Matthew 16:21-23 “Get behind Me, Satan!”

“You are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man.”  Jesus to Peter, Matthew 16:23

Peter stumbled along the way but finished his earthly life strong and faithful to the Lord.  (Caravaggio's "The Martyrdom of St. Peter" 1601)

“Religious ‘flesh’ always wants to work for God (rather than humbling itself to realize God must work for it in free grace).  That is why our very lives hang on not working for God. Then shall we not serve Christ?  It is commanded, ‘Serve the Lord!’ (Romans 12:11)  Yes, we must serve Him.  But we will beware of serving in a way that implies a deficiency on His part or exalts our indispensability.”   (John Piper, Desiring God, p. 146) 

A corner has been turned.  A milestone along the road has been reached.  The teaching climax of Matthew’s gospel has been ascended.  From that time (v. 21), when Peter confessed Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” (v. 16), the direction of Matthew’s gospel changed.  Jesus now turned his eyes to the south.   Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes.  He must be killed, and on the third day be raised (v. 21).

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!  This shall never happen to you,” (v. 22).   From our vantage point some 2000 years later, it is easy to look back on Peter and indict him for his arrogance and short-sightedness.   It is easy for us to say, “Rebuking Jesus? C’mon, Peter!”  However as we view things from Peter’s perspective, as well as first-century Israel’s, it is easier to be sympathetic.  They understood the idea of a conquering Messiah who would “restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6; see also Luke 24:21).  But they failed to grasp, at that time, the suffering Messiah as predicted in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53.

Also, as men our pride is easily puffed up.  We tend to rate ourselves based on our achievements, both positively and negatively.   Peter had just received a superlative blessing from the Lord himself.  Unguarded, some of that went to Peter’s head and he began to see his role as leader of the Twelve in a way that went against the will of God.   The Christ, the Son of the living God was not going to suffer and be killed!   Not if Peter had a say!   

But what came next from the mouth of Jesus had to be quite a shock to Peter and all those who heard:  “Get behind me, Satan!  You are a hindrance to me.  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man,” (v. 23).    Moments before Jesus had praised Peter, called him a rock and said his words were inspired by the Father (see vv. 17-18).   Now Jesus reverses those three compliments. He rebukes Peters, calls him a stumbling block (NASB; the ESV translates “hindrance”) and says his words were inspired by Satan.     The color may have drained from Peter’s face and his jaw probably dropped.

Also Peter was selective in his hearing.  He heard only the words about Jesus suffering and dying, not about his rising on the third day.   Just as the suffering Messiah was an alien idea, so was the concept of an individual resurrection (even though a broad resurrection at judgment was something they grasped.  See John 11:24). 

Peter unknowingly and unintentionally made himself an obstacle to the will of God.  Jesus’ decision to go to Jerusalem was not open to debate or dependent on circumstances.  Jesus’ crucifixion was neither sadistic punishment nor the result of things spiraling out of God’s control.  On the contrary, it was God’s will that Christ suffered, died and rose (see 26:42); Jesus willingly laid down his life (see John 10:18).   Peter was being played by Satan who once again desired to thwart the will of God, just as he had tried in the wilderness in chapter 4.   

The LORD declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” (Isaiah 55:8).  Finite man will never fully grasp infinite God.   Things happen to us (sicknesses, hurts, hardships) that seem contrary to the will of a loving God.  But in reality those things happen “for good,” “for those who love God.” (Romans 8:28)

I think of the times in my life when what I thought was God’s will actually fell a few votes short or when I was passed over for a job I knew I could do well.  In the moment I thought like Peter, “How can this be?”  But as the years have unrolled, I see how the goodness of God was at work in my life, leading and directing me.   


Additionally, none of us are indispensible.   Even in the highest levels of service (a term which itself is a contradiction), there must be humility and an understanding that some things will remain a mystery until the Lord chooses to make them clear.  Until then may we walk humbly with our God, resting in his sovereignty and wisdom.

Matthew 16:18b-20: The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” Matthew 16:19

 "Delivery of the Keys" by Pietro Perugino in1481.  This painting is located today in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. 

“In 25 years the Bible will be a forgotten book.”  Robert Ingersoll (who died in 1899) 

“Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I'll be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity. “ (John Lennon, from an interview he gave in March 1966)

While talking to his disciples by the pagan temples of Caesarea Philippi (v. 13), Jesus asks his them, “Who do you say that I am?” (v. 15).   Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” (v. 16).  For this answer, Jesus blesses Peter and says, “on this rock I will build my church,” (v. 17).   Jesus continues and says, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” his church (v. 18b).

