Matthew 16:1-20 The Church Christ Builds

Intro

Last week I traveled for the first time in three years

A conference I have been wanting to go to was finally held in Nashville

I made reservations back in June for this conference

Then I saw that my friend in Denver was hosting his conference the same week

I could go to his on the way home

Then my cousin heard I was going to conference and said he wanted to go and invited me to speak at his church in Charleston

Then my son Toby said he wanted to go

My kids want to go on every trip but Jen said take him so I added

You know what’s interesting?

Both conferences were amazing

But taking Toby on his first flight is what will stick with me

Read Matthew 16:1-4

Transition

Jesus is building His church

It becomes obvious that he is not going to use the religious leaders because they are only interested in their personal gain

It is a work in progress with the disciples

One minute they are getting it and the next the are forgetting the lesson

Fortunately it is Christ’s church

He is the master builder

I. Ignoring the Signs vs. 1-4

Some people don’t want to get it

vs. 1 Demanding a Sign

The religious leaders came to test Jesus

Two weeks ago we saw that they confronted Him

Jesus never backed down

He rarely answered their claims or accusations

Today we see they want his to perform a sign from heaven

The word translated sign means much more than simply a miracle or a demonstration of power. It means “a wonder by which one may recognize a person or confirm who he is.

This was the fourth time the religious leaders had asked for a sign

Miracles do not convince people of sin or give a desire for salvation

Miracles will give confirmation where there is faith, but not where there is willful unbelief.

vs. 2-3 Will Not Interpret the Signs

Why did our Lord talk about the weather?

To reveal to His enemies their own dishonesty and stubborn blindness.

They could examine the evidence in God’s world and draw valid conclusions, but they would not examine the evidence He had presented.

His enemies would not believe, and therefore they could not believe

The Pharisees and Sadducees did not lack evidence; they lacked honesty and humility.

vs. 4 Resurrection Only Sign

Jesus had mentioned the sign of Jonah before (see Matt. 12:38–45).

This was the sign of death, burial, and resurrection.

Our Lord’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection were actually a sign to Israel that He was their Messiah.

II. Bread of Life vs. 5-12

In the church that Christ builds He is the Bread of Life

John 6:35 ESV

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Jesus departs the religious leaders and gets alone with the disciples

When they arrive they don’t have any food

Granted Jesus had just fed 4000 and had 7 baskets left over

Jesus uses it as a teaching moment

vs. 5-7 Beware of the Leaven of the Sadducees

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees

Leaven is another word for yeast

Yeast makes bread rise

you just need a small amount and it spreads through the whole batch

It is used in the bible as a reference to sin

A small amount of sins spreads through the whole life

The disciples didn’t get it

We brought no bread

vs. 8-12

Jesus does a face palm

Oh you of little faith

They are making it about their stomach

He is telling them to avoid the philosophies and practices of the pharisees

They were hypocrites who looked spiritual on the outsides but sinned inwardly

Do you not get it?

Don’t you remember the 5000?

How many baskets?

Or the the 4000

How many baskets

I showed you I can provide bread out of thin air

You don’t need to worry about any of your provisions

What you need to worry about is the hard to see sin that can infect the whole body

III. Built On the Rock vs. 13-20

vs. 13-14 Who do people say that I am?

Jesus took His disciples to Gentile territory, in the region of Caesarea Philippi.

They were about 120 miles from Jerusalem in the northern part of Palestine.

The region was strongly identified with various religions:

It had been a center for Baal worship;

the Greek god Pan had shrines there;

and Herod the Great had built a temple there to honor Augustus Caesar

It is in the midst of this that Jesus asks who do people say that I am

Some say John the Baptist

Others say Elijah

It was prophesied that Elijah would return

Malachi 4:5 ESV

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

John the Baptist was more like Elijah than Jesus

vs. 15-16 Who do You say that I am?

Jesus then ask the disciples who they say he is

Peter steps up

You are the Christ

Christ means anointed savior

He is declaring Jesus the promised Messiah Israel has been waiting for

Peter also declares Jesus the Son of God

He declares his deity

vs. 17 Revealed by God

vs. 18 Built Upon the Rock

Isaiah 28:16 ESV

therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’

Mark 12:10 ESV

Have you not read this Scripture: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

vs. 19 Gates of Hell will not prevail

vs. 20 Tell no one