[1] The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. [2] He answered and said unto them, [3]. [4] A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them, and departed.
Verses 1-4 Expanded Bible Comments
| The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. [2] He answered and said unto them, [3] . [4] A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them, and departed. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| In what manner did the Pharisees and Sadducees approach Jesus? | In the same manner as did the Devil after Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness, i.e., as a tempter. |
| What did they ask of him? | Show us a sign from heaven. |
| How did Jesus respond? | He explained that "a wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign." |
| Did he give them what they asked for? | Not exactly. He did tell them of a coming sign, but they would not understand that sign, i.e., the sign of Jonah beign 3 days in the great fish |
[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.
Parallel account found in Mark 8:14-21 |
Verses 5-7 Expanded Bible Comments
| 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. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What had the disciples failed to do? | They forgot to take bread with them. |
| What warning did Jesus give them? | To beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. |
| What did the disciples first think Jesus was speaking of? | They thought it had to do with the fact that they forgot to take bread with them. |
Verses 8-12 Expanded Bible Comments
| 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. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What did Jesus perceive? | That the disciples thought he warned them because they forgot to take bread with them, and the leaven he spoke of had to do with mold forming on bread. |
| When Jesus explained what he meant to his disciples, what did he seem to be mostly concerned about? | That they seemed to still be concerned about the natural realm. They were still thinking about food and other natural concerns and not so much about what God wanted of them. |
| What argument did Jesus make to demonstrate to them what he was really talking about? | He reminded them about the two times they, with little food of their own, fed the multitudes. |
| When they fed the five thousand, how many baskets did they take up? | 12 baskets full. |
| When they fed the four thousand, how many baskets did they take up? | 7 baskets full. |
| What was it they had and yet lacked? | They had "little faith." |
| What was Jesus actually warning them about? | The sinful doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees. |
| Do we need to be on guard about this today? | 2 Pet. 1:10-12 |
[13] When Jesus came into the parts 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, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, 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 Hades 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. [20] Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
Verses 13-15 Expanded Bible Comments
| When Jesus came into the parts 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, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. [15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Where did they travel to next? | Near Caesarea Philippi.   |
| What did Jesus ask of his disciples? | "Whom do men say that I am?" |
| How did the disciples respond? | That people say he was one of the prophets like Jeremiah, or Elijah (who was to be the forerunner of Messiah,) or John the Baptist (perhaps even believing Herod's claim that Jesus was John re-incarneted.) – Mal. 4:5-6 |
| What did Jesus next ask? | Who do you (my disciples) say that I am? |
| What was the import of His next question? | Never mind what others say, What do you who have been with me now for these two to three years think? Let me see how much you have been influenced by the Holy Spirit. |
Verses 16-19 Expanded Bible Comments
| 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 Hades 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. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| How did Peter answer Jesus' question? | You are the Christ (the Messiah,) the Son of the living God. |
| How did Jesus respond to Peter's statement? | By explaining that it was not Peter's natural human reasoning that brought him to this conclusion, rather it was the influence of the Holy Spirit. |
| All the disciples already knew Simon was also called Peter, so why did Jesus then declare "Thou art Peter?" | The name Peter is Strong's G4074 Strong's G4074
Πέτρος Petros pet'-ros Apparently a primary word; a (piece of) rock (larger than G3037); as a name, Petrus, an apostle: - Peter, rock. Compare G2786. |
| What did Jesus mean when he declared "upon this rock will I build my church?" - Does this mean that Peter was the first Pope? | The word Jesus used for "rock" is Strong's G4073
Strong's G4073
By comparing how this word is used throughout the New Testament it becomes clear that our Lord was using a play on words. "Thou art Peter (a small stone,) and upon this rock (this Massive Boulder, this Truth which you have just spoken, that I am indeed The Messiah, The Christ, The One and Only Head of the True Church, the son of the Living God) will I build my church."πέτρα petra pet'-ra Feminine of the same as G4074; a (mass of) rock (literally or figuratively): - rock. Mat. 7:24; Mat. 7:25; Mat. 16:18; Mat. 27:51; Mat. 27:60; Mar. 15:46; Luk. 6:48; Luk. 8:6; Luk. 8:13; Rom. 9:33; 1Co. 10:4; 1Pe. 2:8; Rev. 6:15; Rev. 6:16 |
| What did Jesus mean by "the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it?" | That, as Jesus was raised from the grave, so likewise the church would not remain in death. |
| What are keys used for? | To open things that are closed, locked. |
| What keys were given to Peter, and how and when did he use them? | They keys of the Kingdom, i.e., the opening up of the opportunity to enter the narrow way of life, to become spirit-begotten new creatures in Christ and ultimately reach the goal of Christ-likeness and to glory, honor and immortality.