In Caesarea Philippi, one of the pagan temples to the Greek god Pan had been built directly in front of a cave.   This cave was believed to be the entrance into Hades, the gate to hell.  The Jewish historian Josephus called this cave a “horrible precipice, that descends abruptly to a vast depth: it contains a mighty quantity of water, which is immovable; and when anybody lets down anything to measure the depth of the earth beneath the water, no length of cord is sufficient to reach it. “ (Wars of the Jews, 1.21.3)

A sign at the site today reads, “The ritual sacrifices were cast into a natural abyss reaching the underground waters at the back of the cave. If the victims disappeared in the water this was a sign that the god had accepted the offering. If, however, signs of blood appeared in the nearby springs the sacrifice had been rejected.”

A drawing depicting what the temple to Pan (structure on the left) looked like in Caesara Philippi in the days of Jesus.   The Gates of Hell cave was located directly behind the temple.  

Christ’s words ring true today.  From the Roman emperor Nero, who would burn Christians to light his garden, to recent history when the Communists and the New Atheists all want to stamp out religion, their efforts have and will fail.   In Revelation 13 evil has its finest hour; the beast and the Antichrist will “make war on the saints” and attempt to “conquer them,” (Revelation 13:7).   However, even here we find Christ triumphant and his church victorious! 

Jesus continued his words to Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” (v. 19).    As the spokesperson of the Twelve, we certainly see Peter’s imminence in the early church as shown in Acts chapter 1-12. 

However, the authority to bind and to loosen has been granted ALL the disciples as revealed in 18:18, and that Christ has given to ALL in his church “the ministry of reconciliation,” (2 Corinthians 5:18).  May we not lose sight of the supremacy of Jesus Christ, even as he grants to his church the authority to act in his name, for he alone has “the keys to Death and Hades,” (Revelation 1:18).

With these verses, the triumphant teaching ministry of Christ has reached its climax and come to a close.  A page turns.   Now Jesus and his disciples must begin the march to Jerusalem, where a gang of murderers awaits.  However, even these killers are subject to God’s timetable, not their own.   Everything will be done according to the dictates of God, not man.   Therefore, Jesus strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ (v. 20).  Soon Christ’s time will come (see 26:18) but not now, not yet.

Knowing that the gates of hell will not be victorious over Christ’s church, are you willing to take great risks for his sake?  Are you willing to go where he wants you to go, do what he wants you to do?   Victory is assured.    May we all live our lives not in the pursuit of our comfort but in the glory of his resurrection. 

Matthew 16:17-18: Upon This Rock

“And I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church…” Jesus in Matthew 16:17

“We believe all religions lead to heaven.” (Sign outside of Ivyland New Church, which claims to be a “new Christianity” in Ivyland, Pennsylvania)

In Caesarea Philippi in the shadow of temples to false gods, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (v. 15).  To which Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” (v. 16).    And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,”  (v. 17).    

I find Jesus’ initial 5 words of response to Peter fascinating.   First, Jesus invokes the same wording that he used with the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-12;  “Blessed are you.”   Second, Jesus’ response to Peter gives insight into what Jesus’ believed about himself.   By referring to Jesus as “the Son of the living God” (v. 16), Peter is declaring Christ to be divine (see previous devotion on 16:15-16).    To this Jesus responds with affirmation and even blessing, not something a mere prophet or good teacher would do.

Jesus also calls Peter by his complete Jewish name, Simon Bar-Jonah (son of John) which parallels Peter’s reference of Jesus as the “Son of God.”  Jesus continues, “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven,” (v. 17).  The Pharisees and Sadducees demanded a sign (see v. 1). But no sign was needed for Peter, because God the Father had revealed to Peter who Christ is. 

Jesus then says, “And I tell you, you are Peter,” (v. 18).  He mirrors Peter’s reply, “You are the Christ” (v. 16) and then proceeds to use a play-on-words.  In the original Greek, two very similar words are used:  Peter is “petros” while rock is “petras.”  (i.e., “you are Petros and on this petras I will build my church”). 

There is a great debate, primarily between Roman Catholic and Protestant theologians, over precisely what rock Jesus was referring to when he said, “on this rock I will build my church,” (v. 18).  Catholic scholars insist that Jesus is referring to Peter and they point to this verse to support their claim that Peter was the first Pope.  The traditional Protestant position is that Jesus was referring not to Peter but to Peter’s answer, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v. 16).   

