- Ch.16, vv.1-12 Israel’s Rejection of the Messiah, the Sign of the Prophet Jonas
- Ch.16, vv.13-28 The Church to be built, the necessity of the death and resurrection of Christ
- Ch.17, vv.1-27 A sample of the Millennial Kingdom on the Mount of Transfiguration
Contents
- The Wickedness of the Religious Leaders (16:1-12)
- The Building of Christ’s Church & the Path for Disciples (16:13-28)
- Peter’s Revelation and Confession of the Person of Christ (16:13-17)
- The Foundation and Building of Christ’s Assembly (16:18)
- The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven & Authority to Bind and Loose Sin (16:19-20)
- The Cross is the Necessary Cost to Accomplish God’s Purpose (16:21-23)
- The Path for the Lord’s Disciples in His Absence (16:24-28)
- Events Connected with the Millennium (Matt. 17)
The Wickedness of the Religious Leaders (16:1-12)
The Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ Demand for a Sign (16:1-4)
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees Warned Against (16:5-12)
The Building of Christ’s Church & the Path for Disciples (16:13-28)
Peter’s Revelation and Confession of the Person of Christ (16:13-17)
- “Thou art the Christ“. The title ‘Christ’ (synonymous with Messiah) means “the Anointed.” It was the title given in prophecy to the coming Deliverer of Israel. In the Old Testament, there were three offices that were anointed; prophets, priests, and kings. Jesus holds all three of those offices in perfection, and for those offices He was anointed by the Spirit of God (Acts 10:38). In His human nature, He is the Son of David, the Messiah. But He was far more than that, and so Peter goes on.
- “The Son of the Living God“. As a divine Person Jesus is the Son of the living God. The Sonship of our Lord is His eternal, intrinsic, ontological, intra-Trinitarian identity. He became the Christ as a man, but He never became the Son… He always was the Son of God! Moreover, He is the Son of the living God which brings out the truth that He has life in Himself, both in a past eternity as the Eternal Word (John 1:4) and as a dependent man on earth (John 5:26). It is a boundless, springing life; and it can never be held down. As the one who intrinsically had life in Himself, death could not hold Him! He arose from among the dead “…having loosed the pains of death, inasmuch as it was not possible that he should be held by its power” (Acts 2:24). Therefore it was in resurrection that “He was declared to be the Son of God with power” (Rom. 1:4) because that life sprouted up again in a new character that we call resurrection life. In resurrection life Jesus became the Head of a New Creation, and shared all His relationships with those in that New Creation. The resurrection proved that He was Son of the living God.
The Foundation and Building of Christ’s Assembly (16:18)
The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven & Authority to Bind and Loose Sin (16:19-20)
The local assembly has been invested with authority to "bind" or "loose" a person's sin (Matt. 18:18); which means to "retain" or "remit" their sin (John 20:23). Binding and loosing are two administrative actions that are done "in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ" and are backed by His authority (1 Cor. 5:4). The authority to "bind" and "loose" with heaven's ratification was given first to Peter (Matt. 16:19), then extended to the local assembly (Matt. 18:18).
To "bind" a person's sin upon them is to associate them with that sin in an official sense. Morally, they were associated with it the moment the sin was committed, but this is a special association of an official character. Paul does this in 1 Cor. 5:4 with the words "being such"; that is, he formally connected that man with his sin. Excommunication of the wicked person follows binding of the sin (v.5). In 1 Cor. 5 we have an example of "binding", and in 2 Cor. 2 we have the "loosing". Once a person has turned from their sin, and their repentance is manifest, the assembly ought to "loose" the sin, or formally disassociate the person from it. The whole assembly, wherever it may be found "on earth" is required to acknowledge an administrative action once taken, because it is bound or loosed in heaven. To continue fellowship with a person that is put away is to ignore the action taken, and to rebel against the authority of heaven. The binding or loosing would occur in a solemn meeting for judicial action; "when ye are gathered together" (v.4). It is only when the assembly is formally gathered together that the presence and "power of our Lord Jesus Christ" is there to give weight to the action.
read more…- The revelation of the Person of Christ from the Father to Simon;
- The name of Peter bestowed upon Simon by Jesus;
- The assembly to be built by Christ Himself on the foundation of His Person;
- The keys of the kingdom promised to Peter, and authority to bind and loose.
The Cross is the Necessary Cost to Accomplish God’s Purpose (16:21-23)
- Ch.16, v.21……….. First Prediction, in Caesarea-Philippi, concerning His death and resurrection.
- Ch.17, vv.22-23… Second Prediction, in Galilee, concerning His death and resurrection.
- Ch.20, vv.17-19…. Third Prediction, in Perea, concerning His death and resurrection.
- Ch.26, vv.1-2…….. Fourth Prediction, in Jerusalem, concerning His death only.
The Path for the Lord’s Disciples in His Absence (16:24-28)
Events Connected with the Millennium (Matt. 17)
The Mount of Transfiguration: a Sketch of the Kingdom in Glory (17:1-9)
- The resurrection of life and the resurrection of judgment (John 5:29)
- The resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust (Acts 24:15)
- The first resurrection [and the second death] (Rev. 20:5)
The Question about Elijah (17:10-13)
The Healing of a Demon-Possessed Boy (17:14-21)
The Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection (17:22-23)
Teaching on Freedom and Tribute: Money in the Fish’s Mouth (17:24-27)
The expression "O ye of little faith" is a gentle rebuke, repeated four times in Matthew: first in Matt. 6:30 in regard to care; second in Matt. 8:23 in regard to fear; third in Matt. 14:31 in regard to doubt; and fourth in Matt. 16:7-8 in regard to reasoning in divine things. All four instances have to do with failure in simple faith. And yet the Lord never says to His own "O ye of no faith".
- Note that Job even predated Moses! It is remarkable that he knew of resurrection.
- This is the principle of resurrection, although the scripture applies to the national resurrection of Israel.