There were, in fact, two keys. Both used by Peter. 1) The opening of the narrow way to the Jews. Peter used this key on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-4, 7-8, 14. 2) The opening of the narrow way to the Gentiles. Peter used this key 3½ years later when he preached the Gospel to Cornelius. Acts 10:1-5, 44-45. |
| What did our Lord mean by "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven?" | It meant that whatever the twelve Apostles would dis-allow or permit was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This was not said of the whole church but only of the 12. Matt. 19:28; Rev. 21:14. |
Verse 20 Expanded Bible Comments
| Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Why was it that Jesus told his disciples not to tell others that he was the Messiah? | To do so would have changed things. Either the Jews (the common people) would have attempted to make him king (see John 6:14-15,) which in turn would have brought Rome into the picture too soon, likely leading to his crucifixion at the wrong date, or the people would have rejected him entirely because he was not what they expected, he was not then a conquering general. Either way we look at it, it was not the Father's time for this knowledge to be spread abroad. |
| Is there a lesson here for us? | Yes. When we witness to others we should avoid telling them that the Lord, the Messiah has returned, is present. It is not now the time for others to know this. If they are moved by the Truth, especially that presented in "The Divine Plan of the Ages," then they may be ready to learn of the Master's presence, but not before. |
[21] From that time forth began Jesus to show 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. [22] Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. [23] But 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. [24] Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. [26] For 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? [27] For 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. [28] Verily 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.
Verses 21-23 Expanded Bible Comments
| From that time forth began Jesus to show 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. [22] Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. [23] But 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. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What did Jesus tell his disciples would happen to him in Jerusalem? | That he would be killed at Jerusalem and be resurrected the third day. |
| How did Peter react to this? | Peter rebuked Jesus and told him that his claim that he was to be killed was false. |
| Did Jesus call Peter Satan? | He was indicating that Peter was, at that moment, being used by Satan. |
| Why? | Because at that moment he had fallen prey to Satan's desire to use him to thwart God's Plan. Jesus must die as man's redeemer. It was God's plan that he was to be slain as the antitypical Passover lamb on the 14th of Nisan. While Peter did not yet understand this, he was, at that time looking at things from the human standpoint. He could not imagine that Jesus, the Messiah could fulfill his part as the Messiah if he were to die. Satan was using that as a means to "tug at the heartstrings" of Jesus and prevent God's plan. He was also playing on Peter's pride. Remember Jesus had just told him that God had revealed unto him that Jesus was the Messiah. |
Verses 24-28 Expanded Bible Comments
| Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. [26] For 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? [27] For 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. [28] Verily 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. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What did Jesus say it would take to be his disciple? | 1. Deny himself 2. Take up his cross 3. Follow Jesus. |
| If someone saves their life, how shall they lose it? | They may make arrangements to temporarily save their life in an earthly sense by avoiding their enemies or taking care of their health, etc. |
| If someone loses their life, how can they find it? If they have lost their life, aren't they dead? | The idea is that they lose their old earthly life, their worldly way of thinking, etc. If they willingly give this up to follow Christ they will find their true life.
If they do this, yes they are dead to the world, but they are alive to God in Christ. |
| When Jesus made reference to gaining the whole world but losing his own soul, what did he mean? | R5120:14-15 |
| Jesus spoke of a man losing his own soul and asked about what he could exchange for his soul, was he saying that man has a soul rather than man is a soul? | Gen. 2:7 |
| Who is Jesus referring to when he said "The son of man shall come..."? | To His Second Advent, His return. |
| How does that title "the son of man" apply and why is it important? | It indicates two things to us.
1. It indicates he was descended from Adam. 2. This was a title used by the Jews to refer to their Messiah. |
| What is meant by "shall come in the glory of his Father?" | |
| Who are "his angels?" | The saints in glory. |
| "Then shall reward every man..." When does this apply? | During and especially at the end of the Millennial Age. |
| How does he "reward every man?" | According to their works. Now it is according to their faith. |
| What does verse 28 mean? Were there really some who did not die before seeing Jesus come in his Kingdom? | The chapter division clouds the meaning. Just six days after this Peter, James and John saw this at the mount of transfiguration. |