The Demand for a Sign

161 The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven . 2 But He replied to them, " When it is evening , you say , 'It will be fair weather , for the sky is red .' 3 "And in the morning , 'There will be a storm today , for the sky is red and threatening .' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky , but cannot e discern the signs of the times ? 4 " An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign ; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah ." And He left them and went away .

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread . 6 And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees ." 7 They began to discuss this among themselves , saying , "He said that because we did not bring any bread ." 8 But Jesus , aware of this, said , " You men of little faith , why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread ? 9 "Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand , and how many baskets full you picked up? 10 "Or the seven loaves of the four thousand , and how many large baskets full you picked up? 11 "How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread ? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees ." 12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread , but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees .

Peter's Confession

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi , He was asking His disciples , "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14 And they said , "Some say John the Baptist ; and others , Elijah ; but still others , Jeremiah , or one of the prophets ." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am ?" 16 Simon Peter answered , "You are the Christ , the Son of the living God ." 17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona , because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven . 18 "I also say to you that you are Peter , and upon this rock I will build My church ; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven ; and whatever e you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven , and whatever e you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven ." 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ .

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 16:1-20

Commentary on Matthew 16:1-4

(Read Matthew 16:1-4)

The Pharisees and Sadducees were opposed to each other in principles and in conduct; yet they joined against Christ. But they desired a sign of their own choosing: they despised those signs which relieved the necessity of the sick and sorrowful, and called for something else which would gratify the curiosity of the proud. It is great hypocrisy, when we slight the signs of God's ordaining, to seek for signs of our own devising.

Commentary on Matthew 16:5-12

(Read Matthew 16:5-12)

Christ speaks of spiritual things under a similitude, and the disciples misunderstand him of carnal things. He took it ill that they should think him as thoughtful about bread as they were; that they should be so little acquainted with his way of preaching. Then understood they what he meant. Christ teaches by the Spirit of wisdom in the heart, opening the understanding to the Spirit of revelation in the word.

Commentary on Matthew 16:13-20

(Read Matthew 16:13-20)

Peter, for himself and his brethren, said that they were assured of our Lord's being the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God. This showed that they believed Jesus to be more than man. Our Lord declared Peter to be blessed, as the teaching of God made him differ from his unbelieving countrymen. Christ added that he had named him Peter, in allusion to his stability or firmness in professing the truth. The word translated "rock," is not the same word as Peter, but is of a similar meaning. Nothing can be more wrong than to suppose that Christ meant the person of Peter was the rock. Without doubt Christ himself is the Rock, the tried foundation of the church; and woe to him that attempts to lay any other! Peter's confession is this rock as to doctrine. If Jesus be not the Christ, those that own him are not of the church, but deceivers and deceived. Our Lord next declared the authority with which Peter would be invested. He spoke in the name of his brethren, and this related to them as well as to him. They had no certain knowledge of the characters of men, and were liable to mistakes and sins in their own conduct; but they were kept from error in stating the way of acceptance and salvation, the rule of obedience, the believer's character and experience, and the final doom of unbelievers and hypocrites. In such matters their decision was right, and it was confirmed in heaven. But all pretensions of any man, either to absolve or retain men's sins, are blasphemous and absurd. None can forgive sins but God only. And this binding and loosing, in the common language of the Jews, signified to forbid and to allow, or to teach what is lawful or unlawful.