May 31, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 16 (NIV)
The Demand for a Sign
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times……Continue Reading
Jesus addresses what I noticed in the previous chapter, that the disciples (like us) quickly forget the works of Jesus when pressed. Cetainly both in Him meeting our physical but also spiritual needs as well. We forget that we can trust Him for everything and that we need to go to Him for everything! We answer the question Jesus puts before His disciples of “Who do you say I am” everyday through our choices, our actions, and our words. If Jesus is really the Lord of our lives it should make us live differently. If we acknowledge and truly believe that He came to earth to die for our sins, we must follow His example and deny ourselves and take up our own cross daily. We must not so quickly forget in times or fear and trouble but always remember what He has done for us, that He is always with us, and He will always provide!
Matthew 16
““Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.””
Matthew 16:28 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.16.28.NIV
Is this referring to Christ’s resurrection?
Most likely referring to John and what will be revealed to him in the book or Revelation. Jesus could also be alluding to His transfiguration…but that is more a revelation of His person than His Kingdom…
Some of Peter’s greatest hits here:
Verse 16: Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus tells him that he is blessed…why? Because God the Father has revealed this Truth to him. Not because of Peter’s profession…but because of God who gave him that profession. And so it is with us…Ephesians 2:8-10. Let us never take credit or comfort in “our” profession…for it is not ours at all, but rather grace-given faith that has enabled us to believe. 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” Jesus confirms this here when he praises Peter for his profession, because Jesus knows that Peter cannot come to such a profession on his own…rather, that true profession must be spiritually revealed.
And then….Verse 23: Jesus calls Peter Satan. Ouch. A perfect picture of the life of a Christian. So prone to wander…so able to be tempted to rely on our own plans and own designs…to even believe our profession is of our own doing…to be sure, there is an act of will involved in the life of a believer, but the Word makes it clear…we are to work out our salvation through fear and trembling because it is GOD who works in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Finally…do we think that Jesus is telling his disciples that all who follow Him will be martyred for their faith? If not…then how else can a person die? Jesus is clear, in all four Gospels…to follow Christ, there must be a death. We must die to self before we can begin to live to Christ. How else can we be crucified with Christ? How can we share in His death, in order that we might share in His resurrection? How else can we be new creations?
So true, Kelly, we are telling those around us (like our immediate family, relatives, those of our “own country”) who we REALLY SAY Jesus is, by our words and deeds. We can all use a hefty dose of I Corinthians 13 right about now! -reb
What comes out of the mouth, comes out of the heart! Listen carefully to the words of others.
Matthew 16
Here again the Pharisees and Sadducees are asking Jesus for Him to show them a sign from Heaven. Earlier the Pharisees asked Him the same question. Perhaps it was a very different group. Both times Jesus addresses their question by saying that a wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign. Then both times the only sign that He will give is of Jonah. This time He is brief and walks away. He is so fed up with their hypocrisy. Then He instructs His disciples to be aware of the false teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. That`s so true Sean. Peter`s confession of faith was prompted by God. When Jesus says upon this rock ,I will build my church. He is referring to our faith in Christ. Peter means little rock but Jesus is not calling Peter the rock. The only one that is called the Rock in the Bible is God. Jesus is also called the Cornerstone. He is our foundation. That is also so true Sean how we are as Christians. Sometimes we have great faith and sometimes we are walking in our own flesh. When we are truly following Christ; He is first in our lives. Whenever we make a decision He should be involved in the decision making. This is what it means to take up our cross and follow Him. We should always be ready to speak for Him and not deny Him. Not only speak for Him but live our lives as an example to others that we have the Living Holy Spirit in our lives and reflect Christ. As far as the statement that Jesus says: { There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom.} I believe that He is thinking of John the Apostle that lived a long life. All the others not including Judas Iscariot died as martyrs for Christ. Also in John 21: 20-23. Peter is questioning Jesus about John the Apostle. Jesus just told Peter how he { Peter} would die and Peter asked about John. Jesus said: If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Look it up. God bless.
Legalism is such a subtle deceiver since man usually wants to take credit for the good things done and have to work for cleaning up the wrong things done. They also find it easier to follow rules that they can see, rather than functioning in faith that they cannot see. And yet this legalistic dynamic can easily permeate a life like yeast permeates dough. So we too have to be careful not to fall in its trap. For the Jewish leaders, their legalism caused them to reject Jesus and seek for another sign even after so many have happened and they still have not believed. Because the reality is that Jesus is the Son of God, revealed to Peter here in a watershed moment, and yet God is the One who makes that clear to all. In flesh, we have no spiritual eyes to see. And yet Peter goes from being used by God to being used as a tool of satan. I wonder how prideful he was to correct Jesus and how much he thought he was being used by God again. But the focal point of Jesus’ mission is to die, to bear the sin of the world. The disciples cannot imagine that that is the course Jesus life will take. And yet once it happened, they knew that it wasn’t by mistake because of the numerous times that Jesus warned them about it. And yet His death on the cross is also to be a model for the kind of life He calls us to. We must also die to self because it is the only way to deal with a sin nature that is so deceitful. We need to just cut it out!
Matthew 16
Matthew 17
“But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.”
Matthew 17:12-13 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.17.12-13.NIV
Did Elijah return as John the Baptist? I don’t understand this ,
No, John the Baptist was a type of Elijah, in the same mold if you will. And it was prophesied that Elijah would come before the Messiah to announce His coming. So Jesus is saying John fulfilled that prophesy and was a type of Elijah, not Elijah himself…
Matthew 16
”So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”“
Matthew 16:14-16 NKJV
Vs. 28 always confused me to a degree.
I suppose Jesus is referencing his victory over death by his death and resurrection and ascetion into heaven.
15 “But what about you?”he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
….
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.25For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.26What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Currently Selected:
Matthew 16
Matthew 16
Matthew 18