Matthew, Chapter 16

Matt. 16:13-20

Matt. 16:13 "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ."

The Lord, having all knowledge, did not need anyone to tell him something he did not already know. Nevertheless, he asked the disciples, "Whom do men say I the Son of man am." He asked this question, not for his benefit, but for our benefit. Popular opinion has never been right about who Jesus is. The disciples answered, "Some say thou art John the Baptist…" This notion had been set forth by King Herod, who had John beheaded. He said that Jesus was John raised from the dead. He did this because he knew that killing John was a very unpopular decision with the Jews who believed John to be a prophet. By saying that Jesus was John resurrected Herod could escape some of the unpopular backlash of killing John. This opinion was a government promoted opinion and some people believe if it comes from the government then it must be true.

The second opinion of the people was that Jesus was "Elias." This stems from the prophecy in Malachi 4:5: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." However, Jesus told us that John had come in the spirit of Elijah: Matt. 11:13 "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come." Thus, popular opinion was wrong on this count also.

The third opinion of the people was that Jesus was "Jeremias." This was the result of people's speculative thinking as there are no prophecies of someone coming in the spirit of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. Again, popular opinion was wrong.

The fourth opinion of the people was that Jesus was "one of the prophets." Jesus did not come as "one of the prophets." In all four opinions, the people were wrong.

The same is true today as far as what people popularly think of Jesus. Some say that he was a good moral man, but not the Son of God. Others say that he was a prophet, but not the Son of God. Even others say that he attempted to be a Savior, but it is dependant on the people letting him save them. Additionally, some say that he is a historic figure, but not the Son of God. Popular opinion will never identify the true identity of Jesus.

Jesus then asked the disciples, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Peter answered correctly, but the reason he answered correctly confounds many people today. Many people believe that the only way that one can know who is Jesus is if they inform them who he is. They believe that they can teach people to know the Lord and to know who he is. Jesus, however, told Peter how that he knew the correct answer: " Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Peter did not know that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God because some man had revealed it unto him, but he knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God because the Father had revealed it unto him. In Hebrews chapter 8 we are told: 11 "And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." We know the Lord not because some man taught us to know the Lord, but we know the Lord because the Lord taught us to know him!

The purpose of the true gospel is not to get people to know the Lord, but to teach people more about the Lord. The Lord reveals himself to his people, the gospel teaches them many things about him.

To know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God is indeed a great blessing from God. It indicates that we are among the elect, that we have been born of the Spirit, and that the eternal heaven will be our home.

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Many have thought this to teach that Jesus is saying that the church is built on Peter. However, a close examination reveals that this cannot be. The Greek word translated Peter is "petros" meaning a small fragment of a rock. The Greek word translated rock is "petra" meaning a giant mass of a rock. Thus, Jesus was saying to Peter that he was just a small pebble, but the church would be built on a giant boulder, which is Christ.

The church is built on the revealed truth of Jesus Christ. The church is built upon three great truths about Christ. First, it is build on who Christ is. Christ is the eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, all-wise, unchangeable God.

Second, the church is built on what Christ did and is doing. Christ work is a covenant work according to Rom. 8:29, 30: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Based on this covenant, God chose a people before the world began and predestinated them to be conformed to the image of his Son. Christ justified them with his shed blood, calls them into spiritual life at His appointed time, and glorifies them in the resurrection.

Third, the church is built upon the word of Christ. 2 Tim. 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The church if founded upon the scriptures which are a thorough furnisher unto all good works.

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The keys of the kingdom of heaven (church kingdom) were given to Peter as a representative of the gospel ministry. Keys are for loosing and binding. A part of the work of the gospel ministry is to do some loosing and some binding. Some have thought the above to read "and whosover thou shalt loose…" It is not "whosoever," but "whatsoever." Thus it is not people being loosed and bound, but truths and errors being bound and loosed from the thinking of God's people. When we are loosed from an error on earth, we are loosed from that same error in this Church that God has given us. Furthermore, when we are bound to the truth on earth, we are bound to the truth in this Church (kingdom of heaven) that God has given us.

"Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." Based on popular opinion this statement would make no sense to us. It is popularly held that the only way that people can know that Jesus is the Christ is through some man telling them. But, the Lord told them not to tell any man. If knowing who is Christ is dependant on preaching the gospel, an knowing him is a prerequisite of gaining the glory world, then the Lord would be guilty of causing people not to be given a chance of gaining the glory world. However, our home in the glory world is not dependant upon the actions of men and it is God that reveals that Jesus is the Christ to his people.

Matt. 16:21-23

Matt. 16:21 "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Several times the Lord spoke to the disciples about the fact that he was going to be killed and raised again the third day. Yet they did not believe him. What they did not believe in was the resurrection of the dead. Furthermore, they hated the idea that he would be killed. The disciples had believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah that was coming to set up a kingdom that would be an everlasting kingdom. They, at this time, thought that the kingdom would be a natural kingdom on earth. They did not understand that it would be a spiritual kingdom.

This same Peter who just before had declared by the revelation of the Father that "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, now was rebuking the Lord and saying, "Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee." While the Spirit of God had revealed Christ unto Peter, now the spirit of Satan was working in Peter to deny the work of the Lord. Subsequently, the Lord rebuked Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Peter is an illustration of our two-fold nature. The one nature of the inner man desires the things of God and the one nature of the outer flesh desires the things of the flesh. It was in this outer flesh nature under the leadership of the spirit of Satan that Peter rebuked the Lord. The flesh in its pride desired to see Jesus sitting on a natural throne in Jerusalem, reigning in a natural kingdom, with the disciples being chief in that government. Peter was savoring the things of men rather than the things of God. What Peter did not realize is that the greatest and best thing that could happen to Peter and to all the elect is that Jesus would die on the cross to redeem us from our sins and would raise the third day, victorious over sin, death, hell, the devil, and the grave.

Some have thought that Peter was the first pope (There are no popes in God's kingdom). Yet, here the Lord calls him Satan as the spirit of Satan was working in him. The popes are erroneously claimed to be infallible. Yet, Peter was very fallible as are all of God's ministers and people.

Matt. 16:24-28

Matt. 16:24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."

What does it mean to deny oneself? To deny oneself, we must mortify the deeds of the self (deny self) so that we may follow the leadership of the Spirit and the teaching of the word of God. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it." If we save our life after the fleshly desires, we will lose the enjoyment of our life after the spiritual endeavors of the inner man and the joys of the kingdom of heaven. "And whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." When we mortify the deeds of the flesh and no longer live to fulfill the carnal desires, then we find the joy, peace, and comfort of spiritual life in the kingdom of heaven.

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" This is not teaching that a person can lose eternal life. All of the elect will live in glory with Christ without the loss of a single one. However, if we could strive for the fulfillment of the fleshly desires and somehow gain the whole world, what has it profited us, if we lose the joy of our salvation? There is nothing in this world that is worth exchanging for the joy, peace, and comfort that we have in the Holy Ghost. To gain the whole world and to lose this makes us not to prosper, but to greatly diminish. This being a truth, then we should strive to serve the Lord with all of our heart.

"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Our works on earth will not be rewarded in the glory world. In the glory world, we will be all heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ. What could be greater than that? The reward for our works comes here in time. The Lord indeed came in the glory of the Father at his resurrection and ascension into heaven and the sending of the Holy Comforter to comfort us. The word, angels, means messengers. There are heavenly messengers that we call angels. Sometimes, however, the word angel refers to earthly messengers or the gospel ministry. The Lord has come in the Spirit of God with his gospel ministry to declare the wonderful works of God and to tell us what we should do in this life. We are rewarded in this life for the good deeds that we do.

"There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." In Chapter 17, we see Jesus in the mount of transfiguration and this is typical of Christ coming in his church kingdom. However, many of those with Jesus also experienced seeing his death, resurrection, and ascension into glory. They also saw the Spirit descend in power on the day of Pentecost. They literally saw the Son of man coming in his kingdom.