"You Are The Christ" Matthew 16a Sep 22 2024

Intro

Good morning

We are continuing our series:

God With Us - Discovering the Gospel of Matthew

Today - the first half of Matt 16

(Pray…)

The Setting

Chapter 16 is the beginning of a significant change in Matthew

Before we get into chapter 16, I want to set the stage for where we’re at in Matthew

I want to give a broad, overall outline so far - of the first 15 chapters:

1-4 Birth, baptism, and temptation of Jesus - beginning of his ministry and the calling of his first disciples

5-7 Sermon on the Mount

8-9 Healings and miracles of Jesus

10 The calling, teaching, and sending of all 12 disciples

11 Jesus is questioned by JTB who was in prison at the time - more works of Jesus

12-13 Jesus is challenged by the Pharisees - healings, teachings, and parables by Jesus

14-15 More challenges from the Pharisees - more healings and teachings by Jesus

And now we come to chapter 16

I have split chapter 16 into two messages - we will look at the first half today

We’re going to look at the first three main sections of this chapter - the first 20 verses

1) The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

2) The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

3) Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

These subheadings, btw are from the editors of my Bible translation: ESV

They are not inspired Scripture

They are only meant to help organize and outline the various sections in the Bible

Your Bible may do it differently - I generally agree with the ESV and its outline

I point out the different sections to help make things clear

And just a reminder - the chapters and verses are not inspired either

The first Bible with chapters and verses didn’t come until the 16th Century

But they help us organize the Bible

Chapter 16 is significant in many ways from the previous chapters

There is a shift in the teaching of Jesus

There is a major turn-in-the-corner in the life of Jesus and his disciples

There’s also a significant event with Peter and his belief in the Lord as the Messiah

In the entire NT, V.18 contains the first mention of the word “church” (ekklesia)

Remember, at this time in history, we’re not in the church age yet

That doesn’t come until the Book of Acts

Matthew is the only gospel that mentions “church” by the way

Chapter 16 is also the first time we see Jesus begin to teach his disciples about the future of his: suffering, death, and resurrection

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

Lets get right into this

Chapter 16 starts off with the Pharisees trying to test Jesus - they ask for a sign from heaven

This is the section we’re calling The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

This section is contained in the first 4 verses of Matt 16

Matthew 16:1–4 ESV

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “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 to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

We have a problem here - when JTB asked Jesus if he was the true Messiah (Ch 11), what did Jesus say?

He said, “Go tell John all the things you’ve witnessed: the blind can now see, the lame now walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf now hear, even the dead have been raised...”

If those are not signs, I don’t know what are

And now, here in chapter 16, Jesus says, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.”

How can Jesus use his signs to proclaim his authenticity to JTB - and later seemingly condemn signs - that only an evil and adulterous generation looks for them?

Let’s look at what was really going on here

Jesus was telling the Pharisees - “You’re so good at telling the weather, but you’re blind to see who I am.”

These were the so-called experts in the Scriptures - but they were too blind to see that Jesus was the promised Messiah

The Pharisees walked in self-righteousness - but they didn’t have faith

John the Baptist actually walked in faith, but had doubts

JTB wanted to make sure Jesus was the Messiah - The Pharisees wanted to make sure Jesus wasn’t the Messiah

That’s the difference

The Pharisees were trying to conduct their own litmus test on Jesus

And they wanted to dictate what exactly what those signs would be

They could not be happy with the signs Jesus was already showing

The Pharisees wanted to make sure Jesus wasn’t the Messiah

Remember? Back in chapter 12?

Jesus was in the synagogue - and he healed the man with the withered hand?

But he healed the man on the Sabbath - so that wasn’t good enough for them

He miraculously healed that man’s hand right in front of their eyes

And what was their reaction?

It says they went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him

Have you ever heard an unbeliever say, “I’ll believe God if only he would just...”

I knew an atheist scientist…we were talking about the existence of God…he finally just said he’d only believe God if he could test him in a laboratory - under his own conditions

That’s essentially what the Pharisees are doing here

The world wants God to act the way they want him to act

“I’ll believe in God when he does these things I’ve outlined. Until then, I’m not convinced God exists.”

Another thing they’ll say is, “If God is all loving and all powerful - there’d be no pain, no suffering in the world. If I was God, I wouldn’t allow suffering in the world.”

