The New Testament with Commentary Matthew 16

The sign of the prophet Jonah

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.* 2 But in answer He said to them: “When it is evening you say, ‘Fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A malignant and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And leaving them behind He went away.†

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees”

5 Upon arriving at the other side His disciples had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 So they reasoned among themselves saying, “It's because we didn't bring any bread.” 8 But Jesus, being aware, said to them: “You little-faiths! Why are you reasoning among yourselves because you didn't bring any bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many hampers you took up? 11 How come you don't perceive that it wasn't about bread that I told you to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?” 12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus openly declares His death and ministers on that basis

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi He questioned His disciples saying, “Who do people say that I, the Son of the Man, am?”‡ 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptizer, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He says to them, “But you, who do you say that I am?” 16 So in answer Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” 17 And in answer Jesus said to him: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in the heavens. 18 And I further say to you that you are a stone, but on this bedrock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not withstand her.§ 19 And I will give you (sg) the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in the heavens.”* 20 Then He ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah.† 21 From then on Jesus began to show to His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day. 22 So taking Him aside Peter began to rebuke Him saying: “Mercy to you, Lord! This shall not happen to you!” 23 But turning He said to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not mindful of God's values, but of men's values.”‡

How to save your life

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples: “If anyone desires to come after me, let him really deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will waste it, but whoever ‘wastes’ his life on my account will find it.§ 26 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of the Man will certainly come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will recompense each according to his performance.* 28 Assuredly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of the Man coming in His kingdom.”†

*16:1 Pharisees and Sadducees were theological enemies, but they join forces against Jesus.

†16:4 He left by boat—He did not want to waste time with them. Jesus calls them “malignant”—they are aggressively evil.

‡16:13 Instead of “I, the Son of the Man, am”, perhaps 0.5% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, have ‘the Son of the Man is’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). The change is significant.

§16:18 There is a play on words here, πετρος VS πετρα—the bedrock was obviously not Peter. The bedrock presumably has to do with the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. ‘Gates’ do not attack, but are the last line of defense—it is the Church that is attacking Hades. Hades is not hell. Hell is the Lake of fire, the second death; Hades is the halfway ‘house’ where departed spirits await the judgment.

*16:19 Please see the note at Matthew 18:18.

†16:20 As is clear from Luke 9:20-22, verses 21-23 here form part of the same conversation. At this point Jesus changes the game plan—He declares that He is going to die and orders the disciples to stop presenting Him as the Messiah. Some 65% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘Jesus, the Messiah’ (as in AV and NKJV); I follow the best line of transmission.

‡16:23 Satan put those words in Peter's mouth, but he agreed with them. Note that within 3-5 minutes Peter spoke twice, under inspiration; the first time inspired by God (verses 16-17) and the second by Satan (verses 22-23). It is God the Son who tells us what really happened. Since Sovereign Jesus said it was Satan, it was Satan, and if he could do it to Peter, he can do it to us. The almost total ignorance on the subject of biblical spiritual warfare that prevails in North America is having serious consequences.

§16:25 What is in view here is the potential your life represents.

*16:27 We will be judged on the basis of what we did with our potential.

†16:28 Presumably this was fulfilled at the transfiguration—a manifestation, in miniature, of the Kingdom (Jesus the King, Moses and Elijah representing glorified saints [who will participate in the administration] and the three disciples representing the normal inhabitants of the earth at that time).