Mateo 16

Le piden a Jesús una señal

1 Los fariseos y los saduceos se acercaron a Jesús y, para ponerlo a prueba, le pidieron que les mostrara una señal del cielo.

2 Él les contestó:^[a] «Al atardecer, ustedes dicen que hará buen tiempo porque el cielo está rojizo,

3 y por la mañana, que habrá tempestad porque el cielo está nublado y amenazante.^[b] Ustedes saben discernir el aspecto del cielo, pero no las señales de los tiempos.

4 Esta generación malvada y adúltera busca una señal milagrosa, pero no se le dará más señal que la de Jonás». Entonces Jesús los dejó y se fue.

La levadura de los fariseos y de los saduceos

5 Cruzaron el lago, pero a los discípulos se les había olvidado llevar pan.

6 —Tengan cuidado —les advirtió Jesús—; eviten la levadura de los fariseos y de los saduceos.

7 Ellos comentaban entre sí: «Lo dice porque no trajimos pan».

8 Al darse cuenta de esto, Jesús les recriminó:—Hombres de poca fe, ¿por qué están hablando de que no tienen pan?

9 ¿Todavía no entienden? ¿No recuerdan los cinco panes para los cinco mil, y el número de canastas que recogieron?

10 ¿Ni los siete panes para los cuatro mil, y el número de cestas que recogieron?

11 ¿Cómo es que no entienden que no hablaba yo del pan sino de tener cuidado de la levadura de fariseos y saduceos?

12 Entonces comprendieron que no les decía que se cuidaran de la levadura del pan sino de la enseñanza de los fariseos y de los saduceos.

La confesión de Pedro

13 Cuando llegó a la región de Cesarea de Filipo, Jesús preguntó a sus discípulos:—¿Quién dice la gente que es el Hijo del hombre?Le respondieron:

14 —Unos dicen que es Juan el Bautista, otros que Elías, y otros que Jeremías o uno de los profetas.

15 —Y ustedes, ¿quién dicen que soy yo?

16 —Tú eres el Cristo, el Hijo del Dios viviente —afirmó Simón Pedro.

17 —Dichoso tú, Simón, hijo de Jonás —le dijo Jesús—, porque eso no te lo reveló ningún mortal,^[c] sino mi Padre que está en el cielo.

18 Yo te digo que tú eres Pedro,^[d] y sobre esta piedra edificaré mi iglesia, y las puertas del reino de la muerte^[e] no prevalecerán contra ella.

19 Te daré las llaves del reino de los cielos; todo lo que ates en la tierra quedará atado en el cielo, y todo lo que desates en la tierra quedará desatado en el cielo.

20 Luego les ordenó a sus discípulos que no dijeran a nadie que él era el Cristo.

Jesús predice su muerte

21 Desde entonces comenzó Jesús a advertir a sus discípulos que tenía que ir a Jerusalén y sufrir muchas cosas a manos de los ancianos, de los jefes de los sacerdotes y de los maestros de la ley, y que era necesario que lo mataran y que al tercer día resucitara.

22 Pedro lo llevó aparte y comenzó a reprenderlo:—¡De ninguna manera, Señor! ¡Esto no te sucederá jamás!

23 Jesús se volvió y le dijo a Pedro:—¡Aléjate de mí, Satanás! Quieres hacerme tropezar; no piensas en las cosas de Dios sino en las de los hombres.

24 Luego dijo Jesús a sus discípulos:—Si alguien quiere ser mi discípulo, tiene que negarse a sí mismo, tomar su cruz y seguirme.

25 Porque el que quiera salvar su vida, la perderá; pero el que pierda su vida por mi causa, la encontrará.

26 ¿De qué sirve ganar el mundo entero si se pierde la vida? ¿O qué se puede dar a cambio de la vida?

27 Porque el Hijo del hombre ha de venir en la gloria de su Padre con sus ángeles, y entonces recompensará a cada persona según lo que haya hecho.

28 Les aseguro que algunos de los aquí presentes no sufrirán la muerte sin antes haber visto al Hijo del hombre llegar en su reino.

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Mateo 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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)