Matthew — Chapter 16
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1The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
5And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
6Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
7And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
8Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
9Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
10Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
11How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
12Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
21From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
1And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
2But he answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, [It will be] fair weather: for the heaven is red.
3And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot [discern] the signs of the times.
4An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. And he left them, and departed.
5And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take bread.
6And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
7And they reasoned among themselves, saying, We took no bread.
8And Jesus perceiving it said, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no bread?
9Do ye not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
10Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
11How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
12Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is?
14And they said, Some [say] John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
15He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am?
16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
18And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
19I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ.
21From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
22And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee.
23But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.
24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?
27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds.
28Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
1Now when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
2He said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather because the sky is red,’
3and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today because the sky is red and darkening.’ You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times.
4A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.
5When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread.
6“Watch out,” Jesus said to them, “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7So they began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “It is because we brought no bread.”
8When Jesus learned of this, he said, “You who have such little faith! Why are you arguing among yourselves about having no bread?
9Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the 5,000, and how many baskets you took up?
10Or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many baskets you took up?
11How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”
12Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!
18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”
20Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
21From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed and on the third day be raised.
22So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!”
23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
26For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?
27For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
28I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
1The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
2But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
3In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times!
4An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” He left them, and departed.
5The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread.
6Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7They reasoned among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”
8Jesus, perceiving it, said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, ‘because you have brought no bread?’
9Don’t you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
10Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
11How is it that you don’t perceive that I didn’t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
12Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17Jesus 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.
18I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
19I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”
20Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
21From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
22Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you.”
23But he turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.
26For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.
28Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
Summary
Peter confesses Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus announces He will build His church, then stuns the disciples by revealing He must suffer, die, and rise again — rebuking Peter for opposing God's plan.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Caesarea Philippi (v.13): A pagan city at the foot of Mount Hermon, about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Built near a cave shrine to Pan. Jesus chose this pagan setting to ask "Who do you say I am?"
- The region was far from Jerusalem — Jesus was withdrawing northward with His disciples for private teaching before turning toward Jerusalem.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the leaven of the Pharisees, the significance of Caesarea Philippi as the location for Peter's confession, the meaning of "the rock," the keys of the kingdom, and the call to take up the cross.
- Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "The Great Question" on v.15 (MTP Vol. 27, No. 1600) "But whom say YE that I am? Not what do the scholars say, not what does your denomination say, not what did your parents say — whom say YE? This is personal. Every man must answer for himself. And your answer determines your eternity." Sermon: "Cross-Bearing" on v.24 (MTP Vol. 10, No. 560) "Take up his cross — not choose his cross, not design his cross, not admire someone else's cross — take up HIS cross. The one God has assigned to him. The specific suffering, the specific denial, the specific cost that belongs to his particular calling."
Reflection
- 1. "But whom say YE that I am?" (v.15). This is the question every man must answer personally. Not what your church says, not what your family believes — what do YOU say about Jesus? Is He your Lord, or just a historical figure you respect?
- 2. Peter went from divine revelation (v.16-17) to satanic influence (v.23) in minutes. Spiritual highs do not make you immune to spiritual failure. How do you guard against pride and presumption after moments of spiritual clarity?
- 3. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross" (v.24). Self-denial is the opposite of self-fulfillment. What specific thing is God asking you to deny yourself right now — a comfort, a habit, an ambition, a relationship?
- 4. "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (v.26). Every man is building something — a career, a reputation, a legacy. Is what you're building worth your soul? What would you trade your soul for without realizing it?
- 5. Jesus asked "Who do people say I am?" before asking "Who do YOU say I am?" Why do you think He asked the first question? How does knowing what others believe help clarify what you believe?
- 6. Peter's confession was revealed by the Father, not figured out by human reasoning (v.17). True faith is a gift from God. How does that truth affect your gratitude for your own faith? How does it affect how you pray for unbelieving friends and family?
- 7. Jesus told Peter "Get behind me, Satan" — because Peter was prioritizing human comfort over God's plan. Where in your life are you resisting God's plan because it involves suffering or sacrifice you don't want?
- 8. "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it" (v.25). The man who plays it safe, who protects himself, who avoids all risk for Christ — loses everything. What risk is God calling you to take that you've been avoiding?
- 9. Jesus predicted His death and resurrection together (v.21) — suffering and glory are inseparable in God's economy. How does knowing that resurrection follows crucifixion change how you face the crosses in your own life?