THE VIDEO

THE WORD:

Matthew 16 (King James Version)
Matthew 16 (The Message Version)

THE MESSAGE:

We will see the Pharisees and Sadducees trying to entrap Jesus.
We will learn about the leven of the Pharasiees and Sadducess
We will hear jesus ask who do you say I am?
We will hear Jesus tell Simon Peter, Blessed thou art. and turn around in a few more verses tell him to get behind him satan.
We will hear Jesus tell how we should live.

Vs. 1-4
The Pharisees and Sadducees were opposed to each other in principles and in conduct; yet they joined against Christ. But they desired a sign of their own choosing: they despised those signs which relieved the necessity of the sick and sorrowful, and called for something else which would gratify the curiosity of the proud. Friend, it is great hypocrisy, when we slight the signs of God’s ordaining, to seek for signs of our own devising.

Jesus’ opposition, the religious leaders of the day were too blind to recognize the signs he has already offered them (16:1-4), and even his own disciples are slow to understand. (16:5-12)..

Vs. 5-11
Christ speaks of spiritual things under a similitude, and the disciples misunderstand him of carnal things. He took it ill that they should think him as thoughtful about bread as they were; that they should be so little acquainted with his way of preaching. Then understood they what he meant. Christ teaches by the Spirit of wisdom in the heart, opening the understanding to the Spirit of revelation in the word.

Jesus warns against testing God as his opponents had just done. When Jesus warns against Pharisaic leaven (vv. 5-6), hence Pharisaic teaching (vv. 11-12), he is not implying that he disagrees with all Pharisaic teaching (23:2); the context specifies which teaching he means. The Pharisees and Sadducees have posed this question about signs, with the intent to discredit Jesus (16:1-4); Jesus’ words against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees in this context must constitute a warning against such cynicism, which rapidly poisons the attitudes of others. It is like a cancer on the inside of your body. It can grow uncontrollably, quickly.

Vs. 12-20
Peter, for himself and his brethren, said that they were assured of our Lord’s being the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God. This showed that they believed Jesus to be more than man. O

Jesus then declares Peter to be blessed, as the teaching of God made him different from his unbelieving countrymen. Christ added that he had named him Peter, in allusion to his stability or firmness in professing the truth. The word translated “rock,” is not the same word as Peter, but is of a similar meaning. Nothing can be more wrong than to suppose that Christ meant the person of Peter was the rock. Without doubt Christ himself is the Rock, the tried foundation of the church; and woe to him that attempts to lay any other!

Peter’s confession is this rock as to doctrine. If Jesus be not the Christ, those that own him are not of the church, but deceivers and deceived. Jesus gives us declared the authority with which Peter would be invested. He spoke in the name of his brethren, and this related to them as well as to him. They had no certain knowledge of the characters of men, and were liable to mistakes and sins in their own conduct; but they were kept from error in stating the way of acceptance and salvation, the rule of obedience, the believer’s character and experience, and the final doom of unbelievers and hypocrites. In such matters their decision was right, and it was confirmed in heaven. But all pretensions of any man, either to absolve or retain men’s sins, are blasphemous and absurd. None can forgive sins but God only. And this binding and loosing, in the common language of the Jews, signified to forbid and to allow, or to teach what is lawful or unlawful.

Vs. 21-22
Jesus turns to confront Peter to literally get behind him, he now ordered him to get behind him figuratively (16:23), returning to a position of discipleship.

But Peter was not only out of order; he was the devil’s agent. Christ reveals his mind to his people gradually. From that time, when the apostles had made the full confession of Christ, that he was the Son of God, he began to show them of his sufferings.

He spake this to set right the mistakes of his disciples about the outward pomp and power of his kingdom.

Those that follow Christ, must not expect great or high things in this world. Peter would have Christ to dread suffering as much as he did; but we mistake, if we measure Christ’s love and patience by our own.

We do not read of any thing said or done by any of his disciples, at any time, that Christ resented so much as this.

Whoever takes us from that which is good, and would make us fear to do too much for God, speaks Satan’s language.

Whatever appears to be a temptation to sin, must be resisted with abhorrence, and not be parleyed with.

Those that decline suffering for Christ, savour more of the things of man than of the things of

Vs. 24-26
Had the disciples any doubt that Jesus would someday come to reign in glory (16:27), he promises them a proleptic vision of his glory in the present (16:28).
In the next chapter we will see the full transfiguration in which the select disciples will see a sign that they can really believe.

Personal Study Questions
Who came with the Pharisees to see Jesus?

What were they looking for?

What were they doing?

Did Jesus tell them something they already knew?

What question did he ask them?

What did he call their generation?

What one thing would be shown to them?

Did they leave him or did he leave them?

What had the disciples forgotten when they got to the other side?

When did Jesus say something to them?

What did Jesus say to them?

Is leaven likened to a good thing in this instance?

Did his disciples have much faith?

Why were they reasoning among each other according to Jesus?

What didn’t they remember?

What didn’t they understand?

How much did they pickup after the first feeding miracle?

How much did they pickup after the second feeding miracle?

Can you answer Jesus’ question? “How is it that ye do not…”

What was Jesus talking to them about that they didn’t understand at first?

What coasts did Jesus come to next?

Where is it located?

What did he ask his disciples first?

What did he ask them next?

Who answered?

What did he say?

How is his answer different from what others said of Jesus?

Who did Jesus say was blessed?

When Jesus says “flesh and blood”, what is he referring to?

What would be given to Peter?

When Jesus says “whatsoever”, what is he referring to?

What was Jesus’ charge to them?