Bible Study Class 101- Matthew Chapter 16: Who Is Jesus, Pharaisees, Hypocrites Seek A Sign, Take Up Your Cross,

Posted : 18 Apr, 2011 10:05 AM

Bible Study Class 101 - Matthew 16 - Revealing Who Jesus is and what He Came to Do by David Guzik

A. Warnings against the Sadducees and the Pharisees.

1. (Verses 1-4) The Sadducees and the Pharisees seek a sign from Jesus.

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; 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. 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.

a. Then the Pharisees and Sadducees: Their remarkable working in unison shows a real anxiety among them. The Sadducees and Pharisees were long-standing enemies, and the fact that they can come together against Jesus shows that they regard Him as an extremely serious threat.

b. And testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven: Jesus had done many signs and they remain unconvinced. They looked for a sign from heaven such as calling down fire from heaven, preferably against a Roman legion. They said they were not convinced by the signs "on earth" Jesus had done.

i. Tradition held that a sign done on earth could be a counterfeit from Satan, but signs done from heaven (in or from the sky) were assumed to be from God.

c. Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times: Jesus condemned their hypocrisy. They felt confident about predicting the weather from the signs they saw around them, but were blind to the signs regarding Jesus' Messianic credentials right before their eyes.

i. Jesus wasn't the only one to notice the hypocrisy in His day. The Jews of Jesus' day had a proverb saying that if all the hypocrites in the world were divided into ten parts, Jerusalem would contain nine of the ten parts.

d. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign: This reminds that signs alone convert no one. We can place far too much confidence in signs as events bring people to faith in Jesus.

i. The problem isn't that the signs are themselves weak, but that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after them.

e. No sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah: However, Jesus promised a sign that would have power to bring people to faith - His own resurrection.

2. (Verses 5-12) Jesus cautions the disciples against false teaching.

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." 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? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 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." 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.

a. It is because we have taken no bread: Why would Jesus, who miraculously fed both 5,000 and 4,000 worry about bread? The disciples didn't understand Jesus at all here. It is easy to be judgmental of the spiritual insensitivity of the disciples, until we take an honest look at our own.

b. 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: Jesus impressed the importance of being on guard against false teaching. Here as always, leaven is a picture of corruption, especially that of an insidious nature.

B. Peter confesses Jesus as Messiah.

1. (Verse 13) Jesus asks the disciples to tell Him who others say He is.

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?"

a. Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? Jesus did not ask this out of insecurity or a lack of full awareness of His identity; nor is He conducting a public opinion poll. Jesus asks this because He wants His disciples to know who He is.

2. (Verses 14-16) A pointed question and a pointed answer.

So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

a. Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets: The general tendency was to underestimate Jesus, to give Him a measure of respect and honor, but to fall far short of honoring Him for who He really is.

b. Who do you say that I am? This is the question placed before all who hear of Jesus; and it is we, not He, who are judged by our answer.

i. In fact, we answer this question every day by what we believe and do. If we really believe Jesus is who He says He is, it will affect the way that we live.

c. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God: Peter boldly exclaims the truth about Jesus - that He is not only the Messiah (the Christ), but that He is also God.

i. The Jews properly thought that to be the Son of the living God, in a unique sense, was to make a claim to deity itself.

3. (Verses 17-20) Jesus commends Peter for His bold and correct declaration.

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. 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. 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." Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

a. Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven: Jesus reveals to Peter that he spoke by divine inspiration, even if he didn't even know it at the time.

i. We too often expect God to speak in strange and unnatural ways. Here God spoke through Peter so naturally that he didn't even realize his Father who is in heaven revealed it to him.

b. I also say to you that you are Peter: This is not only a recognition of Peter's more Roman name, it is also a promise of God's work in Peter. The name Peter means "Rock." Though it may be hard to believe, Peter was a rock, and would become a rock, God transforming his naturally extreme character into something solid and reliable.

c. On this rock I will build My church: The words this rock have been the source of much controversy. It is best to see them as referring to either Jesus Himself (perhaps Jesus gesturing to Himself as He said this), or as referring to Peter's confession of who Jesus is.

i. Peter, by His own testimony, did not see himself as the rock on which the church was founded. He says that we are living stones, but Jesus is the cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-7).

ii. I will build My church: This is a clear claim of ownership. The church belongs to Jesus.

c. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it: Jesus also offers a promise - the forces of death and darkness can't prevail against or conquer the church. This is a precious promise in the heat of battle, assuring us that victory is sure.

d. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: The idea is not that Peter will admit people to heaven, but that Peter opened the door of the kingdom to both the Jews (Acts 2:38-39) and the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-44).

e. And whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven: The power for binding and loosing is something that the Jewish rabbis of that day used. They bound or loosed an individual in the application of a particular point of the law. Jesus promises that Peter - and the other apostles - would be able to set the boundaries authoritatively for the New Covenant community. This was the authority given to the apostles and prophets to build a foundation (Ephesians 2:20).

f. He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ: Jesus is pleased that His disciples are coming to know who He is in truth, but He still doesn't want His identity spread abroad before the proper time.

4. (Verse 21) Jesus begins to reveal the full extent of His mission.

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.

a. He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things . . . and be killed: This must have come as quite a shock to His disciples. After fully understanding that Jesus was the Messiah, the last thing they expected was the Messiah would suffer many things and be killed.

b. And be raised the third day: The disciples were probably so shocked that Jesus said He would be killed in Jerusalem, that these words didn't sink in. Later, and angel reminded them of these words (Luke 24:6-8).

5. (Verses 22-23) Peter's unwitting opposition of Jesus.

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 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."

a. Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You! Peter's intent was love for Jesus, but he was unwittingly used of Satan. You don't have to be demon possessed to be used of Satan and we need to be on guard lest we are unwittingly used.

b. You are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men: We must always understand that a sincere heart, with man's thinking, can often lead to disaster.

C. Jesus' call to disciples.

1. (Verse 24) Jesus has announced that He is going to Jerusalem to die, so He expects His followers to follow in His footsteps by dying to self.

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."

a. Let him deny himself: Human nature wants to indulge self, not deny self. Death to self is always terrible, and if we expect it to be a pleasant experience, we will often be discouraged.

b. And take up his cross: Death to self is the radical command of the Christian life. To take up your cross meant one thing: you were going to a certain death, and your only hope was in resurrection power.

c. Are you God centered or self centered? Jesus presents quite a "grown-up" gospel to us here, one that does not merely pander to our desires, but challenges us in our deepest being.

2. (Verses 25-27) The paradox: finding life by losing it.

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 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? 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."

a. Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it: How can we find our life by losing it? Jesus asks us to look beyond immediate gratification, because the immediate loss is worth the ultimate gain, even though the loss is completely repulsive to our flesh.

b. He will reward each according to his works: This ultimate gain is given on this day. If we live life blind to this truth, we really will lose our own soul.

3. (Verse 28) A promise to see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

"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."

a. What did Jesus mean by this? The answer is in the following chapter.

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