WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY JULY 26

Matthew 16:13-19
5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How 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? 12 Then 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. The people's opinion of Christ 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And 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. 18 And 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. 19 And 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.

The variety of responses to Jesus that Matthew has described from chapter 11 on have prepared for one of the pivotal passages of his gospel. Matthew 15:21-28 with the story of the Canaanite woman is an important part of the background. Jesus’ claim that his ministry was only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" raises an important question about his identity. The following verses that portray him extending his ministry into Gentile territory makes the question even more important. "Who is this Jesus? Where does he fit in the range of Jewish teachers?" Matthew 16:1-12 and the warning about the leaven of the Sadducees and Pharisees makes it clear that Jesus was not part of the religious establishment of his times. But who was he? To answering that question Matthew now turns. The Caesarea Philippi Confession - Matthew 16:13-20 The scene shifts again in Matthew 16:13. The last geographical reference found in Matthew 15:39 had been that Jesus was in the area of Magaden. The location of that city or village is unknown. Matthew 16:5 states that they crossed the Sea of Galilee and verse 13 places them in Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi was about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee at the foot of Mount Hermon. Springs fed by the melting snow from Mount Hermon formed the headwaters of the Jordan River. The site was beautiful and lush compared to the dryness of much of the surrounding countryside. The name Caesarea Philippi derived from the rebuilding of the city by Herod Philip in honor of the emperor, Caesar Tiberias. Formerly the area had been called Paneas in honor of the Greek god, Pan. This is also Gentile territory. It is not clear whether Jesus brought the disciples to this place because of its background or simply because it was a beautiful location for a retreat. The question of Jesus’ identity is raised immediately in Matthew’s text in verse 13, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The meaning of the phrase, "Son of Man," has received considerable discussion by modern scholars. Almost all the times this title appears in the New Testament (over 80 times) it appears on Jesus’ own lips or is spoken by someone in response to Jesus’ use of the title. It appears to have been Jesus’ favorite term to describe himself. It is frequently used as a substitute for the word "I" and that appears to be its usage here. (The parallel passage in Mark 8:27 reads, "Who do people say that I am?"). The most common opinion is that Jesus drew the phrase from Daniel 7:13 where it refers to a heavenly figure who is coming in the future. Jesus appeared to prefer the title "Son of Man" since it was not widely used or understood in Judaism. That enabled him to define his identity in his own way. What is clear is that "Son of Man" is not a reference to Jesus’ humanity in contrast to his deity. This has been a popular view for many years, but there is no basis for it in the pattern of Jesus’ usage. Here in Matthew 16:13 "Son of Man" is simply a substitute for "I." Jesus is asking who people think him to be. The disciples report a variety of answers. The idea that Jesus was John the Baptist has already been mentioned by Herod in Matthew 14:2. The mention of Elijah is understandable for several reasons. John the Baptist had been identified as Elijah or an Elijah-type figure. Elijah had also been noted for miracles. The mention of Jeremiah is unique to Matthew’s gospel at this location. There is some evidence (though it is not clear) of Jeremiah being regarded (like Elijah) as a forerunner of the Messiah. There were also several parallels between the message of Jeremiah and the message of Jesus. The key phrase is that which follows, "or one of the prophets." What John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah had in common was that they were prophets. The people who had seen and heard of Jesus’ ministry were describing him as a prophet. The New Testament is clear that Jesus’ ministry shared the characteristics of the ministry of many of the prophets. "Prophet" was a common title to describe Jesus. The New Testament is equally clear that "prophet" was not an adequate title for Jesus. However, Jesus’ concern was not the opinions of people in general. His concern was the understanding of the disciples and so he redirects the question, "Who do you all say that I am?" Though the question was directed to all the disciples, as often happened Peter spoke their response, "You are the Christ, the son of the living God." At this point, three of the major titles for Jesus are brought together: Son of Man, Messiah (the Christ), and Son of God. The process of translation, both at the time the New Testament was written and now into modern languages, makes it difficult for us keep track of references to the Messiah. The English word "Christ" is the English form of the Greek word christos which was the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah. Technically, it would be possible to replace the name "Christ" with the title "Messiah" everywhere in the New Testament. However, one of the results of bringing gentiles into the church is that often christos became another personal name for Jesus instead of a title meaning "Messiah." The problem for us in modern times is knowing when! When is Christ simply another name for Jesus and when does it mean Messiah? Scholars do not always agree. However, the evidence for Matthew 16:16 indicates that Messiah is what Peter was calling Jesus. This is the first time in Matthew’s gospel that the Messiahship of Jesus has been confessed directly. Several times Matthew writing editorially has indicated that Jesus was Messiah (Matthew 1:1, 16, 17; 2:4; 11:2) but this is the first time it appears on the lips of a character in the story. The fact that Peter, as the representative disciple, makes this confession is important. For Matthew it is important for his readers then (and now) to know that Jesus was the expected Jewish Messiah. There were varieties of opinions in Judaism at that time about what the Messiah would be like. Nevertheless, it is important both for Jews in Jesus’ time and for gentiles now to now that Jesus was the long-expected Jewish messiah. As messiah, Jesus was the fulfillment of Jewish hopes and he was the culmination of God’s involvement in human history to bring us salvation. Peter also confessed Jesus to be "the Son of the Living God." This exact phrase is found only in Matthew’s account of the retreat at Caesarea Philippi. Mark 8:29 has only, "You are the Christ (or the Messiah)" and Luke 9:20 states Peter’s confession as, "You are the Christ (or Messiah) of God." Perhaps it was his Jewish audience that made it important for Matthew to clarify that Jesus was much more than simply the Jewish messiah. The theme of Jesus’ divine sonship has been important throughout Matthew. The voice from heaven announced it at Jesus’ baptism. Satan tempted Jesus at that point in the temptations. The disciples had confessed in Matthew 14:33 after Jesus (and Peter) had walked on the water. Now it is combined with the titles Messiah and Son of Man to provide the most complete identification of Jesus to yet appear in this gospel. Verses 17-19 have no parallel in the other gospels. Several important themes are revealed in these verses. First, Jesus pronounces a blessing on Peter and gives him a commission. The blessing is an effective word of grace. Peter’s confession does not win Jesus’ compliment for it was not Peter’s wisdom or insight that produced the confession. It was God the Father himself at work through the Holy Spirit revealing the truth of Jesus’ identity to Peter that enabled him to proclaim that truth. This is an important Christian principle. No human achievements are simply human achievements. They are gifts given by God to the people he will use in the appearance of his Kingdom. As James 1:17 states, "Every good and perfect gift is from above." Peter’s blessing is also a commission and promise that Christ will make him a foundational stone for the building of the church. This suggests that the idea of the church being built with living stones, beginning with the apostles and prophets, was first taught by Jesus himself. First Corinthians 3:11ff, Ephesians 2:20-22, and 1 Peter 2:4-7 all develop this idea in slightly different ways. A second important theme is that of the victory of the church. Jesus states that he will build the church. As well-intentioned as many followers of Christ are and as skilled as they are in various forms of ministry, the church is not built by people but by Christ. It is for this reason that the church will endure and triumph. Human achievements come and go; the church grows - sometimes rapidly and sometimes slowly - depending on the building block Christ selects and uses to build his church. The promise of verse 18 is the gates of Hades would not prevail against the church. This is often interpreted as if hell were attacking the church and we must desperately hang on until Jesus comes. Such a view is opposite the promise of verse 18. The gates of Hades are portrayed as on the defensive. The church charges into the very gates of death rescuing the perishing and offering the opportunity for people to pass from death unto life. Rick Worthy,DM