[:en]Our Daily Scripture – 2/9/22[:]

[:en]SCRIPTURE:  MATTHEW 16

Bible Verses:

“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6)

“Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

“ And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19)

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) 

“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

THE DEMAND FOR A SIGN (vs. 1-4)

The Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus to show them sign from heaven.  But Jesus said that none will be given except the sign of Jonah.

THE YEAST OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES (vs. 5-12)

When Jesus told the disciples to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees, he was referring to spiritual thing – the sad state of the Pharisses.  But the disciples were thinking about the bread that they forgot to bring.  When Jesus reminded them about the five loaves for the 5000 and 7 loaves for the 4000, they understood that the yeast referred to was not the yeast used in bread, but against the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

PETER’S CONFESSION OF CHRIST (vs. 13-21)

Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v. 13)  Their answers were:  John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the Prophets.  But Jesus asked Peter his opinion.  Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16).  Peter’s confession was also the declaration of the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The Jesus said: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (vs. 18-19)

Verses 18-19 is claimed by the Roman Catholic as the office of the Pope with full supreme and universal power.

Let us study the symbol in these verses:

  1.  The Rock is Jesus Christ, the head of the church.  Jesus said: “You are Peter (Petros, a small rock) and on this rock (Petra, a large rock foundation) I will build my church.  Jesus once said that he is the capstone that the builders rejected (Mat. 21:42)
  2. The Keys – The keys mentioned here refers to Peter’s stewardship in the kingdom, not keys to the church.  Neither are they keys to death or eternity because only Christ holds the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:18).  “Keys: stands for authority and stewardship (Isa. 22:22, Luke 11:52).  Peter used the keys to open the doors of faith for the Jews, the Samaritans (Acts 8) and the Gentiles (Acts 10).  This connotates stewardship not lordship.
  3. Binding and loosing – This implies applying God’s Word.  This also include the church’ disciples, not Peter alone.  It is the heaven that commands what the church should do, not vice versa.

Therefore, to regard Peter as the pope is not in accordance to what the Bible says.  Peter himself said that he is a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and the one who also share in the glory to be revealed” (1 Peter 5:1)

AFFIRMATION THAT JESUS IS THE ROCK AS WRITTEN IN THE SCRIPTURE:

  1.  “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation (Isa. 28:16)
  2. The stone the builders rejected has been the capstone (Mat. 21:42 / Acts 4:11 / Ps. 118:22)
  3. “And drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them and that rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4)
  4. He is Rock, his works are perfect and all his way are just (Deut. 32:4)
  5. Jeshurun abandoned the God who made him and rejected the rock his Savior (Deut. 32:15)
  6. “This is the meaning of the vision of the rock at out of a mountain, but by human hands, a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces (Daniel 2:45)
  7. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my god is my rock in whom I take refuge” (Ps. 18:2a)
  8. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church; his body of which he is the Savior (Ephe. 56:23)
  9. And He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the first born from among the dead so that in everything he might have the supremacy (Col. 1:18)

JESUS PREDICTS HIS DEATH 9vs. 21-28)

Christ spoke openly about his suffering and death.  His disciples were shocked and Peter tried to hinder him.  In human view point, Peter love Jesus and had the intention to protect him.  But Satan was using Peter as a stumbling block to Christ’s path of obedience.  That was why Christ rebuked him as “Satan”

Jesus taught the disciples the importance of cross.  To deny self and take up his cross means denying to self, bearing Christ’s reproach and crucifying the flesh and the world to follow Him in obedience.  And there will be rewards given by His Father with glory in heaven.

APPLICATION:

  1.  Jesus warns people about the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees referring to their hypocrisy.  The leaven of hypocrisy will corrupt the church and dishonor God’s name.
  2. To regard Peter as the rock and establish the office is not in accordance to what the Bible says.  Peter himself said that he is a fellow elders and witness of Christ’s suffering and the one who also share in the glory to be revealed.
  3. Christ is the living God, our rock and salvation.  It is He who holds the keys to death and eternity.  It is he who can forgive sins.
  4. Satan uses different schemes for us to hinder God’s work.  Be sure to have a permanent relationship with God and ask wisdom from Him.
  5. Following Christ demands sacrifice.  It means sitting our minds on Him and not on earth.  It means denying self, abandon the desire for wealth, lust and prestige for the sake of the Lord.

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