But many prominent Protestant theologians say we have moved too far from the intent of the text when we deny that Jesus was referring directly to Peter when he said, “on this rock I will build my church.”   As mentioned in the previous devotion, Peter is the primary spokesman and leader of the Twelve.  However, these same theologians point out this passage cannot defend the office and the powers of the Pope.  As D.A. Carson says in his commentary on these verses, “The text says nothing about Peter’s successors, infallibility or exclusive authority.”  Additionally Ephesians 2:20 says that the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”

However, Catholic and Protestant theologies agree that it is upon the Lordship of Jesus Christ that his church, the Christian faith, is built.    Christ sees the church as his own body. He loves his church, gave himself up for his church, and will “present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish,” (Ephesians 5:27).

Any church that does not point to Jesus and say, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” is not worthy to be called his church or his bride.   Either reform or flee such a church.  For all of history will culminate with the wedding feast of Christ and his church, his Bride (see Revelation 19:7-9).   Pretenders and enemies will not be allowed into the feast.   I hope to see you at this wedding feast and together we will worship the Bridegroom and declare, “He is our rock, our cornerstone, our firm foundation!”   Amen!

Matthew 16:15-16: The Most Important Question

“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus to his disciples in Matthew 16:15

“No one can encounter Matthew’s Jesus without concurring that before us in the evangelist’s mind is God Incarnate.” (Rabbi Jacob Neusner, A Rabbi Talks with Jesus) “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God…But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”  (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

These verses are the teaching climax of Matthew’s gospel.   Here Jesus reveals himself as the both Messiah and the divine Son of God.   He doesn’t just put an announcement in the church bulletin or update his status on facebook: “I am the Messiah.” Rather, the setting has been carefully chosen and the Master Teacher has been about his craft. 

In the shadow of the pagan temples of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks two questions.   The first is a lead-in; the second is the most important question that any human living at any time must answer.  The first question is a general question to his disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v. 13).  Then he said to them the second question.   This time it was personal. “Who do you say that I am?” (v. 15, emphasis added).

When man stands before God and gives an account of his life, man will not be asked the question, “How much money did you make?”  Neither will he answer other questions such as, “What was your job title?” “How big was your house?” “What kind of car did you drive?”  “Did you faithfully attend church?” “Did your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds?”  Not even, “Did you ever go on a missions trip,” or “Did you lead someone to Christ?”  The question asked by Christ in the Day of Judgment that all humans must answer is, “Who do you say that I am?”

The Christian faith is a personal faith.   We are not seen in God’s eyes based on our ethnicity, nationality or even our family heritage.   Each person is responsible to respond individually to the revelation of Jesus Christ.   Jesus tells us at the end of the Sermon on the Mount that on the Day of Judgment that many will say, “Lord, Lord, did we not do all these great things in your name?”  To which Jesus will say, “I never knew you; depart from me.”  (7:23).

When Jesus posed the superlative question to his disciples, Simon Peter was the one who answered.   Peter was the spokesperson for the Twelve and is always mentioned first whenever a list is given in the New Testament of the Twelve Disciples:  10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16 and Acts 1:13, 26.  Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” (v. 17).   Peter’s answer is perfect and worthy of unpacking.

First Peter calls Jesus “the Christ,” which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for “Messiah.”  Peter also uses the adjective “living.”  Our God is a living God, unlike the idols of Pan and Baal that were worshiped there in Caesarea Philippi.   Our God was not made with human hands; rather he spoke the universe into existence.  Peter’s words also point to Christ’s resurrection.  Rising from the dead is something no other prophet or god has ever done.   Jesus referred to himself as “…the living one.  I died, and behold I am alive forevermore,” (Revelation 1:18).

Peter also referred to Christ as “the Son of…God.”  That title is used frequently of Jesus, even in the proclamation of his birth (see Luke 1:35).   The title means that Jesus is a partaker in the Divine Nature of the Godhead, the Second Person of the Trinity.  One should not assume that the prefix, “son of…” implies “less than.”  Rather, in Scripture it references “of the same essence.” For example, James and John are called “the sons of thunder,” in Mark 3:17.   (See also “sons of disobedience” in Ephesians 2:2 and 5:6 as well as “sons of light” in 1 Thessalonians 5:5. )

Here in Peter’s great confession: Jesus is the Promised Messiah, the living God and he is divine.   At Jesus’ trial this same glorious confession comes up again.  It is prompted by the high priest: “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to him, “You have said so.”  (26:63-64, emphasis added).

Who is Jesus to you?  Merely a good man, a prophet, a wise teacher?  Or is he the Christ, the Son of the Living God?  There is no greater question that confronts man than this one; all eternity hinges on our heart behind our answer.

