Mateo 16:20

20 Luego advirtió severamente a los discípulos que no le contaran a nadie que él era el Mesías.

Mateo 16:20 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 16:20

Then charged he his disciples
When Peter had so freely and fully confessed him to be the Messiah, and which was the sense of all the disciples; and when Christ had expressed his approbation of his confession, and had promised such great and excellent things upon it, he gave a strict charge unto his disciples,

that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
The word Jesus is not in some copies; and is left out in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions; nor does it seem absolutely necessary; it was enough to charge them to tell no man that he was the Messiah: his reasons for it might be, lest his enemies, the Scribes and Pharisees, should be the more provoked and incensed against him, and seek his death before his time; and lest the jealousy of the Romans should be stirred up, who might fear he would set up himself against Caesar, as king of the Jews, which might lead them to take measures obstructive of his further designs; and lest some persons, hearing of this, should rise and proclaim him king of the Jews, who were big with the notion of the Messiah being a temporal prince: and moreover, because the disciples were to attest the truth of this after his resurrection; and he chose, for the present, that the people should collect this from his own ministry and miracles, which were sufficient to lead them into the knowledge of it, without any declarations of their's: and though they were possessed of true faith in him, as such, for themselves, as yet they had not the gifts and abilities to defend those doctrines respecting his person, and his offices, they had after the Spirit was poured down upon them.

Mateo 16:20 In-Context

18 Ahora te digo que tú eres Pedro (que quiere decir “roca”),
y sobre esta roca edificaré mi iglesia, y el poder de la muerte
no la conquistará.

19 Y te daré las llaves del reino del cielo. Todo lo que prohíbas
en la tierra será prohibido en el cielo, y todo lo que permitas
en la tierra será permitido en el cielo.

20 Luego advirtió severamente a los discípulos que no le contaran a nadie que él era el Mesías.

21 Jesús predice su muerte
A partir de entonces, Jesús
empezó a decir claramente a sus discípulos que era necesario que fuera a Jerusalén, y que sufriría muchas cosas terribles a manos de los ancianos, de los principales sacerdotes y de los maestros de la ley religiosa. Lo matarían, pero al tercer día resucitaría.

22 Entonces Pedro lo llevó aparte y comenzó a reprenderlo
por decir semejantes cosas.
—¡Dios nos libre, Señor! —dijo—. Eso jamás te sucederá a ti.