s responsibility is not to political, cultural, or social, our responsibility is to rescue the perishing
— A true church centers on the great confession, the great communication, the great contrast, the great conquest
The Great Conquest
— From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day ( 16:21 )
—This is then cross and the resurrection and that is the gospel
— We preach righteousness
— Sin and sin’s penalty which is eternal judgment
— The substitutionary atoning death of Christ, His resurrection, the doctrine of imputation
— The church is not a place for entertainment, shallow psychology, or theater
— The church is the proclamation of the cross and resurrection
— Does the cross and all its truth dominate your life?
The Great Conflict
Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” ( 16:22-23 )
— A true church is actively engaged in a war against Satan
— Sometimes that war is from the inside
— How do you know when someone is representing Satan? Because your are not setting your mind on God’s interest’s but man’s
— A real church will fight all that opposes the will of God
The Great Consummation
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. ( 16:27 )
— The true church will participate in the great consummation
— It is related eagerly to the return of Christ
— It is cross-bearing, self denial (16:24 ), losing your life ( 16:25 ) and waiting for the glory when Christ returns
— The true church is not about prosperity gospel and I want it now
Going Deeper
The church is not:
— A group of people that needs friends
— Not an assembly of folks that need a motivational talk
— Not a place where people with low self-esteem meet to feel better about themselves
— Not a place to help people with their addictions
The church is
— A place where people make the same great confession: Jesus is God; the redeemer;
— He is Lord and I am His slave
— Sad to see churches that do not preach Christ
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
I will build my church
( 16:18 ) Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
—This is a promise from God that He will build His church
— We’ve all attended churches that “men” have built
— But this verse should be an encouragement for us knowing that the Lord will build His church and that He doesn’t need our gimmicks, nor do we have to partner with the world ( 2 Cor 6:14 )
— At this point the disciples knew that He was the Messiah and the confession of Peter ( 16:16 ) summed it all up
— They were convinced that this was God in human flesh, God the Son, the anointed King, the promised one
— But they were alone in their conviction
— For the most part the both the Kingdom and the King had been rejected
— In a few minutes Jesus will say that He has to die which will absolutely devastate whatever hope they had ( 16:21 )
You can’t always tell by appearance
— Jesus reminded the apostles that despite the appearance, He would build His church
— Remember the churches in Revelation
— To the church in Smyrna the Lord said: “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich)” ( Rev 2:8 )
— The church looked poor but it was rich
— To the church in Laodicea the Lord said: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—” ( 3:17 )
— They looked rich but they were poor and naked
The certainty
— Let’s remember a few things about Paul’s ministry, from Titus
—” Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” ( Titus 1:1-2 )
— He says that God made a promise that there was an elect who would come to faith, who woudl heart the truth and pursue a path of godliness and live in the hope of eternal life, and God made this promise before time
— And God cannot lie
— And Paul says the same thing in 2 Tim 1:9: “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began”
— God made a promise, and His plan involved Jesus Christ, a plan of salvation back in eternity before time
— Hebrews 13:20 calls it an “eternal covenant”
Before time, way back in eternity, before the foundation of the world, the Father loved the Son. He loved the Son so perfectly that He desired to give to the Son a gift that would somehow express His love. And the greatest gift that the Father could give the Son as an expression of His love was a redeemed humanity. And Jesus is simply saying here, “I want them that You are giving Me, that You’ve chosen before the foundation of the world. I want them to be with Me where I am to see My glory.” In other words, “I affirm the plan, I want it to happen.” And in a sense, in the wanting and the affirmation of verse 24 is the inevitability of the cross
When we read in the Scripture Jesus’ words, “I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it,” what He means to say is, “I am coming to earth and I am going to do the redemptive work and I am going to do what must be done to redeem all those who are the elect from all the way back in the beginning to all the way to the end, My death will make provision for all the elect. I will do that, nobody will be lost. I will raise them all because this is My part in fulfilling a role in the Father’s plan to give Me a love gift, a redeemed humanity which in the end I will give back to Him as an expression of My own love.”
Going Deeper
RC Sproul
In some translations, this verse speaks of “the gates of hell.” However, the word Hades is the actual Greek word in the text, and Hades does not have the same connotation as hell. It was the Greek word for the underworld where all people went at death; it made no distinction between those who went into blessedness and those who went into eternal punishment. Jesus was simply saying that not even death, “the last enemy” (1 Cor. 15:26), would be able to overcome His church, His gathered people.