Matthew 16:13-15: In the Shadow of Idols

“Who do people say the Son of Man is?” Jesus to his disciples, Matthew 16:13

Some say he was an outlaw that he roamed across the land, with a band of unschooled ruffians and few old fishermen.   No one knew just where he came from or exactly what he'd done.  But they said it must be something bad that kept him on the run…Some say he was the Son of God, a man above all men, that he came to be a servant and to set us free from sin.  (Larry Norman, “The Outlaw”) 

Having arrived at “the other side” (v. 5) of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the disciples turned straight north along the Jordan River until he came into the district of Caesarea Philippi (v. 13).   This city had been revived by Philip the Tetrarch and named for the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus.  Philip added his own name to distinguish the city from the coastal city of Caesarea mentioned in Acts 10:1.

Caesarea Philippi was a place of pagan worship, including a Canaanite temple for Baal and a Greek temple for Pan.   Ironically, Jesus took his disciples to a place that would be as unfriendly to his claims of Messiah, just as Mecca would be today. Caesarea also represents the furthest point north of Jesus’ travels.   And by turning north from Galilee and then to turn again south immediately afterward, it appears as if Jesus went purposely out of his way to have Caesarea Philippi be the setting for this dialogue.

Jesus gathered and asked his disciples, perhaps in the shade of one of the temples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (v. 13).  It is noteworthy that Jesus addresses himself as the Son of Man.   This is a direct reference to Daniel 7:13-14, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days…And to him was given dominion …and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Jews understood the title Son of Man to be a specific reference to the promised Hebrew Messiah. 

The response that Jesus received from his disciples varied greatly.   They said, “Some say John the Baptist,” (v. 14); this is what Herod thought (see 14:1-2).  “…others say Elijah”:  Those days were thick with anticipation of the arrival of the day of the LORD.  Therefore there was an expectation of Elijah also returning based on Malachi 4:5: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”  Likewise, some wondered if John the Baptist was Elijah (See John 1:21.).

“And others” thought Jesus was “Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”    Jeremiah preached of judgment on Israel for her unfaithfulness (see Jeremiah chapters 2-6; Lamentations chapters 1-2).  Jesus likewise had very strong words for the unbelieving cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum (see 11:20-24).  Jesus had just finished a scathing rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees (v. 6) and referring to them as an evil and adulterous generation (v. 4).  So its not surprising some people believed Jesus to be Jeremiah.

Now, Jesus the master teacher, takes the questioning from the general to the personal.  Instead of asking the disciples, “Who do others say I am?” Jesus now asks, “Who do you say I am?”  (v. 15, emphasis mine).  

I have used this style of questioning during evangelism, particularly with those from cultural Christian backgrounds.  For example, I remember being on a beach full of Russian-speaking tourists.   I initiated a conversation with a Russian man.  I asked him who the people of his country thought Jesus was.   His answer was fairly predictable: (i.e., “God’s Son”).   Then it was a small jump to ask him, “Who do you think Jesus was?”   I honestly don’t remember how he answered the question but I do know that afterward we had a great talk about who Christ is and how salvation is by faith according to the Scriptures.   

Who do you say Christ is? One cannot merely adopt what others say; it is a decision every man must make for himself.  Was Jesus just a prophet? A good moral teacher?  Or is he your personal Lord and Savior?    

Matthew 16:7-12: The Bread of Life

“How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?” Jesus, Matthew 16:11 

“If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?” (John Piper, God is the Gospel, p. 15) 

Have you ever tried to call a dog’s attention to something by pointing?  What does the dog do?  The dog totally misses what you are pointing at instead sniffs the end of your finger!   If we really want the dog to notice something, rubbing his nose in it seems to do the trick.   Often times God works among us and we miss his point altogether.   He must sometimes rub our noses in it in order for us to grasp what he is saying.

Before Peter’s confession of faith (see v. 16), Jesus endures two emotional encounters of non-faith.    The first involved the Pharisees and Sadducees demanding a sign in the sky (vv. 1-4).  The second encounter, unpacked here, involves the disciples focusing on the temporal and missing Jesus’ revelation of himself.    Jesus is with his disciples on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee.  They began discussing it, Jesus’ statement, among themselves (v. 7): “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” (v. 6).

Their response to Jesus’ words was “We brought no bread,” (v. 7). They missed Jesus’ point altogether and thought Jesus was telling them to boycott the bakery run by the Pharisees.   They came to an “unimaginative conclusion” as Carson puts it in his commentary.  But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive?” (vv8-9a). 

On one hand, the disciples did have faith.   They “left their nets and followed him,” (4:20); when Jesus called, they “rose and followed him,” (9:9) leaving behind everything.    On the other hand, they were with Jesus around the clock; they were the ones Jesus poured himself into.  They saw things and heard things that the masses did not.   Even though they were very close to the Son of Man, they had lost sight of him.  Jesus had to rub their noses in it.

“Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?  Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?” (v. 9b-10).    “If bread was the problem,” Jesus seemed to say, “I can create bread out of thin air.”    The problem with us humans is that, simply put, we forget the Lord.  We worry over bread, clothing and the circumstances of this life (Matthew 6:25-33). Even though the Lord has shown himself faithful, he must continually bring our attention back to himself.

 “How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?  Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” (v. 11).  To trust God is not a natural part of our fallen human nature.   But unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples eventually get it right.   Jesus was patient with them.   Soon the scales fell off their eyes and the disciples had an “aha moment;” then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, (v. 12).

Jesus wanted the disciples to know that He is at the center of those miracles and that he can be trusted.   Like the lilies in the field, the sparrows in the air, the sheep in the pasture, the Lord will take care of his own.  As Christ-followers our faith is not perfect.  But the object of our faith is perfect: Christ himself.  He is our sufficiency, He is our provider, He is our healer, our helper, sustainer, banner, foundation and cornerstone; he is our everything.   

What is the goal of your Christian faith?  Is it to be a better person?  Is it to be healthier and wealthier?  Or is the goal of your Christian faith to know Christ better?   Often times the practice of religion gets in the way of knowing Christ personally.   When I was doing campus evangelism in the southeastern United States, frequently I had to convince a student he was NOT a Christian before I could share the gospel with him.   Here in Eastern Europe, the obstacles are similar; Christian symbols and practices abound but personal knowledge of Jesus is harder to find.  

Even as sincere Christ-followers, we all must beware that the very practice of our faith does not become an idol (i.e., the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees), lest it get in the way of our pursuit of Christ, the Bread of Life.  

Matthew 16:5-6: Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

“Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” Jesus in Matthew 16:6

“We can live at our full potential right now!...Within these pages you will find seven simple yet profound steps to improve your life regardless of your current level of success or lack of it.”  (Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now, p. viii) "They've told him many times that they would free him and allow him to return to our family, the kids and I, if he would deny his Christian faith, and he's stood strong in that prison. He's led many, many—over 30 people—to Christ in that prison." (Naghmeh, the wife of Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, who is jailed in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, because of his faith.  Naghmeh said these words while speaking at Liberty University, September 2013)

Jesus and his disciples sailed away from the “region of Magadan”  (15:39), which is along the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberius.   Jesus and the disciples reached the other side (v. 5) of the Sea of Galilee, likely along the northeast shore.   When they arrived the disciples realized they had forgotten to bring any bread.

This statement, having forgotten to bring any bread, is full of irony, even a little humor!   Jesus had just fed “four thousand men, besides women and children” (15:38).   “Seven baskets full” (15:27) of bread were left over.   Yet they got into the boat having forgotten to bring any of the leftover bread with them.

My guess is when the disciples were aware that they forgot bread, they began blaming, maybe even yelling at, each other.   Jesus, still with the confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees fresh in his mind, uses the discussion about bread to teach about eternal things.    Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” (v. 6). 

Leaven and yeast are similar and sometimes the two words are used interchangeably.   Leaven is what causes bread to “levitate” or rise.  A little leaven can impact an entire lump of dough.  This reality is often used metaphorically in Scripture to describe how a small amount of evil can have a far-reaching negative influence (see 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians 5:9).  Leaven was not allowed in any offerings or sacrifices (see Leviticus 2:11 and Exodus 34:25).  However, sometimes leaven is used as a positive spiritual example (see Matthew 13:33).  

The Pharisees and Sadducees both represented corrupting influences on the nation of Israel; both used the Law of Moses for personal gain.   (See Jesus’ scathing rebuke of their corruption in Matthew 23 and Luke 11:37-52.)  

The Pharisees sought their own self-exalting righteousness through the Law; in their eyes, there was no need for saving grace, a redeemer or a savior.  The Lord was not their pursuit; he was merely a tool of religious perfection. 

The Sadducees used religion for political power.  They were more concerned about accumulating prestige in this life and were unconcerned about the next life.   Both the Pharisees and Sadducees were different sides of the same corrupt coin; we must watch and beware of their leaven since it can still be found influencing the world today. 

In Mark’s version, Jesus warns against “the leaven of the Pharisees” and “Herod,” not the Sadducees (see Mark 8:15).   Ultimately the same meaning is retained with Mark’s version.  The Sadducees, as opposed to the nationalistic Pharisees, wanted to compromise with the occupying Roman ruler Herod.  There was even a segment among the Jewish leadership known as the Herodians (see 22:16), whose purpose was to bring Israel under Rome’s authority.  The leaven of Herod and the Sadducees was to use God for power and political gain.    