As if the atheist has a better way of being god than God does

As if they are more wise than God - imagine that

That’s what an idol is - it’s picking a god under your own design

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You aint getting a sign - the only sign you’re getting is the sign of Jonah”

This is his same response he used against the Pharisees back in chapter 12

Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days & nights - so will the Son of man be in the earth for three days and nights

Jesus was hinting at his death and resurrection

That’s the core of the gospel: Jesus dying on the cross - and the Resurrection three days later

Keep this in your mind, because we will come back to it next week

Leaven of the Pharisees & Sadducees

Verses 5-12 brings us to the section, Leaven of the Pharisees & Sadducees

As they traveled along , the disciples suddenly realize they forgot to bring any bread for food

And Jesus says, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Of course, Jesus wasn’t talking about bread - he was talking about the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Throughout the Bible leaven (yeast) = sin

Jesus is saying, “Watch out for Pharisee leaven - it’s evil”

More accurately - “Watch out for the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

But the disciples aren’t thinking like that - they were only focused on how hungry they were

Jesus just dealt with the Pharisees and Sadducees - now he’s got to deal with his own disciples

And Jesus said:

Matthew 16:8–12 ESV

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? 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? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 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.

The teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees were about unbelief that Jesus was the Christ

The disciples had a disappointing conclusion - they thought he was talking about bread

They missed the metaphor

Leaven, or yeast often represents evil, or sin

A tiny bit of yeast goes into the dough and it affects the entire loaf

There’s a fermentation process that goes on

Yeast also has a counterintuitive result

It tastes bad - bitter

But it makes the entire loaf of bread desirable

This is like sin - it’s repulsive in its pure form, but it presents itself as very desirable

Jesus is ultimately saying, “Stay away from the unbelief of the religious leaders”

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

And now, starting in v.13, everything is going to shift gears

We have now come to the third, and last section for this week:

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

Starting in verse 13...

Matthew 16:13–20 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

I have heard all sorts of interpretations to verse 18, “and on this rock I will build my church”

One theory is that Peter is just one of the disciples - and so he is nothing special

Another idea is that Peter was assigned by Christ to be the very first Pope - and therefore this verse is a favorite to Roman Catholics

I’ve heard another theory: The “rock” in this case has nothing to do with Peter - that Jesus was referring to a literal rock, on which he had been sitting

This literal rock was somewhere in the district of Caesarea Philippi

And Jesus was essentially saying, “You are Peter - and by gum, by golly - I think I’ll plant a church right here”

And people go to great lengths to explain that the actual first church was built in that location

What Jesus was really emphasizing was: belief

It stems from the fact that Peter finally recognized Jesus as the Messiah

This all comes right after Jesus warns them to beware of the unbelief of the Pharisees and Sadducees

So, what did Jesus mean when he said, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church...”?

The key is that Peter rightly declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

This was a spiritual statement

It came from a righteous, spiritual conviction Peter had about who Jesus was

Notice, in verse 17 - Jesus said, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”

In other words, Peter’s faith came from God

Peter said a lot of things in the Bible - but this was probably the most spiritual, righteous thing he’s ever said

Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Christ

And Jesus built his church on this very belief that comes from God

One scholar paraphrased the verse this way:

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke a. The Confession (16:13–20)

“upon this rock of revealed truth—the truth you have just confessed—I will build my church”

It has nothing to do with a literal rock

It has nothing to do with Peter being assigned as the first Pope

And when Peter says, “You are the Christ” he wasn’t referring to Jesus’ last name

The word, “Christ” means the Messiah, the Anointed One of God

Peter acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God

Remember? Back in Matthew 1?

V.16 Jesus was born, who is called Christ

V.23 …and they shall call his name Immanuel which means, “God with us”

This is a significant place in the gospel of Matthew with the belief of Peter - basically, that the disciples are starting to catch on

There is nothing special about Peter (as Pope, etc).

Jesus asked the question to all of his disciples and it was Peter who gave the correct answer.

He didn’t win the spiritual lottery just because he correctly answered the question.

This passage is about the fact that the disciples are beginning to see Jesus in a fuller sense

The other thing happening in this passage is that Jesus was actually giving a play on words, a pun

Peter, or Petros literally means “stone” or “rock”

We use the term “petroleum oil,” or “petrol,” which literally refers to the oil that’s found naturally in rock beds under ground

Jesus was essentially saying, “Hey Rocky, on this rock I will build my church”

The faith that began his Church came from God

It boils down to this:

Jesus is the Rock

Closing

As I close, let me ask - Do you have a spiritual belief in Jesus that he is the Christ?

Have you based your very life on that belief?

We just witnessed in Matt 16, the ministry of Jesus is really taking off

The disciples are beginning to see Jesus for who he is,

Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ - not based on the logic of Peter - but a faith that comes from God

Then Jesus declares that he will build his Church - based on the God-given faith - faith that comes from above

Everything is coming together

And in your life - nothing will come together until you have God-given faith in Jesus

Right now - declare in your heart that Jesus is the Christ - and worship him as Lord

Cry out to God - praise him

We are now in the Church Age, waiting for Jesus to come again

We are sitting in church this morning

But please - don’t just go through the motions like the Pharisees and Sadducees

I pray that just like Peter, you will see Jesus for who he truly is

(Pray…)

Communion

Matthew 26:26–28 ESV

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 22:19–20 ESV

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.