Matthew 16

The Signs of the Times

1 And [when] the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test [him], they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 So he answered [and] said to them, "[When] evening comes you say, '[It will be] fair weather because the sky is red,'

3 and early in the morning, 'Today [it will be] stormy weather, because the sky is red [and] darkening.' You know how to evaluate correctly the appearance of the sky, but you are not able [to evaluate] the signs of the times.

4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah!" And he left them [and] went away.

Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 And [when] the disciples arrived at the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

6 And Jesus said to them, "Watch out for and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

7 So they were discussing [this] among themselves, saying, "[It is] because we did not take bread."

8 But knowing [this], Jesus said, "Why are you discussing among yourselves that you did not take bread, [you] of little faith?

9 Do you not yet understand or do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up?

11 How do you not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But 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 teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Confession at Caesarea Philippi

13 Now [when] Jesus came to the region of Caesarea {Philippi}, he began asking his disciples, saying, "Who do people say [that] the Son of Man is?"

14 And they said, {Some} [say] John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 He said to them, "But who do you say [that] I am?"

16 And Simon Peter answered [and] said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!"

17 And Jesus answered [and] 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 heaven.

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it!

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven."

20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

21 From that time [on] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must 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 And Peter took him aside [and] began to rebuke him, saying, {God forbid}, Lord! This will never happen to you!"

23 But he turned around [and] said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a cause for stumbling to me, because you are not intent on the things of God, but the things of people!"

Taking Up One’s Cross to Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will find it.

26 For what will a person be benefited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life?

27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and at that time he will reward each one according to {what he has done}.

28 Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Matthew 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

The Pharisees and Sadducees ask a sign. (1-4) Jesus cautions against the doctrine of the Pharisees. (5-12) Peter's testimony that Jesus was the Christ. (13-20) Christ foretells his sufferings, and rebukes Peter. (21-23) The necessity of self-denial. (24-28)

Verses 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. It is great hypocrisy, when we slight the signs of God's ordaining, to seek for signs of our own devising.

Verses 5-12 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.

Verses 13-20 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. Our Lord declared Peter to be blessed, as the teaching of God made him differ 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. Our Lord next 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.

Verses 21-23 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 God.

Verses 24-28 A true disciple of Christ is one that does follow him in duty, and shall follow him to glory. He is one that walks in the same way Christ walked in, is led by his Spirit, and treads in his steps, whithersoever he goes. "Let him deny himself." If self-denial be a hard lesson, it is no more than what our Master learned and practised, to redeem us, and to teach us. "Let him take up his cross." The cross is here put for every trouble that befalls us. We are apt to think we could bear another's cross better than our own; but that is best which is appointed us, and we ought to make the best of it. We must not by our rashness and folly pull crosses down upon our own heads, but must take them up when they are in our way. If any man will have the name and credit of a disciple, let him follow Christ in the work and duty of a disciple. If all worldly things are worthless when compared with the life of the body, how forcible the same argument with respect to the soul and its state of never-ending happiness or misery! Thousands lose their souls for the most trifling gain, or the most worthless indulgence, nay, often from mere sloth and negligence. Whatever is the object for which men forsake Christ, that is the price at which Satan buys their souls. Yet one soul is worth more than all the world. This is Christ's judgment upon the matter; he knew the price of souls, for he redeemed them; nor would he underrate the world, for he made it. The dying transgressor cannot purchase one hour's respite to seek mercy for his perishing soul. Let us then learn rightly to value our souls, and Christ as the only Saviour of them.

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("came") which is understood as temporal
• [b]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [c]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("answered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [d]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("comes")
• [e]. *Here "[and]" is supplied in the translation because of English style
• [f]. *Here "[to evaluate]" is an implied repetition of the verb earlier in the verse
• [g]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("left") has been translated as a finite verb
• [h]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("arrived") which is understood as temporal
• [i]. That is, the other side of the Sea of Galilee
• [j]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [k]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [l]. Some manuscripts have "you do not have bread"
• [m]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("came") which is understood as temporal
• [n]. Literally "of Philip"
• [o]. *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here ("began asking")
• [p]. Literally "those on the one hand"
• [q]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("answered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [r]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("answered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [s]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [t]. Or "will have been bound"
• [u]. Or "will have been released"
• [v]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("took ... aside") has been translated as a finite verb
• [w]. Literally "merciful to you"
• [x]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("turned around") has been translated as a finite verb
• [y]. Literally "his activity"