Matthew 16
16
Some Bad Yeast
1-4Some Pharisees and Sadducees badgered him again, pressing him to prove himself to them. He told them, “You have a saying that goes, ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning.’ You find it easy enough to forecast the weather—why can’t you read the signs of the times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you’ll get is the Jonah sign.” Then he spun around and walked away.
5-6On their way to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring along bread. In the meantime, Jesus said to them, “Keep a sharp eye out for Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.”
7-12Thinking he was scolding them for forgetting bread, they discussed in whispers what to do. Jesus knew what they were doing and said, “Why all these worried whispers about forgetting the bread? Baby believers! Haven’t you caught on yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves of bread and the five thousand people, and how many baskets of fragments you picked up? Or the seven loaves that fed four thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? Haven’t you realized yet that bread isn’t the problem? The problem is yeast, Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.” Then they got it: that he wasn’t concerned about eating, but teaching—the Pharisee-Sadducee kind of teaching.
Son of Man, Son of God
13When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?”
14They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”
16Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17-18Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
19“And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”
20He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.
You’re Not in the Driver’s Seat
21-22Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, “Impossible, Master! That can never be!”
23But Jesus didn’t swerve. “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”
24-26Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
27-28“Don’t be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You’ll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory.”
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Matthew 16: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Matthew 16
16
A demand for a sign from heaven
(Mark 8.11-13; Luke 12.54-56)
1The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tried to test him by asking for a sign from heaven.#Mt 12.38; Lk 11.16. 2He told them:
If the sky is red in the evening, you say the weather will be good. 3But if the sky is red and gloomy in the morning, you say it is going to rain. You can tell what the weather will be like by looking at the sky. But you don't understand what is happening now.#16.2,3 If the sky is red…what is happening now: The words of Jesus in verses 2 and 3 are not in some manuscripts. 4You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will be given is what happened to Jonah.#16.4 what happened to Jonah: Jonah was in the stomach of a big fish for three days and nights. See 12.40.#Mt 12.39; Lk 11.29.
Then Jesus left.
The yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
(Mark 8.14-21)
5The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread when they crossed the lake.#16.5 crossed the lake: To the east side. 6Jesus then warned them, “Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”#Lk 12.1.
7The disciples talked this over and said to each other, “He must be saying this because we didn't bring along any bread.”
8Jesus knew what they were thinking and said:
You don't have much faith! Why are you talking about not having any bread? 9Don't you understand? Have you forgotten about the five thousand people and all those baskets of leftovers from just five loaves of bread?#Mt 14.17-21. 10And what about the four thousand people and all those baskets of leftovers from only seven loaves of bread?#Mt 15.34-38. 11Don't you know by now that I am not talking to you about bread? Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!
12Finally, the disciples understood that Jesus wasn't talking about the yeast used to make bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Who is Jesus?
(Mark 8.27-30; Luke 9.18-21)
13When Jesus and his disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, “What do people say about the Son of Man?”
14The disciples answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist or perhaps Elijah#16.14 Elijah: Many of the Jewish people expected the prophet Elijah to come and prepare the way for the Messiah. or Jeremiah or some other prophet.”#Mt 14.1,2; Mk 6.14,15; Lk 9.7,8.
15Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16Simon Peter spoke up, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”#Jn 6.68,69.
17Jesus told him:
Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn't discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven. 18So I will call you Peter, which means “a rock”. On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it. 19I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth. But he will not allow anything that you don't allow.#Mt 18.18; Jn 20.23.
20Jesus told his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus speaks about his suffering and death
(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)
21From then on, Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, “I must go to Jerusalem. There the nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make me suffer terribly. I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life.”
22Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. He said, “God would never let this happen to you, Lord!”
23Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God.”
24Then Jesus said to his disciples:
If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.#Mt 10.38; Lk 14.27. 25If you want to save your life,#16.25 life: In verses 25 and 26 the same Greek word is translated “life”, “yourself”, and “soul”. you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it.#Mt 10.39; Lk 17.33; Jn 12.25. 26What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?
27The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done.#Mt 25.31; Ps 62.12; Ro 2.6. 28I promise you that some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012