Reflections on Matthew 16

Matthew 16 (Contemporary English Version)


1. The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tried to test him by asking for a sign from heaven.
   
2. He told them: If the sky is red in the evening, you say the weather will be good.
   
3. But if the sky is red and gloomy in the morning, you say it is going to rain. You can tell what the weather will be like by looking at the sky. But you don't understand what is happening now.
   
4. You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will be given is what happened to Jonah. Then Jesus left.
   
5. The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread when they crossed the lake.
   
6. Jesus then warned them, "Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
   
7. The disciples talked this over and said to each other, "He must be saying this because we didn't bring along any bread."
   
8. Jesus knew what they were thinking and said: You surely don't have much faith! Why are you talking about not having any bread?
   
9. Don't you understand? Have you forgotten about the five thousand people and all those baskets of leftovers from just five loaves of bread?
   
10. And what about the four thousand people and all those baskets of leftovers from only seven loaves of bread?
    
11. Don't you know by now that I am not talking to you about bread? Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!
    
12. Finally, the disciples understood that Jesus wasn't talking about the yeast used to make bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
    
13. When Jesus and his disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, "What do people say about the Son of Man?"
    
14. The disciples answered, "Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah or Jeremiah or some other prophet."
    
15. Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say I am?"
    
16. Simon Peter spoke up, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
    
17. Jesus told him: Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn't discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven.
    
18. So I will call you Peter, which means "a rock." On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it.
    
19. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth. But he will not allow anything that you don't allow.
    
20. Jesus told his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
    
21. From then on, Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, "I must go to Jerusalem. There the nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make me suffer terribly. I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life."
    
22. Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. He said, "God would never let this happen to you, Lord!"
    
23. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God."
    
24. Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.
    
25. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
    
26. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?
    
27. The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done.
    
28. I promise you that some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.
    

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Jesus' ministry at this point is focused primarily on teaching His twelve chosen apostles. The die is cast as to whether Israel will accept Him as the Messiah. This truth is further emphasized with yet another encounter between Jesus and the religious leaders in verses 1-4 of this chapter. These leaders again ask Jesus for "a sign from heaven." Jesus points out that these leaders are adept at reading the signs of the weather but have no such ability with signs of the times. Nor would they do any better with a sign from heaven which they requested. In fact, Jesus had been giving them signs from heaven all along through His performance of miracles and they ignored these other than to accuse Him of doing them as a servant of Satan. Jesus not only refused their request for a sign but also condemned them as an "evil and adulterous generation."

The remainder of the chapter is devoted to teaching His disciples, using this encounter with the Jewish leaders as a springboard. He cautioned the disciples to "beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees," warning them of the danger of their teachings. How can one read these gospel accounts and remain wrapped up in religious rituals? God's acceptance of us, our standing with God, is not determined by correctly observing a certain formula of worship. It is by accepting God's Son, Jesus Christ, as His means of being made acceptable to God and giving our lives to follow Christ. For there is "no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12) The teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees would burden one down with rituals but would do nothing to bring them to God.

Next Jesus probed the disciples to make a 'confession of faith' concerning who He was. First He asked who others said Jesus was and then He asked who they thought Him to be. Others at least recognized Jesus to be someone of significance. They thought He might be John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or some other prophet, but they still missed the fact that He was the Messiah. Fortunately, the disciples had it right - or at least Peter did. Jesus pointed out that Peter's understanding did not come from his own abilities but from God who revealed it to him. Then Jesus told Peter that it would be on this rock He would build His church. There are a variety of thoughts as to the meaning of this statement. Could it be, though, that the rock on which Jesus would build His church was the rock of faith demonstrated by Peter, a faith based on Jesus as the Messiah?

Our faith in Christ cannot be based in any preconceived notions of our own, though, or we will lose our way. We must always keep open to Christ's revelations to us of Himself. When Jesus pointed out to His disciples His coming suffering and death, Peter rebuked Jesus for saying this. But Peter had his own notion of who the Messiah was and what He would do. Jesus made it clear that Peter's notion came from Satan and was not accurate. Satan would like very much for us to follow our own notions about Jesus and will gladly plant his own notions in our heads. Then Jesus gave a resounding truth that we all must come to understand if we are to find any lasting peace and joy in this life. Real life is not found in holding tenaciously to our own life but by losing our life for Christ. It is a paradox as are most of God's profound truths. Such truths are not understood through reasoning. Only faith will bring us to an understanding of them. But millions will testify to the truth of Christ's statement here and I will join them in also testifying that if one will give away their life to Jesus Christ He will give back to them life in abundance.