Matthew Chapter 16

¹ The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

• The Pharisees and the Sadducees were not friends, they were rivals, yet here they are working together to tempt Jesus. They wanted Jesus to show them signs from heaven even though they had seen and heard of all the miracles that Jesus had already done. These two opposing groups were conspiring together and here they were trying to find something they could use against him.
• There is a saying “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” that comes to mind reading this text. It denotes enemies setting aside their personal differences with one another to join forces in taking down a threat to both of them. In Matthew 12: 26 Jesus said “ And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” So these two joining forces isn’t surprising because they’re both working on the same side…their perceived opposition of one another that they set aside to come after Jesus is just another part of the same side working together to divide people and cause confusion. As divided as the kingdom of darkness seems at times, make no mistake… it is unified in its mission to take as many souls to hell as it can, the division we see is just another tactic of the enemy to draw our hearts away from Jesus.

² He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

³ And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

• These men have enough logic to look at the sky for signs of coming bad weather, but act as if the miracles they’ve already seen isn’t enough proof. It seems to me that they have set their minds to reject all evidence that Jesus is the Son of God and just keep looking to find instead something they can use to confirm their bias hatred of Jesus. It makes me wonder what would cause a person to hold on tight to their beliefs even when they are faced with solid proof their way is wrong. To admit that Jesus is the Son of God and their way has been wrong all along would be a humbling experience. It would require them to put down all their beliefs that they currently teach and begin again learning the truth.

⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

• These who seek a sign would not be convinced with even more signs…. the signs have been clear, they just refuse to believe them. The mentioned adulterousness is spiritual adultery is a reference to their departure from honest, humble service to God. These are Pharisees and Sadducees both are very devout religious groups. Proof you can look like you are serving God and even deceive the masses while being wicked and far from God.
• Just like Jonas was in the belly of a whale for three days, Jesus will raise from the dead after 3 days… this is the sign they will be given. Jesus stated this once before when the scribes and the Pharisees asked for a sign in Matthew 12:39-40 ³⁹ But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:⁴⁰ For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

⁵ And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

⁶ Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

⁸ Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

⁹ Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

¹⁰ Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

¹¹ How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

¹² Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

• Jesus was warning them of the false doctrines both groups taught.

¹³ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

¹⁴ And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

¹⁵ He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

• Jesus starts out by asking who the disciples think he is and Peter gives the perfect response…. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. God showed this to Peter.

¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

¹⁹ And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

• Jesus tells them that the confession that Peter made about him being the Son of God, the Christ is the rock that he will build the church on. He states that the gates of hell will not prevail against this Church build on the Rock of Jesus. Jesus gave them the keys to the Kingdom that what they bind on this earth will be bound in heaven and what the loose on earth will be loosed in heaven

²⁰ Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

• Jesus told them not to tell anyone who he is. Jesus had things he had to do before he laid down his life to die on the cross….and if he had people trying to take him by force to be King or take him by force to silence him, his plans would be hindered.

²¹ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

• Jesus began at this point to explain what was going to happen. He was telling them what the plan was and preparing them for when it happened.

²² Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

• Peter hasn’t forgotten, wavered or abandoned his belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, but like a lot of Jews who were waiting for the Messiah, he wasn’t expecting Jesus to suffer and die. Peter had a different understanding of things, his expectations were that Jesus would overthrow the Romans and reign as King. He lacked understanding into how Jesus was going to save the lost.

²³ But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

• What Peter was trying to get Jesus to do would not have saved the lost. Our sin required blood to pay the debt, our sin sentenced us to death and if Jesus had done what Peter was wanting, we wouldn’t have been saved from the penalty of our sin because Jesus would not have died for us. Peters plans would have left everyone damned to hell… it was not why Jesus came here…and this led to Jesus’s rebuke of Peter and Satan who was speaking through him.

²⁴ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

• To follow Jesus and his plan is to deny our flesh and the things our flesh wants and instead serve God and his purposes like Jesus did. Our flesh can come up with plans that don’t align with God because we are in error in our beliefs and ideas about God and how he works.

²⁵ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

• It is my belief that this means we must fully invest in the divine plan and will of God and submit ourselves to him completely. Doing so means that we place the things of God above the things of the flesh and when the two are in conflict, we determine to deny the flesh, die to the desires of the flesh and follow Jesus and his plans.

²⁶ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

²⁷ For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

²⁸ Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.