Matthew 16

There are two main sections to the sermon today.

v1-4 Demanding signs

v5-12 Discerning doctrine

This is the first time we see Jesus address Sadducee’s. The Sadducees were a religious group, but also a political group. A few things to note

They only believed the first 5 books of the bible were God’s word. They did not account the writings of the prophets to be inspired Scripture, only the law of moses.

They did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or after life.

No angels or demons

They were the elites of the day, with great wealth and social power.

They had control of the temple, and the Sanhedrin, which was a body similar to the United States justices.

They also believed in free will, meaning that they believed that the individual person was the master of his or her own destiny, and not God.

The equivalent today is the liberal professing Christian who has suppressed clear Scripture, chooses what he or she wants to be true, and denies the reality of God’s total sovereignty.

Alternatively, the Pharisees were not a political group, but primarily religious, and concerned with the whole OT writings, as well as all of the oral traditions that were passed down.

They DID believe in the Scriptures teaching on a future resurrection and judgement, and they did believe in angels and demons. Quite the opposite of what the Sadducees believed.

The Pharisees did not rule in the temple in Jerusalem, but in the Synagogues that were scattered over Israel, and therefore they represented the people of Israel, the working class.

So, when v1 says…The Pharisees and Sadducees came together to test Jesus, this is not a normal joining of forces, and it tells us how threatened both groups felt by Jesus’s presence.

What was the test?

They asked him to show them a sign from Heaven.

This is how the religious leaders would test the credentials of someone claiming to be God. It’s one thing to see something down here on earth, or some trick, but if you see it in the heavens, it’s more likely from God.

Elisha called down fire, and he was a prophet of God, so why won’t Jesus do the same?

Look at the answer Jesus gives.

v2. When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 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.

We have a very similar saying still today, don’t we?

Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.

We have sophisticated means of predicting weather today, but there are also obvious signs we can all observe. The spiritual leaders of Israel would forecast the weather by the signs they saw with their eyes, and yet, they refused to see the signs of the Kingdom right in front of them.

The indictment is is “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

They are guilty of this, both because of original sin which blinds them, as well as their willful sin which they choose, to leave their God, and pervert His gospel. Both groups, the conservative Pharisees, and the Liberal Sadducees were guilty. Jesus pronounces this judgement to them… “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.”

We should heed all words of Scripture, but especially so the pronouncements and warnings that come from the mouth of Jesus.

He’s already given this judgement to the pharisees in Chapter 12 when they asked for a sign, and he does so again here, because they have not repented.

When you continue in the same sins, you will continue to hear the same judgments.

Why did their request for a sign from heaven deserve this kind of response?

Because they were not sincere. They had left God, turned their back on Him, and been unfaithful to Him. The Pharisees doctrines were so perverted with pride and self-love. They prided themselves on adding more and more rules to the Scripture, and then making a show of keeping them - dressing up the outside of the cup while the inside remained filthy with sin.

Proverbs 30:20

This is the way of an adulteress:

she eats and wipes her mouth

and says, “I have done no wrong.”

While they demanded a sign, they were blind to the signs telling them to repent and turn to Christ. This is such a dangerous place to be…convinced you are righteous by your own deeds, and therefore ignorant of the need for grace.

On the other hand you have the Sadducees. They did not add to the law to find their righteousness, but subtracted from it. Their pride and confidence in self led them to a destructive pessimism of the spiritual world around them. Relying on their intellect and worldly positions, they became the humanists and progressives of their day. And this, too, was evil and adulterous. Exchanging truth for a lie, they suppressed the truth in unrighteousness.

And this is what it all comes down to. Everyone who demands a sign from God is simply a denier of a sign they have already seen.

If I ask God for a sign today to prove his love for me, or to prove his power, or to prove his faithfulness, what am I doing? I’m saying that what he’s already done is not good enough. That would be unfaithfulness on my part.

Jesus brought the Kingdom. Even the Pharisee Nicodemus confessed in John 3:2 Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

The signs were obvious, and Jesus would not give them what they desired. Instead, he repeats the same answer He gave before. “no sign will be given to to it except the sign of Jonah.”

He refers to His resurrection, the great sign for all millennia. Jesus would be crucified by that evil and adulterous generation. He would lay his life down in death, and take it back up again after three days in the grave.

Many will ask for a sign today. I’ve had atheists tell me that they might believe in God if He would show them some specific thing of their own devising…ye in their foolishness they reject the clear evidence all around them. Professing to be wise, they become fools.

