Matthew
16:1-20
Lesson 32
16:1-20
Lesson 32
Matthew 16:1-20
Show us a sign 1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. 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? 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. 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. 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. 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. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus* the Christ. * Some original manuscripts leave out the name "Jesus." |
Margin notes:
"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came." (16:1) - Jesus' fame was growing. So once again, the Pharisees traveled long distances to challenge the Messiah (Matthew 15:1), and this time, they brought the Sadducees. "Desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven." (16:1) - This is the second time the Pharisees tested Jesus by asking Him to perform a miracle (Matthew 12:38). Jesus will be tested again in Mark 8:11, Luke 11:16, and John 6:30. "The sky is red and lowering." (16:3) - "The sky is red and overcast." "Adulterous." (16:4) - The Pharisees and Sadducees had not committed adultery against their spouses. After pledging their love for God, they betrayed Him. "Generation." (16:4) - "People." "There shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas." (16:4) - Jonas (Jonah) was "resurrected" from the belly of the whale after three days (Jonah 1:1- 2:10). Jesus is telling the Pharisees that the only miracle they will see is His resurrection after three days in the grave. Quite a miracle! Even after the resurrection, they did not believe. "Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (16:6) - "Beware of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Jesus is comparing yeast to false teachings. Yeast was used to make dough rise. A small piece of dough from each baking was set aside to make the next baking rise. In verses 16:11-12, Jesus expands this analogy of leaven to show how just one sinner can influence many people and generations. Jesus will repeat this warning in Mark 8:15. Paul also used the analogy of leaven in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians 5:7-10). "They reasoned among themselves." (16:7) - "They discussed among themselves." "The five loaves of the five thousand." (16:9) - Jesus is referring to when He fed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish (14:15-21). "The seven loaves of the four thousand." (16:10) - Jesus fed four thousand people with just seven loaves of bread and a few fish in lesson 31 (15:32-38). "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." - "Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees." "Bade them." (16:12) - "Told them." "The doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (16:12) - "The teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees." "Caesarea Philippi." (16:13) - A Roman town 120 miles north of Jerusalem, fifty miles from Damascus, thirty from Tyre, and twenty miles north of the Sea of Galilee at the foot of Mount Hermon near the city of Dan. The city was built by Herod Philip and named after the Roman Emperor Tiberius Caesar and himself. Caesarea Philippi was a center of Greek-Roman culture and awash in paganism. It had a mixed population of Jews and Gentiles and is today a small village called Banias. Caesarea Philippi should not be confused with the city of Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This passage and Mark 8:27 tell us that Jesus visited Caesarea Philippi. This was probably as far north as Jesus ever traveled. "Some say that thou art John the Baptist." (16:14) - See Matthew 14:2. "Or one of the prophets." (16:14) - See Matthew 21:11. "Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ." (16:16) - The title "Christ" means the "anointed one." Peter is acknowledging that Jesus is the Messiah. It's been three years since the disciple Andrew introduced Peter to the Messiah (John 1:41). Earlier, Peter and the rest of the disciples called Jesus "the Son of God" after seeing Him Walk on water (Matthew 14:33). "The living God." (16:16) - An Old Testament name for Jehovah, meant to differentiate the true God from false idols (1 Corinthians 12:2). "Simon Barjona." (16:17) - "Simon, son of John." "The rock." (16:18) - See "Question One" below. "I will build my church." (16:18) - As prophesized six hundred years before the birth of Christ in Zechariah 6:13. "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." (16:19) - "Peter opened the door of salvation on the day of Pentecost, to the Jews (Acts 2), and later to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Not that he was given the power to forgive sins, but to proclaim the terms of forgiveness." ("Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 442). The keys to heaven were also given to the other Apostles. "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (16:19) - In Jesus' day, to "bind" meant to forbid and to "loose" meant to allow. Jesus repeats this message in verse 18:18. "Charged he his disciples." (16:20) - "Warned His disciples." |