Teaching the Truth in a Hostile Environment (Matthew 16)

As we read the Gospel accounts, we see that the popularity that once marked the message of Jesus in Israel has started to abate and the opposition of his opponents has become more assertive and pronounced. This may be one reason why Jesus takes his disciples into Gentile areas away from hostility, although a few miles will not deter those out to get Jesus. In addition, the period with his disciples is one in which they can be instructed in his mission.

Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs (16:1-4)

Usually the Pharisees and the Sadducees would be firing questions at one another, each side trying to prove that the other was wrong. Since they both opposed Jesus, it is not surprising that they joined together to test him. His people find still that groups who dislike one another can and do join together to oppose the Christian message. 

Exactly what type of sign those groups were wanting is not stated. After all, they had information about all kinds of signs that Jesus had given already which revealed he was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. So their question was not a search for truth but a denial that truth had been revealed by Jesus. Their experience shows that there are questions that Jesus will not respond to. He does not answer expressions of unbelief, even when they are stated by those with religious clout. 

Jesus informed them that one more great sign would be given, which he called the sign of Jonah. Jonah, as we know, spent three nights inside a sea creature, down in the depths. When he re-appeared, he brought a message of grace to Gentiles in Nineveh. Although he does not expand here on the significance of the sign of Jonah, elsewhere Jesus mentions that it pictures his resurrection from the dead.

When Jesus did rise from the dead, the Jewish religious leaders ignored that sign as well and arranged for a false explanation of the event (they claimed that the disciples of Jesus had stolen his body). Since they refused to listen to the lesser signs, they discovered that the greatest sign was actually a judgement on them whereas it was a source of joy for his disciples.

When we are asked questions about who Jesus is and what he has done or is doing, we should follow his example and point people to the reality of his resurrection.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (16:5-12)

The response of the disciples to the warning of Jesus about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees reveals immaturity on their part when they imagined that he was referring to bread. Instead he is referring to the wrong teaching that the Pharisees and Sadducees promoted. 

Jesus reminded his disciples of two occasions when he fed a large crowd. Those occasions revealed that he was the Messiah. The feeding of the 5000 pointed to him being the Messiah for the Jews and the feeding of the 4000 pointed to him being the Messiah who would bring blessings to the Gentiles. The Pharisees and Sadducees denied the message of those signs and therefore they were a spiritual danger to the disciples of Jesus.

One reason why Jesus could have mentioned this was because the disciples may have been inclined to worry about what prominent leaders thought. On a previous occasion, they had been concerned because some Pharisees were offended by the message of Jesus (Matt. 15:12). We know how susceptible we can be to people who seem to have some authority. Jesus’ words remind us that we should not listen to religious (Pharisees) or secular (Sadducees) groups that deny the truth about Jesus.

Leaven permeates everything in a loaf of bread. Similarly, wrong teaching or beliefs about Jesus affect everything that a person thinks or says about him. This is why we have to be careful when reading books or listening to statements about Jesus. One small error affects what we think about him. We should pray that God would enable us to understand the person and work of Jesus and keep us loyal to him.

The confession of Simon Peter

Jesus is still in Gentile territory, north of the border with Lebanon, near a place called Caesarea Philippi (there were two places called Caesarea, with the other in the south of the country). Clearly, he is giving instructions to his disciples about his person and work. One of the common ways of teaching, and maybe the best way, is to use questions and answers, and it is the method that Jesus uses here with his disciples.

In this dialogue, mention is made of several titles of Jesus. The general consensus in society was that he was a prophet very similar to well-known Old Testament prophets. Obviously, this assessment was more favourable than the estimates of the Pharisees and Sadducees; nevertheless, it fell far short of who Jesus is. The question was whether or not the disciples yet had a true grasp of who Jesus is.

Jesus calls himself by the title, Son of Man. This title could mean that he was a real human, but it also had much more significance because it was the name given to the cosmic Ruler predicted by Daniel who would receive his kingdom from God. Jesus often used this title of himself, and some suggest that he did so in order to hide his identity. It could be said, however, that he used it to reveal who he is, provided people looked for the meaning in the Old Testament. Did the disciples discuss with one another the meaning of this name? Did they ask Jesus why he used it?

Ion response to the question of Jesus to the group of disciples, Peter revealed that he, at least, had grasped who Jesus was. He realised that Jesus was the divine Messiah. He also affirmed that there was only one true God (Peter may have identified God as living because the area was well known for paganism. 

We can see in Peter’s word a beginning to grasping that there is more than one divine Person in the Godhead. How did Peter know this? It was through divine teaching. I don’t think Jesus means that his teaching had to be supplemented by teaching from the Father. Instead, the understanding from the Father was given as Jesus taught the disciples, an example of the Trinity working together for the same goal.

Jesus then informs Peter of the incredible role he and the other disciples will have in the kingdom of Jesus. The Saviour uses a play on Peter’s name when he speaks of a rock. The rock is not Peter, but the One whom Peter trusted in for salvation and confessed before others. Many a pupil mentions a teacher if the instruction was useful, and here Peter discovers just how great his Teacher is. Jesus will have an eternal kingdom, gathered out from the world. In that kingdom, Jesus will function like a gatekeeper, but did not do so because he thought up the rules. Rather he practised what he was taught to do by Jesus and explained who could be members in the kingdom.

We might be surprised that Jesus then forbids his disciples to say that he was the Christ. The next paragraph provides one reason for this instruction, and that is the wrong notions that the disciples still had about the work of the Messiah. Peter reveals that he did not like the teachings of Jesus about his death and resurrection, probably because it did not seem to describe a great kingdom. After all, others who had been raised from the dead had not risen to prominence.

Peter voices his strong opposition to this teaching of Jesus. Of course, in doing so, he had moved from the position of a disciple to that of a teacher of Jesus, which was impossible. Likely, Jesus speaks literally here when he tells Peter to get behind him. Peter was face to face with Jesus whereas the proper place for a disciple was behind his teacher. It is obvious that Peter had not yet grasped the mission of Jesus. Instead he was acting like the devil who does not focus on the things of God. In the classrooms of Jesus, Peter was hindered the Teacher from explaining his mission.

The disciples who succeeds (Matthew 6:24-27)

Jesus informs the disciples that in order to follow him they have to deny themselves and take up their personal cross. He does not mean by cross a particularly devastating experience or a prolonged physical difficulty. Instead, it is an attitude to the world, regarding what they live for. 

When a person took up a cross at that time, everyone knew where he was going. The individual was going to the place of death and he had to be forced to carry his cross there. In contrast, the disciples of Jesus voluntarily choose this path because it means salvation. The priority they have concerns their souls and what Jesus will say about their lives on the Day of Judgement.

The call of Jesus here is to assess things in light of that day. He makes very clear that his verdict will be based on what people have done. Payment will be made fairly to everyone. Those who followed him will get what they are due and those who lived for the world will get their wages. Or if we stick to the illustration of a classroom, or series of classrooms, we can see that his disciples will get their graduating document when he returns and acts as Judge.. 

Jesus makes a stark contrast. Death is not a loss if it happens because of Christ, and life will be a loss if it is not used for serving Christ. Success in his kingdom is not based on what is regarded as success in an earthly kingdom. Living for this world is not compatible with being a disciple of Jesus. Where will we be on graduation day?