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16:1-4
Asking for a sign
As so often happens when Jesus is brought into the picture, traditional
antagonists often unite together against him. In this case it was the Pharisees
and Sadducees.
(In simple terms, the Pharisees believed that the oral law (the Talmud,
the traditions, the explanations by the many rabbis) had to be combined with the
written law (The Old Testament Law). One without the other was, as far as they
were concerned, incomplete. They also believed that Man had immortality - that
is, they thought that when people died, the 'spirit' would continue on in
another place.
The Sadducees were generally the opposite in their beliefs to whatever
the Pharisees held as true. They were also political - conservatives - wanting
to preserve all the 'old ways'. They did not believe in resurrection, angels,
spirits, immortality of the soul, or eternal punishment either.)
The Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus to show them a sign, or display
of divine power, from out of the sky. "Make some supernatural
thing happen and then maybe we'll believe you."
So Jesus gave them a lesson based on the sky.
"When it is evening" he said, "If the sky is red, you can
expect fine weather the next day. And if you see a red sky in the morning, you
can expect rain. The sky gives you a clear warning of what is coming, and it is
easy for you to interpret what you see.
"But when it comes to me, you refuse to make the connection. In your
hypocritical way, you ignore the clear signs all around you, and by so doing,
you miss the significance of what I am doing!
(Some of these signs were : the coming of John the baptiser, the virgin
birth, the star, the coming of the magi, the miracle at Jesus' baptism, the many
miracles which followed Jesus everywhere, the sinless life, the wisdom of his
words, the authority with which he spoke . . .)
"You are wicked men! You have mixed so much error with God's truth
that you cannot sort the truth out any more! (Matt.12:39, Jer.3:9, Ez.23:27,
Hos.1:2)
"You want a sign? I'll give you a sign! Jonah!" (See 12:39)
The discussion was over, Jesus turned and walked away, and he kept
walking.
16:5-12
Yeast
Jesus went back across the lake, to the eastern side, with his disciples,
where it was suddenly realised by the disciples that they had forgotten to bring
food with them. Jesus seized the opportunity to give them a severe warning about
the dangers of false doctrine.
"Watch out" said Jesus, "And be wary of the Pharisees and
the Sadducees, because they will try to give you yeast!"
The disciples were confused. Why would the Pharisees want to give them
yeast? Was Jesus telling them not to go to the Pharisees for food supplies? What
was he talking about?
Jesus heard them trying to work out what he had said, so he interrupted
their discussion and set them straight.
"I see that you have not understood me" he said, "You are
slow learners! You have no food, and you are worried about it? Have you
forgotten who is with you?
"Do you recall how many loaves you have a while ago? Only five, yet
I was able to feed fifteen thousand people with them, and you gathered twelve
baskets of leftovers.
"And that other time, when I had only seven loaves, yet I fed twelve
thousand people with them, and you had seven large baskets of leftovers. Can you
see how it works. The less I have, the more I make! (My miracles work in inverse
proportion to what I am given - this is divine arithmetic.)
"You are thinking about literal food, and worrying needlessly about
it. What I was talking about, when I said to be wary of the Pharisee's yeast,
was their doctrine, because, like yeast, it can permeate your thinking, and
influence every area of your lives. (Luke 12:1 - hypocrisy. External obedience,
but internal disobedience.)"
16:13-20
Peter's confession
Jesus came at last to the region known as Caesarea Philippi, about 25
miles (40 km) north of the Sea of Galilee and five miles (8 km) east of Jordan.
He continued teaching and healing and moving from town to town, and then, during
a quieter moment, he got the attention of his disciples and asked them a
searching question.
"Who do these people think I am?"
The disciples began to go through a wide range of opinions.
"Some of them think you are John the baptiser, back from the
dead!"
"I've heard them call you Elijah."
"And Jeremiah."
"Someone called you Ezekiel I think."
"They definitely say you are a prophet."
"A great prophet!"
"Is that all?" said Jesus, "What about you? Who do you
think I am?"
(Jesus did not - and does not - want to be seen as one among many. He
would rather be the best, not a runner-up, or second-best. He wants us to see
him as the prophet, not a prophet. The greatest, not just great. The Son of God,
not just one of God's children.)
Simon Peter suddenly understood what Jesus was saying. He was inspired!
"You are the Messiah!" he said, "You are the Son of
God!"
"My Father must have given you this spiritual insight" said
Jesus with great joy, "Because it isn't something you can just work out
with your human intellect. You are so blessed!
"Let me tell you, Simon, son of Jonah, you are a mere pebble (petros)
in this world, but your confession is like a mighty rock (petra) on which the
Church will be built!"