Is our walk with Christ corrupted by the leaven of hypocrisy and greed? (See Luke 12:1, 16:14) Or are we the positive leaven of life and Christ-centeredness to a dead world? Are we the salt of the earth, a city set on a hill?   

Saeed Abedini is godly leaven in probably the darkest place on earth, the Evin Prison.   A simple renouncing of Jesus would reunite him with his family.   But like Moses, he considers “the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt,” (Hebrews 11:26).   The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees has no power over Saeed.  He longs for “a better country, that is, a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called his God,” (Hebrews 11:16).  May we pray for his endurance, his witness, his freedom from prison and for his family; may Saeed Abedini, continue to be an example of godly leaven.   May we learn and grow from his example. 

Saeed Abedini, with his family before his imprisonment. 

Matthew 16:1-4: No Sign but the Sign of Jonah

An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign,” Jesus to the Pharisees and Sadducees, Matthew 16:4

“Even if a miracle should be wrought in the open marketplace before a thousand sober witnesses, I would rather mistrust my senses than admit a miracle.” (French atheist Voltaire)

“If I look up at the stars tonight and say, ‘Rearrange to say, I am here’…then I would say maybe there is something to this.”  Atheist Lawrence Krauss commenting on what kind of evidence it would take for him to believe there is a God.  (In a debate with William Lane Craig on a youtube video: “Life, the Universe and Nothing: Has science buried God?” Pt. 1)

Chapter 16 is a turning point in Matthew’s gospel.    In this chapter we have Peter’s great confession, “You are the Christ” (v. 16), as well as Jesus beginning his turn toward Jerusalem where He will be crucified, buried and raised (see v. 21).  This chapter begins with Jesus being confronted by those who resist him the most. 

The Pharisees and Sadducees  (v. 1) were usually at odds with each other.  But since both parties represented the religious leadership of Israel, they both felt threatened by Jesus’ growing popularity and miracles.  They laid aside their grievances with each other and came together against Jesus.  “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” the saying goes.

They asked him, Jesus, to show them a sign from heaven (v. 1).  No longer content with just any sign (see 12:38), now they want a sign from heaven.   At the first reading one may think, “Go for it, Jesus, and show them who you really are!“ 

Instead Jesus appeared to change the topic and talk about the weather. However, if one reads the previous chapters of Matthew’s gospel, it reveals that Jesus has just done a full compliment of miracles.  These were not just signs in the sky but miracles of compassion toward hurting people: miracles of healing (14:35-36; 15:28; 15:30-31) and food (15:32-38).  If the Pharisees and Sadducees really wanted to know Jesus, then they had all the miracles they needed.   And if Jesus did do a miracle, that would not satisfy them; they would either dismiss it or ask for even a greater miracle still. 

The root issue was that they came to test him, (v. 1).  They had the same evil intent that Satan had when he demanded a sign from Jesus (see 4:5-7) or when the passerbys taunted him on the cross (27:39-44).   Jesus was not a street performer doing miracles by request.  Jesus “sighed deeply” (Mark 8:12) and chose instead to comment on their hearts: “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given…(v. 2-4).” 

Miracles are certainly a part of Jesus’ plan as he reveals himself to the human race (see John 4:48, Matthew 9:6-8).  But miracles will be done on God’s terms, not man’s.   Jesus does, however, promise one Granddaddy miracle: “the sign of Jonah,” (v. 4).    The first time Jesus mentions “the sign of Jonah” was at a similar confrontation in 12:39.  There Jesus explained the sign:  “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,” (12:40).    

Jesus is saying, “If you really want a sign, then wait.  For when you kill me, three days later I will be alive again.”   To rise from the dead is what sets Jesus apart from all other competitors to Truth.  Other Truth claims may contain smaller miracles, but no one has ever risen from the dead!  His rising is at the very core of our faith (see 1 Corinthians 15:17).

From here Jesus left them and departed (v. 4) to the other side of the lake, away from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.   However, when Jesus returns to earth they will get their sign in the sky: “Then will appear in the heaven the sign of the Son of Man,” (24:30).  But by then it will be a sign of judgment and not a sign of proof.  Examine the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.   There you will find that Jesus is “The Christ, the Son of the Living God,” (v. 13).

Afterward to Matthew’s Gospel: “HOW GREAT THOU ART!”

“Where is he who was born king of the Jews? For we…have come to worship him.”  Matthew 2:2 

 “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”  Revelation 19:16

Matthew has laid out his case and presented his arguments.   Matthew has told the greatest story ever told.   He has convinced us that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Hebrew Messiah who is also Almighty God, creator and sustainer of the universe, redeemer of all mankind.