So, he left them, and departed.

So important is this subject to the Lord, that he goes to the disciples and warns them directly.

v5 and 6.  When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Watch and beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

They apparently thought Jesus was warning them about some bakery owned by a Pharisee.

They are so preoccupied with the carnal world, and physical stuff, that the warning goes over their heads.

So they discuss it among themselves. Why didn’t you bring bread. Where will we get bread? Does Jesus have bread?

Aware of their discussion, he rebukes them on several counts, and then repeats the warning.

He rebukes them for their lack of faith which would lead them to worry about their lack of bread.

He rebukes them for their slowness to perceive and understand.

He rebukes them because they do not remember the memorials of His provision that he has given to them.... which are the baskets they took up after the miracles of the bread and fish.

What Jesus is warning them about is crucial to their walk with. And so it is crucial for us.

The teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees were the prevailing doctrine of that day. This is the doctrine that Jesus refers to as leaven.

Jesus is not condemning doctrine as a whole, but only bad doctrine. Doctrine by itself cannot be bad, just as food in and of itself cannot be bad. We must discern what is good for us, and what is not.

The warning is to beware of the manner in which doctrine can permeate and corrupt, like leaven through a batch of dough.

Beware of doctrine that comes from legalists and progressives. Beware of those who add to the Scriptures, and those who take from it. Beware of those who deny the resurrection. Beware of the inevitable worldliness that comes when leaders compromise truth, or lay burdens upon their congregation without the hope and power of the gospel.

Church, you need to be able to discern between sound doctrine, and bad doctrine.

Later in this chapter the Lord asks the famous question to his disciples… Who do people say that I am? To answer that simple question, you must do doctrine.

There is no place in a Christians for statements like “I don’t care about doctrine, I only want Jesus”, because as soon as someone says that, the question must be asked... “which, Jesus?” or “Who is Jesus?’ and you’re suddenly in the world of doctrine and teaching.

The best guard against bad doctrine, or corruptible doctrine is to know and learn the teachings of Scripture, and to make your life about knowing how it fits together in light of the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus.

Beware of the doctrine you allow to permeate your life.

1. Beware legalistic doctrine. It can seem conservative and down to earth, but there’s always more - you’ll recognize it by the heavy burdens laid upon people. It is full of rules by which one might attain righteousness. But remember, do and don’t do, apart from grace, is a cheap replacements for believing and obeying because Jesus already did everything to save you.

2. Beware of progressive and liberal doctrines, In progressive doctrine there are liberties being taken. You’ll find in progressive teachers an appeal to each new generation, with innovative ways to fit Christianity into our human achievements and so-called progress. It’s watery, and denies core doctrines of the faith that have been taught for centuries.

Romans 16:17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

You are taught doctrine from this pulpit each week. You are learning doctrine when you go to the Word and take it into your heart, and obey it. When you do this you sharpen your senses to discern what is contrary to sound doctrine, amd to cling to what is good.

It’s quite possible that the pervasive and poisonous doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducee’s is the very reason for the forgetfulness of the disciples.

Don’t you often forget what is good when you believe what is false, or spend time around bad doctrine? Remember, Jesus was just asked a question by men whom Jesus categorizes as evil and adulterous. This kind of doctrine denies the centrality of Christ as the Son of God. It’s evil and adulterous because it is not satisfied with what God has promised in His Word. And now they’re discussing something amongst themselves, oblivious to the danger.

But our Lord remains patient with us. Even when we fail to understand for so long.

After these rebukes and corrections, we see in v12.

“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.”

How good it is when we finally come to understand something God is saying to us, but that we have been ignorant of for our lack of discipline.

Let’s confess today where we fall into the same sins of forgetfulness, lack of faith, and slowness of understanding....and let’s make every effort to align our hearts with the good doctrine of Christ.

Doctrine is not bad, but we must discern it. Demanding signs from God when God has revealed himself through Jesus is unfaithfulness on our part. What sign do you need today to prove that Jesus is good, and faithful. It’s been done already, so look to the cross and the finished work of Jesus Sacrifice for sinners. Look further than this, demand more than this, unsatisfied with this; and you too are evil and adulterous. And let’s be careful not to forget the memorials of the lords provision and goodness as the disciples did. getting caught up in the carnal, we take our attention off the kingdom, and lose our discerning senses.