Q: The meaning of this verse has been a subject of debate for centuries. How do you interpret this passage ( 16:18-20 )? Justify your answer with other scripture
Catholic Interpretation
— For more than 1500 years the Roman Catholic Church has maintained that this passage teaches that the church was built on the person of Peter, who became the first pope
— When a pope speaks ex cathedra in his official capacity as head of the church, he is said to speak with divine authority equal to that of God in scripture
— The Pope is crowned with a tripe crown as King of heaven, King of earth and King of hell
—To be true followers of Christ, they say, all Christians must part of the Catholic church and understand that Peter still rules in the person of his successors
— The Roman Catholic church has used this verse to establish Catholic tradition, authority and power
— Peter cannot be the head of the church, or the foundation since Christ is both in the truest and purest sense
Protestant Interpretation
— This doesn’t mean Peter at all, it is a play on words
— Jesus is saying Peter, petros, little stone, but uopn this rock, petra, rock bed, cliff, I will build my church
— The word “and” should be translated “but” on the other hand, you’re a little rock but on a rock bed I will build my church
— The rock bed is the confession of Peter
The confession interpretation
— When He says, “You are Peter and upon this rock,” He changes tense for obvious reasons that are demanded by the use of the Greek language and the modifying terms
— He is talking about Peter in the sense that he is articulating the truth
— I am not going to build it on your office, or rank or your worthiness
— The Church is not built on Peter but the rock bed of the apostolic doctrine as revealed in Scripture
— “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone” ( Eph 2:20 )
J. Vernon McGee
On what rock did Jesus build His church? There are those who say that it was built on Simon Peter. Well, obviously it was not, because there is a play upon words here. In the original Greek it is, "Thou art Petros [a little piece of rock], and upon this petra [bedrock] I will build my church." There are others who hold that Christ is building His church upon the confession that Simon Peter made. I don't agree with that at all.
Who is the Rock? The Rock is Christ. The church is built upon Christ. We have Simon Peter's own explanation of this. In 1Peter 2:4, referring to Christ, he writes, "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious." And he remembers Isaiah 28:16, "...Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded" (1Pet. 2:6). The church is built upon Christ; He is the foundation. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1Cor. 3:11). Christ is the stone, and He says on this rock He will build His church. The church was still future when the Lord made this statement. And please don't tell me there was a church in the Old Testament because the church did not come into existence until after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. There could not have been a church until all of these things had taken place. "I will build my church" -- this was future.
Going Deeper
— When the disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, He replied by placing a small child before them
— Had the Twelve understood Jesus teaching about the rock as referring exclusively to Peter, they would hardly have asked who was the greatest in the kingdom
— A short while after that, the mother of James and John asked Jesus to give her sons the chief place of honor in the kingdom; we learn from Mark 10:35-37 that James and John were themselves directly involved in the request, one they would never have made had they understood Peter to have been given primacy as Christ’s successor
— Or, as with the previous incident, had James and John misunderstood His teaching about the foundation rock of the church, Jesus would have taken the occasion to restate and underscore Peter’s supremacy
( 16:19 ) and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
— The Lord was addressing Peter as representative of the Twelve
— He told Peter and the Twelve, and by extension all other believers, that they had the astounding authority to declare what is divinely forbidden or permitted on earth
— This portion of scripture is equally controversial
— What is in view here is the church’s ministry of discipline
— In other words, a duly constituted body of believers has the right to tell an unrepentant brother that he is out of line with God’s Word and has no right to fellowship with God’s people ( 18:15-17 )
— Were these keys given only to Peter? No, given to all disciples in Mt 18; given to all children of God (those who know Christ as Savior)
— If you are a child of God, you have the keys….. His word; the gospel
This is the gospel: (1 Cor 15:3-4) that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and raised again. You must know who He is. You must know what He did for you. If you know these two things, and by faith believe and receive them, you are saved. This had never been revealed before except to Nicodemus at the beginning of our Lord's ministry in John 3:1-16.
Going Deeper
— Some say the “keys” represent the authority to carry out church discipline, legislation and administration
—Others say the keys give the authority to announce forgiveness of sins ( Jn 20:23 )
— Still others say the keys may be the opportunity to bring people to the kingdom of heaven by presenting them with the message of salvation found in the God’s Word ( Acts 15:7-9 )
Heidelberg Catechism ( Lord’s day 31, Answer to Question 84 ) states:
“By proclaiming and openly witnessing, according to the command of Christ, to believers, one and all, that, whenever they receive the promise of the gospel by a true faith, all their sins are really forgiven them of God for the sake of Christ’s merits; and on the contrary, by proclaiming and witnessing to all unbelievers and such as do not sincerely repent that the wrath of God and eternal condemnation abide on them so long as they are not converted. According to this witness of the gospel God will judge, both in this life and in that which is to come”
Hendriksen
The one who “has the keys” (cf. Rev 1:18; 3:7 ) of the kingdom of heaven determines who should be admitted and who must be refused admission. Cf. Isa 22:22. That the apostles as a group exercised this right is clear from the entire book of Acts. All did this on an equal basis ( 4:33 ): there was no boss or superintendent. Nevertheless… the preaching of Peter was outstanding. By means of the preaching of the gospel he was opening the door to some ( Acts 2:38, 39; 3:16-20; 4:12; 10:34-43 ), closing them to others ( 3:23 )
Q: How is possible that Peter could rebuke the Lord ( 16:21-23 )?
