Last week, a group I regularly meet with discussed Peter’s confession of Christ in Matthew 16:13-23.
In this passage, Jesus is alone with His disciples in a location most Jews of their day would never visit since it was a city full of pagan worship. (Matthew 16:13)
While there, Jesus asks his disciples these two questions:
- “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13)
- “But what about you…who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15)
The disciple’s response to the first question was, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:14)
Peter responded to the second question: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
After affirming Peter’s statement, Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. (Matthew 16:20)
Why did Jesus issue this warning?
From Peter’s Confession to Palm Branches | A Brief Review
Review the editorial subtitles of some passages from Matthew 16:21 to Matthew 21:11, along with one or two verses from each section.
- Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection (Matthew 16:21-23)
- You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” [1]
- Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24-28)
- For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?[2]
- The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13)
- Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”[3]
- The Healing of a Boy with a Demon (Matthew 17:14-23)
- Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”[4]
- The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:1-9)
- Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [5]
- The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14)
- 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. [6]
- A Brother Who Sins Against You (Matthew 18:15-20)
- If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.[7]
- The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)
- Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. [8]
- The Little Children and Jesus (Matthew 19:13-15)
- “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” [9]
- Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
- I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.” [10]
- A Mother’s Request (Matthew 20:20-28)
- whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” [11]
- The Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1-11)
- Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” [12]
What reasons do these subtitles and verses reveal for Jesus’ warning to His disciples back in Matthew 16:20?
From Peter’s Confession to Palm Branches | My Thoughts
Remember, Jesus asked his disciples these two questions:
- “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13)
- “But what about you…who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15)
The disciple’s response to the first question was, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:14)
Peter responded to the second question: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
As Jesus interacted with the crowds, he recognized that many were attracted to him because of the miracles of healing he performed or how he could out-reason the chief priests and teachers.
Therefore, he frequently spoke in parables, or stories with hidden meanings to the crowds while later explaining the parables to his disciples.
Further, Jesus knew the disciples needed more instruction and encouragement for what He was about to accomplish.
17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” [13]
This repeated announcement to Jesus’ disciples stands in sharp contrast to the exuberant shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” and the spreading of cloaks and cut branches from the trees along the road by the crowds. (Matthew 21:8-9)
After all, the crowds still only considered Jesus as a prophet. (Matthew 21:11)
Why, you ask?
Consider part of Jesus’ response to Peter’s confession back in Matthew 16.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.[14]
The LORD of heaven determines the timing of all revelation.
From Peter’s Confession to Palm Branches | Application
We may not always understand the LORD’s timing any more than the first disciples did.
But as we continue to study the scripture, we will experience the LORD’s timing in our personal lives just as they did.
And as a seed is placed in the ground and covered with dirt before it can grow into a strong plant, we too as disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ, need to have ample time in quiet solitude alone with Him instructing and encouraging us to be deeply rooted for the trials and temptations we each face in our daily lives.
How and when was Jesus as the Messiah revealed to you?
What difference has this revelation made in your life?
Does your daily life reveal your faith to those around you? Why or why not?
What else struck you in this quick review of a large portion of Matthew’s gospel?
Blessings,
Barbara Lynn
Scroll past the references below to leave a comment.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 16:23.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 16:26.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 17:9.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 17:19–20.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 18:4.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 18:14.
[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 18:15.
[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 18:21–22.
[9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 19:14.
[10] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 20:14–16.
[11] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 20:26–28.
[12] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 21:8–11.
[13] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 20:17–19.
[14] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 16:17.