Two promises and one superlative example:  The application of Mathew’s gospel is the missionary call, to go and make disciples of all nations.  This seems to be extreme, even impossible, to comprehend, much less obey.   That is why he has equipped us with two promises and one superlative example.

Our call as missionaries, whether at our dining room table or to the ends of the earth, is to be equipped with the two great promises that sandwich the Great Commission:  1) Our Commander has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (28:18) and 2) he will be with us “always,” even “to the end of the age,” (28:20).

And Christ himself is our one superlative example.   He is not calling us to anything that he has not already done himself.  He left his heavenly home, left all that was familiar and came to earth as a helpless baby, as a stranger in a strange and dangerous land. Jesus is the first missionary who has crossed cultural, linguistic, geographic even heavenly boundaries to proclaim salvation to all and reveal himself to those who are alienated from their Creator.   He has gone before us.

The entire witness of Scripture:  Matthew gives us a true picture of Jesus as King of the Jews.   The magi came to Jerusalem in search of the newborn king.  The Jewish people and their leaders mostly rejected Jesus as their king.   It was Pilate who crucified the “King of the Jews” (27:37). 

Matthew’s picture is wholly true but incomplete.  Matthew certainly teaches the universal Lordship of Christ (For example, 25:31-32).    But the entire witness of Scripture tells us that Christ is not only the King of the Jews but he is Lord over all and will reign forever (Genesis 17:6-7; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Jeremiah 33:15; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14; Philippians 2:9-11). 

Jesus is not just worshiped as the king of the Jews but he is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).    He will judge the world and rid the world of Satan and his minions (Revelation 20:10, 15).  He will make right the wrongs and he will restore creation to its initial perfection.  In the new heaven and new earth, in the New Jerusalem, He will dwell among us and we will his people and God himself will be with us as our God! (Revelation 21:3)  Every tear will be wiped from our eyes, death will be no more.  Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying nor pain (Revelation 21:4). 

Dr. Stanley Toussaint, long-time professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, tells a story of an inventor who built a 2-man submarine. He took the submarine to the beach, dragged it into the surf and hopped in.  He took it further out, submerged it and brought it again to the surface.  The inventor noticed that someone on the beach had been watching the whole episode.   The inventor asked the spectator, “Do you think my submarine will work?”   The spectator replied, “Yes!”  Then the inventor said, “Great!  Hop in!”  The man on the beach froze and didn’t move.    After a few moments, he turned around and left the beach.

There is a difference between intellectual acknowledgement and whole-hearted trust.   The demons acknowledge God but they do not trust him (James 2:19).   May we be “not hearers only”, rather may we “be doers of the word,” (James 1:22).   No other person, pursuit or pleasure is worth more than our Jesus.  For He alone is worthy of all we have and all we are. Hop in!  Enjoy him and glorify Him forever!  Amen! 

Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always”

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus in Matthew 28:20

“None of us has a long time here on planet Earth.   It’s kind of a staging ground. It’s our split second in eternity when we have an opportunity to invest our lives, our time, our talent and our treasure to help fulfill what our Lord came into this world to do and commissioned us to do.  In fact, His last words before He ascended to be with the Father were: ‘Be my witnesses.’” (Bill Bright, from the World Wide Challenge tribute magazine, “A Life Well-Lived”)

“Christians need to be committed to great causes, not great comforts.  I pleaded with Christians to dream a dream bigger than themselves and their families and their churches.”   (John Piper, World Magazine, February 23, 2002)

The very essence of our faith is communion with God.   Our greatest joy is not a pain-free life of, fame or wealth.  Our greatest joy is to have God himself.   The Psalmist said, “The nearness of God is my good,” (Psalm 73:28, NASB).  Paul even said that he counts “everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8).   

As we end Matthew’s gospel, we have this glorious promise from Christ: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (v. 20).  With this promise we know we will be unified with our Creator forever!     But this promise was not given just for our comfort; the promise of Christ’s presence is essential as we obey the Great Commission.

Taking the gospel to “all nations” (v. 19) requires that believers leave family, friends, home culture and all that is familiar.   It also requires that some will die.   In our world today, the easy places have already been reached with the gospel.   What are left are the hard places, where Christians are hated, persecuted and even killed.   We hesitate or don’t even consider about going to such places.  I understand that.   But the Great Commission is sandwiched by two great promises:  “All authority has been given” to Christ (v. 18).  And he will be with us “always, to the end of the age,” (v. 20).

If earthly life is short and heaven is forever, if the greatest treasure we can give away is the gospel, and if our Savior is worthy of the worship of every human being, then why do we not go to all nations?    Paul says, “For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s,” (Romans 14:8, NASB).