Offending Christ ( 16:21-23 )
( 16:21-23 ) From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
— All of us can identify with Peter
— Our loved ones and best friends often counsel us to be careful, and in that respect, Peter was just like us
— But notice Jesus called Peter “Satan”. Why?
— Satan’s main attack was for Jesus to be Savior with suffering
— Satan suggested Jesus should go the triumphal route
— Despite Peter’s arrogant presumption, it is comforting to realize that Jesus was his close friend as well as his Lord
— Peter showed no fear in speaking this rebuke to Jesus, demonstrating the reality of their intimate relationship as men
— Jesus repeated five times the fact that He was going to Jerusalem to die (Matt. 17:12; Matt. 17:22-23; Matt. 20:18-19; Matt. 20:28) — In spite of this intensive instruction, the disciples failed to grasp the significance of it all until after His resurrection
Going Deeper
— The disciples heard Jesus say that it was God’s plan that He:
— Must go to Jerusalem
— Must suffer many things as the hands of the elders, priests and scribes
— Must be killed
— Must be raised from the dead on the third day
— But because of the great distress at hearing the first three imperatives, it is likely the disciples failed to hear this one at all; yet it was this truth that made the others bearable
— Peter’s response makes it clear that he and the other disciples had not really heard Jesus’s words about raising on the third day
( 16:21-28 ) This passage corresponds to Daniel’s prophecies: the Messiah would be cut off ( Dan 9:26 ); there would be a period of trouble ( Dan 7:13,14 )
Two Important Lessons
— First, God’s way of salvation does not correspond to men’s ( Is 55:8-9; Prov 14:12; Ps 92:5-6 )
— His kind of Messiah is not man’s kind
— Therefore the person who insists on his own kind of Savior and on coming to God on his own terms finds himself opposing God
— Second, there is pain in God’s refining process
— He calls His disciples to share His suffering and His cross
— Their is no cross less obedience to Christ
Winning by Losing: The Paradox of Discipleship ( 16:24-27 )
( 16:24-27 ) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
— When Jesus used this picture of His followers taking up their crosses to follow Him, the disciples knew what He meant
— Crucifixion was a common Roman method of execution, and condemned criminals had to carry their crosses through the streets to the execution site
— Following Jesus, therefore, meant true commitment, the risk of death, and no turning back
— Denying oneself refers to aligning your life direction with God’s will for you
— First priority in this is to respond to the gospel and become His child then live for Him
— Then you will find what your life truly should be
Going Deeper
— This is exactly the kind of denial a believer is to make in regard to himself
— Jesus’ words could be paraphrased, “Let him refuse any association or companionship with himself”
— The self of which Jesus is speaking is the natural, sinful, rebellious, unredeemed self that is at the center of every fallen person
( 16:25 ) For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it
— The Lord is saying that whoever lives only to save his earthly, physical life, his ease and comfort and acceptance by the world, will lose his opportunity for eternal life
— To gain everything in the world but be without Christ is be bankrupt forever
— But to abandon everything in this world for the sake of Christ is to be rich forever ( cf. 6:19-21 )
— Not saved by works
— Here He is talking to His disciples, instructing them to make their salvation fruitful
Rewards ( 16:27 )
( 16:27 ) For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Hendricksen
— When the Lord comes some men will receive punishment, others glory
— Nevertheless, there will be degrees of punishment and degrees of glory
— Note the expression “many stripes… few stripes” ( Lk 12:4, 48, Dan 12:3; 1 Cor 3:12-14 )
— The degree of glory or of punishment will depend on two things
— What amount of “light” ( knowledge ) has this person received ( Rom 2:12 )
— How has he used this light which he has received ( Lk 12:47, 48 )
— Has he been faithful, and if so, in what measure
— Has he been faithless, and if so, to what extent?
—Are you a genuine follower of Jesus Christ? If so, to what extent have you used or abused the light which you received? ( Rev 20:13; 1 Cor 3:12-14 )
The Promise Repeated ( 16:28 )
( 16:28 ) Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
— Because all of the disciples died before Christ’s return, many believe that Jesus’ words were fulfilled at the transfiguration, when Peter, James and John saw his glory ( 17:1-3 )
— Others says this statement refers to the resurrection and ascension
— Still others believe that Pentecost and the beginning of the Christ’s church fulfilled Jesus’ words
Another possibility: Some teach that this means that the Kingdom of God would come during the disciples’ lifetime. It didn’t. This verse could possibly refer to Chapter 17; the Transfiguration
Additional Resources
MacArthur, John. Matthew 8-15. Moody Press, 1987.
MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.
Rod Parsley and John MacArthur vs Matthew 16
Life Application Bible (NIV). Zondervan Grand Rapids, Michigan and Tyndale House Publishers. Carol Stream, Illinois
Christ, not Caesar, Is Head of the Church. https://www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/1988
J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee.
Bible Study Questions: https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Matthew/Matthew%20Chapter%2016%20Continued.html
The State of the Church: An Interview with John MacArthur, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeplRwavGUs
William Hendriksen. Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1973.