16.1. Now when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

 

The Pharisees and Sadducees are so opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ that they continually bait him with things that they are not really interested in. There are those today who will seek to waste our time in the same way. Not content with all the miracles that He had done and which they obviously did not think came from heaven they now have the audacity to ask Him for a sign! 

 

16.2 - 3. He said, "When evening comes you say, 'It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.' You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times.

 

We are all familiar with the answer that Jesus gave them and have most probably used it ourselves.   They know how to read the signs in the sky concerning the weather outlook "red sky at night shepherds delight, red sky in the morning shepherds warning" we would say.  But they have so blinded themselves with their unbelief that they cannot see the fulfilment of the signs given them in the Old Testament that is happening before their very eyes.

 

16.4. A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away.

 

He tells them that it is only those that have evil designs and are unfaithful to God and unbelieving that ask for signs.   Jesus tells them straight that the only sign they will receive is that shown through Jonah (Matthew 12:40, Jonah 3: 4,5).   That Jesus will died and  rise again.

 

16.5. When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread.

 

As they went on their way in the boat over to Magdala the disciples suddenly realised that they had forgotten to bring any food with them.

 

16.6. "Watch out," Jesus said to them, "beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

 

While they were talking about this Jesus warns them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees i.e. their teachings.

 

16.7. So they began to discuss this among themselves, saying, "It is because we brought no bread."

 

Because their minds were so full of feeding their stomachs they misunderstood Him and thought that He said this because they had forgotten to bring any food.

 

16.8. When Jesus learned of this, he said, "You who have such little faith! Why are you arguing among yourselves about having no bread?

 

Jesus knowing what they were discussing among themselves rebukes them for their incredible small faith and that they should be arguing about having no bread!  Most probable blaming each other for forgetting it.

 

16.9 - 10. Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up?

 

What was so incredible was that they had witnessed the miracle of Him feeding above five thousand and four thousand and yet they could not believe that if necessary they could be fed again in the same way.  Had they not collected twelve and seven baskets of leftovers?

 

16.11. How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

 

How could they fail to understand that He was not talking about bread to eat but warning them about the corrupt teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

16.12. Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

At last the penny dropped, the truth dawned about them that He was warning them against the deceptive teaching of the these religious people.

 

16.13. When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

 

As they were coming into the region of Caesarea Philippi Jesus asks His disciples who the people say He is.

 

16.14. They answered, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

 

They told Him that some believed that He was John the Baptist, others that He was the prophet Elijah or Jeremiah, still others that He must be one of the other prophets of the past.

 

16.15. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

 

Jesus did not ask them this for His own benefit for He knew who He was but that He may bring them to answer this leading question.   They had been with Him sometime now and had heard His teachings and seen the mighty things He had done so "who do you say I am"

16.16. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 

It was Simon Peter who was the first to speak up and confessed That Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

 

16.17. And Jesus answered him, "You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!

 

He did not received this revelation by his own means or from any man but directly from God the Father.

 

16.18. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

 

This verse is often misunderstood and in some Christian circles purposely so.  A careful study of the words that Jesus said in the original shows clearly that He did not say that His church would be built upon Peter.   The name that Jesus gave to Simon, that is Peter is "Petros" meaning a small rock and indeed Peter proved to be a steadfast rock in the early church.   The word that Jesus used that He said He would His church on was "Petra"  a large rock.   Jesus Christ is the Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4). Peter called Jesus the "living stone" and the "chief corner stone" ( 1 Peter 2:4-6). Paul speaks of Jesus Christ as the foundation that the church is built on (1 Corinthians 3:11 and Romans 9:33).  It is because Christ builds His Church that the gates of Hell shall not overpower it.

 

16.19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."

 

The keys of the kingdom of heaven is the preaching of the Gospel in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ with the authority and power that the Name means.  In His Name not only Peter and the other disciples but all who are Christ's can bind things on earth and it shall happen because they have been bound in heaven and whatever is loosed on earth will be done because it has been loosed in heaven.

 

16.20. Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

 

Having said this Jesus instructs His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.

 

God's Thoughts are not Our Thoughts

16.21. From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

 

From this time on Jesus began clearly to show His disciples that His destiny is to go up to Jerusalem and there suffer many terrible things at the hands of the religious leaders and would be killed and that on the third day He would be raised from the dead.

 

16.22. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: "God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!"

 

This was beyond Peter's comprehension this thing could never happen, God forbid, it must not be allowed to happen!.   God Forbid? poor Peter he did not know that it was God's plan and purpose that His only begotten Son should die for the sins of the whole world and for this reason He came into the world (John 12:27).

 

16.23. But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but on man's."

 

Jesus knew that it was the Devil using Peter to get in the way in order to hinder God's plan to be fulfilled.  So he rebukes Satan and tells Peter that He is seeing things only from an human point of view and not God's.

 

16.24. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

 

Then He said to all His disciples that if anyone wants to become His disciple, to follow Him, he must not do the things that please himself but must deny himself and every day take up his cross, submit to God's will and be prepared to sacrifice following in the footsteps of Jesus.

 

16.25. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

 

Whoever wants to save his own life, live for self only, will find that he will lose his life.   But whoever is prepared to give his life for the sake of Jesus Christ will save it (1 Corinthians 15:30-31 and Romans 8: 36-37).

 

16.26. For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?

 

What benefit is it if a person should have all this world's goods and its approval but lose his own soul and is destroyed.

 

16.27. For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

 

Jesus Christ is going to come again with His angels in all His splendour and the glory of His Father and will accordingly reward all those who have done His will.

 

16.28. I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

 

He finishes His discourse by stating a truth that there were those who were present with Him now who will live to see many enter into the Kingdom of God by the preaching of Salvation through Him (Acts 2:41-47).