Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro
Hi everyone - we’re glad you’re with us
Bibles: Matthew 16
(Pray…)
The Setting
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 - for 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 - 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
Chapter 16 is significant in many ways
There is a shift in the teaching of Jesus
There is a significant event with Peter and his belief in the Lord as the Christ
V.18 is the first mention of the word “church” (ekklesia) in the entire NT
Remember, at this time in history, we’re not yet in the church age
That doesn’t come until the Book of Acts
Matthew is the only gospel that mentions this word
Chapter 16 is also the first time we see Jesus begin to teach his disciples about his: suffering, death, and resurrection
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
So we have a problem here - when JTB asked Jesus if he was the true Messiah (Chpt 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 as Messiah - and later condemn signs - that only an evil and adulterous generations looks for them?
Jesus was telling the Pharisees - “You’re so good at telling the weather, but you’re blind to see who I am.”
The Pharisees walked in self-righteousness, but they didn’t have faith
John the Baptist walked in faith, but had doubts
The Pharisees, if they had the choice, would try and dictate what exactly what those signs would be
They could not be happy with the signs Jesus was already showing
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, “Ill 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
The world wants God to act they way they want him to
That’s what an idol is - it’s picking a god that makes you feel good
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 gospel: Jesus dying on the cross - and the Resurrection three days later
Keep this in your mind, because Jesus focuses our attention on the gospel later in this chapter
Leaven of the Pharisees & Sadducees
Verses 5-12 Jesus talks about the “leaven” of the Pharisees
They travel along and 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 - there is a connection with leaven and sin
I don’t have time to go into that
But Jesus is saying, “Watch out for Pharisee leaven - it’s evil”
But the disciples aren’t thinking like that - they were only focused on how hungry they were
And Jesus said:
Peter Confesses Jesus as 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
I think what’s important to remember is that this is about belief
One scholar paraphrased the verse this way:
“upon this rock of revealed truth—the truth you have just confessed—I will build my church”
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 was acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God
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
(Which won’t be completed until the Day of Pentecost, and truly not completed until our day with the Lord in Heaven)
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”
Also, this is not a comparison between Jesus as our Rock and Peter, the rock
Jesus is the Rock
In this particular passage in Matthew, Jesus refers to himself as the builder of his church - not the Rock
And in order for Jesus to build his church, he needs to build it on a solid foundation - the belief of his disciples
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
This turns the corner of the ministry of Jesus.
V.21 sets a new tone - the mood is more solemn.
This is the first mention that he will suffer (on the cross) and that he will be killed (and be raised on the third day).
From this point, Jesus is looking toward Jerusalem and Calvary.
One of the hard-to-understand Bible verses is here in V.23 where Jesus calls Peter, “Satan”
It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around this one
Jesus first calls Peter, “blessed” for correctly proclaiming his belief in Jesus as the Messiah - and then he refers to that type of faith as a “rock”
I don’t know about you, but if Jesus called me “Satan,” I would want to crawl under a rock
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