"And this Church, which I will build, will be so powerful, it will
be able to overcome death and the grave! Anyone who is part of the Church will
have everlasting life!"
"And to you, Peter, I give the keys of authority or access, with
which you may open or shut the way into this Church. By your discernment, you
will be able to say, with authority, whether people who want to join the Church
are coming with the correct qualifications. (For example in Acts 2 where Peter
pronounced with authority regarding the Jews, and Acts 10 where he pronounced
with authority regarding the Gentiles. Access into the Church is by way of
Confession, Baptism (not always), Discipline, and General Lifestyle).
"Whatever you bind or loose on earth shall be bound or loosed in
heaven." (This is a Hebrew idiom meaning "to exercise authority".
Peter, and the other disciples were given the authority to declare, for God,
what was and was not permitted for Christians. Hence their instructions in the
epistles.)
(Because of the controversy which surrounds verses 16-19, some
explanation ought to be added. Peter's confession, not Peter himself, is the
Rock, and therefore the Rock is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. Eph.2:20
teaches us that the Church is built on Jesus Christ. He is the foundation stone,
on which are built the apostles and prophets. Christ is called a Rock in
1Cor.10:4.
Peter never spoke of himself as a Rock. Twice he referred to Christ as a
Stone - Acts 4:11, 12 and 1Pet. 2:4-8.
It would be presumptuous, and unBiblical and also blasphemous for any
mere human to claim the titles which only Jesus Christ is worthy of.)
Having reached this point, where Jesus has finally been acknowledged by
his disciples as the Messiah, he told them not to go broadcasting the news
everywhere. No good would of it, because the Jewish nation was unable, and
unwilling to take it in, and some Jews might miss the point and try to make
Jesus king - which would spark a riot, and a slaughter by Roman soldiers.
16:21-23
Jesus predicts his death and resurrection
From then on, as Jesus worked, he explained bit by bit to his disciples
how his ministry was going to go. The disciples, who expected Jesus to rise in
popularity, and eventually win over the Jewish nation, were upset and alarmed
when Jesus started talking about persecution, public shame, torture,
interrogation and, worst of all (!) crucifixion.
"Soon I will be going up to Jerusalem" said Jesus, "I must
go there, because the elders and chief priests and scribes are waiting for me.
When they see me, they will arrest me, and put me through a terrible ordeal,
then I will be murdered, but three days later I will come back to life."
Peter grabbed Jesus by the arm and pulled him aside.
"How can you talk like this?" said Peter, "You are the
Messiah! You don't need to go near those priests, and why are you content to let
them treat you like that! This is ridiculous!"
But Jesus refused to listen to Peter.
"You are talking like the devil!" said Jesus, "That's the
kind of argument he would use! If you want to speak like like him, you'd better
join him - and stay away from me!"
(Peter, like many people, would rather take the easy road, and avoid the
troubles which come from full commitment to God.)
16:24-28
True discipleship
Taking his cue from Peter rebuke, Jesus turned the unpleasant moment into
a teaching point. He explained to his disciples what it meant to be a fully
committed Christian.
"If anyone wants to be my disciple, he (or she) must make some hard
choices. At times these choices will mean choosing unpopularity rather than
promotion. At other times it will mean having to choose self-denial rather than
gratification. My disciples will have to exercise strict self-control, and say
"No" to many things, whether they are legitimate or not.
"My disciples will have to identify with me, and act like me, and
speak like me. For some this will result in poverty, for others dependency. Some
will suffer torture and even death because they refuse to deny their allegiance
to me.
"On the other hand, some of my followers will be rich, but they must
not trust in their wealth for salvation. There are many people who think that
being wealthy and happy is all they need to get to heaven, but they are wrong.
The most important thing in life is not how much money you have, but who you
love most.
"But you may be thinking about the cost of being a disciple? It is
very daunting, I know, but the reward far outweighs any cost - let me describe
how it will be at the end of the Age.
"I will come in my full glory! I will radiate with enormous power
throughout the earth, filling the planet and the universe with the pure glory of
God, and all my Father's glory will shine too, and all the angels will be there!
It will be an absolutely incredible time!
"And on that day I will gather my disciples - the Christians who
have lived for me in spite of all the trials - and I will give them rewards.
Some Christians will be overwhelmed with joy and surprise at the enormous, and
astonishing rewards they get! At that time they will suddenly realise that all
the difficulties they went through, because they were Christians, were worth
it."
Having foretold the general glories to come for all Christians
everywhere, Jesus now switched to a more intimate word for his disciples :
"Some of you" said Jesus, confiding with them, "Will live
to see me in the glory of my kingdom. This will be a taste of things to
come."