Matthew 16-17

The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign (16:1-4)

A. The Pharisees and Sadducees were usually hostile to each other, but they can be united when it comes to opposing Jesus. Again they were
asking a sign from Jesus but the Lord refused to do so leaving them a riddle about the sign of Jonah.

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

A. Then Jesus was prompted to discuss unto His disciples that they should avoid the influence of these two sects.
1. “Leaven” in the Bible can be used in good sense and bad sense. It is usually used in the bad sense referring to evil teaching or evil
influence that pervades the whole society (1 Cor, 5:6-8).
2. The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees according to our Lord is their doctrines. Their doctrines are erroneous and destructive. It
may lead their disciples to damnation because of wrong doctrine. People must be aware of what doctrines they have.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ (16:13-20)

A. The region of Caesarea Philippi was located near the foot of Mount Hermon. The city was enlarged and ornamented by Herod Philip and was
dedicated to the Roman emperor Tiberius Caesar hence the name was “Caesarea Philippi.”
B. Jesus asked unto His disciples the world’s greatest question, who is Jesus?
1. Jesus had become increasingly popular to the people, and many opinions were being circulated about Him. Some say:
a. He was John the Baptist (i.e. Herod Antipas).
b. He was Elijah, Jeremiah, or other O.T. prophets.
2. Most people did not understand who Jesus really was. They failed to see that He was more than a prophet. However, the disciples who
were always with Him know who He was. Peter answered for the whole company: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
a. The phrase you are the Christ shows the identification of the apostles of their long expected Messiah of the O.T., their Savior.
b. The Son shows that the coming Christ was divine. This was what the Jews had not expected about their Messiah.
c. Then the living God shows the distinction of the true God and false gods and idols.
C. Then Jesus pronounced to them at once about the coming of the church. It would be founded upon the rock. What is this rock?
1. It does not refer to Peter.
a. Gender b. Greek c. Grammar
Peter = masculine Peter = petros, pebble of stone I (1st pers. pronoun) = Jesus
Rock = neuter Rock = petra, unmovable ledge of rock You (2nd pers. pronoun) = Peter
This (3rd pers. pronoun) = rock
2. It does not refer to Jesus. The context does not point that our Lord is the rock of this verse.
3. It refers to the confession of Peter.
a. The church is founded to the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Every members of the church believe this truth
and preach this truth.
D. The word church was used for the first time here in the N.T. It actually means, “the called out assembly.” It is the church of Christ as the
phrase My church suggests. It was spoken of in the future tense for it was not yet established at that time.
1. The gates of Hades will not prevail against it means that even death would not overpower the church for it will always exist.
a. The death of Jesus would not destroy it.
b. The death of all church members would not destroy it.
2. Jesus assigned the task of gate-keeper of the church to Peter. This job would be fulfilled in the book of Acts when he first delivered the
gospel to the Jews then to the gentiles.
3. Binding and loosing refer to the power of deciding what was right and wrong in the church. This would be the job of the N.T. which was
written by most of the apostles.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection (16:21-23)

A. After the confession Jesus told His disciples plainly about His coming death. Jesus did not tell His apostles before about the coming of His
death, instead He postponed it until the faith of the disciples had grown up for its acceptance. From this time and forward, Jesus would
repeat His declaration about His death, burial, and resurrection so that they may be conditioned when this event would come.
B. However, the disciples were not able to understand fully this declaration. They were instead shocked like Peter who even rebuked Jesus.

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him (16:24-28)

A. Then Jesus said to them that if they really wanted to become His disciples then they must suffer with Him.
1. Deny himself, that is, avoiding ease and self-indulgence.
2. Take up the cross which means to endure shame and dishonor of the world.
3. Lose the life, that is, to be faithful unto death.
B. Then at the last part our Lord told them about the coming of the kingdom. The apostles might have thought that our Lord would fail to
establish His kingdom for He will soon die, so it was necessary for Him to state the coming of this kingdom would come unto their
generation.

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount (17:1-13)

A. After 6 days from the confession of Peter, Jesus went up to a mountain to be transfigured.
1. Transfigure means to change in form. It is the unveiling of Jesus’ heavenly glory.
2. Only Peter, James and John were the witnesses of this thrilling event. They were selected probably because they were the most
prepared for this spectacular scene.
3. The high mountain where Jesus transfigured is unknown. Tradition states that it was on Mount Tabor but geography would not support
that. The most probable site of transfiguration is on Mount Hermon for it is the nearest mountain to Caesarea Philippi.
B. At the scene Jesus face became radiant and His clothes became white. Then Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. According to Luke 9:31
the three were talking about the coming death of Jesus Christ.
1. The apostles were shocked at this scene that Peter unknowingly proposed to make 3 tents for them. It shows that men in the flesh are
not prepared to discern the things in the spiritual world.
C. Then a voice was heard from the Father declaring Jesus to be His beloved Son that the apostles should hear Him.
1. It means that Jesus should be heard in preference to the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah). It shows that Jesus is the Supreme
Lawgiver and the Prophet of Prophets, the superiority of the N.T. over the O.T.
2. This command hear Him is the main reason why Matthew included this transfiguration in his narrative.
D. But Jesus warned them that they should not tell this vision only to declare after the resurrection of our Lord. Possible reasons for secrecy:
1. The apostles did not understand yet the spiritual meaning of what they had just witnessed.
2. If they would declare it right away, it would be to no good because the people might only misunderstand it or pervert it.
E. Then the disciples asked Jesus while they went down from the mountain about the Elijah. They must have asked this because they had just
seen Elijah standing with Jesus a while ago but He did not remain to do the work predicted of him in the O.T. The disciples were expecting a
literal fulfillment, while Jesus taught them that it figuratively represented John the Baptist.
F. Let us enumerate the three great doctrines that were taught in this narrative:
a. The divinity of Jesus.
b. The end of the O.T.
c. The resurrection of Jesus.