It is our great privilege to be called as his ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).  There is no higher calling on earth, no political office or earthly fame, that can supersede His calling to the “ministry of reconciliation,” (2 Corinthians 5:18).

On June 6^th, 1944, during World War II, Allied forces invaded the beaches of Normandy in Northern France.  But the Nazi occupiers were ready.   They fired down to the beach from the lofty bluffs onto the defenseless soldiers.   Death was everywhere.   It looked hopeless for the Allies.  Suddenly a captain here, an infantryman there, over there a lieutenant, all came to the same conclusion:  “I will die on this beach today.  I can die fighting or I can die hiding.”  

Soldiers began to emerge from behind the dead bodies of their friends, from behind burned out tanks or rocks on the beach.  They rushed to the base of the bluffs.   They began climbing.   Many were shot but some made it to the top.   There they neutralized the Nazi machine gun nests.   Soon the Allies had complete control over those beaches.   It was the first domino that fell marking the defeat of Nazi forces.    If those men had treasured their lives and hid on the beach, the invasion would have been pushed back out to sea.   And the war would have grinded on and on. 

To treasure our lives is to not live in total abandonment to the cross (see Mark 8:34-36). But for the Christ-follower, Jesus’ “lovingkindness is better than life,” (Psalm 63:3).   This is why Paul said passionately, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:38-39).

Dream big dreams; take great risks for the sake of the gospel.  Jesus is with us always, even to the end of the age!  

Matthew 28:19-20: The Great Commission: Baptizing and Teaching

“teaching them to observe all I have commanded you…” Jesus in Matthew 28:20

“If God calls you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king,” (Jordan Grooms, 1912-2006)

“I have seen, at different times, the smoke of a thousand villages…whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world.”  (Robert Moffat, 1795-1883 Missionary to Africa.)

As we further contemplate Jesus’ final words that Matthew recorded, we will focus on two key words of this passage: baptizing  (v. 19) and teaching (v. 20). Both of these words give more detail to the phrase in the previous verse, “make disciples,” (v. 19).   Making disciples involves both baptizing and teaching.

At first glance it would appear that Jesus is prioritizing the act of baptism above almost all else in the Christian life.   While the sacrament of outward baptism is vital to the obedient Christian life, the call here by Jesus is more than merely to be about the physical act of baptizing.   The call to be baptized, as it is used contextually in the New Testament, is the call to undergo a change of spiritual identity. 

For example, 2 Corinthians 10:2 says “all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”   Jesus said in Mark 10:38, “Are you…to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”  These verses make sense, along with the other New Testament references to baptism, only when interpreted with the idea that baptism implies a change of spiritual identity.  Hence, baptizing, as taught here in v. 29, is the transfer of our spiritual identity “from the domain of darkness” to the “kingdom his beloved Son, in whom we are redemption, the forgiveness of sins,” (Colossians 1:13-14). 

Several young men born into a Muslim country who are awaiting to be baptized as Christians.  I had the awesome privilege of leading two of these guys to Christ.  

The new spiritual identity into which we are to baptize the nations is in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (v. 19).    Notice that this does NOT say we are to baptize into the names of (plural), but the name of (singular).   This implies one identity, one godhead, one God.   And the three persons of the Trinity are found right here together at this climatic and final moment in Matthew’s gospel.   This verse is a prime reason why Christians believe in the Trinity.  

The second action verb in this passage is teaching.     We are to teach all nations to observe all that Christ has commanded us (v. 20).  It is not enough to just create converts to the faith; we must have disciples and churches in place that will be teaching them.   There is a place for sharing your faith with strangers who come across your path, whether at a gas station, grocery store or on an airplane.    I believe God is able to bring others into that person’s life who can pick up the teaching process where you left off.

But ideally our evangelism should be done in the context of a ministry or church where the new convert can be taught, discipled and sent out to baptize and teach others as well (see 2 Timothy 2:2).    The need for teaching in today’s world is especially vital where the Christian faith is growing rapidly, places like China, Africa and South America.    Too often the church in those places is “a mile wide and an inch deep.”  “Fierce wolves” can easily “come in…not sparing the flock,” (Acts 20:29, see also Matthew 7:15).  

Even where the teaching is rich, in places like America, false teachers emerge and thrive in the shadow of the church.  Therefore, “all nations” (v. 19) must be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded us.   

To sum up, our part in the Great Commission is about 1) going 2) evangelizing and 3) discipling.     The conveyor belt of history moves continually onward, without interruption, to the time where, “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, all that is in them, [will be] saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”  (Revelation 5:13).  I want the fruit of my life to build and point to that day.  How about you?