Matthew 16:18   This one verse has been the source of endless debate between Catholics and other denominations. The fact is that there is really nothing to debate about. Jesus was not  identifying Peter as the first Pope. He was teaching Peter and the others about the foundation of the church. The proceeding verse is the…

Matthew 16:17   By this statement, Jesus begins to help his disciples understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit. God is at work in the lives of those who believe and follow Christ. He reveals the Truth from his Word to us as we study it. Peter knew what he did because he listened willingly to…

Matthew 16:16   One of the most interesting aspects of this confession is the way Peter refers to Almighty God. He says God is living. In our modern theological mindset, the idea of God being alive is rather minor compared to the declaration of Christ’s position as the Messiah, and as the Son of God. We…

Matthew 16:15   This really the most important question anyone has ever been asked. Who Jesus is constitutes the the most crucial subject the human mind will ever ponder. There is simply nothing so important as what you believe about Jesus Christ. All other considerations are far behind.   Why? Because Jesus is God’s solution to man’s…

Matthew 16:14    There was an idea going around that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. This was, of course, a spectacularly ridiculous notion. But, such ideas held great sway with the superstitious, like Herod, for example. The second conjecture of the people was more biblical, but still ridiculous. To identify Jesus…

Mattthe  16:13    Jesus does something quite unique on this particular occasion. He directly asks a question about what people think about him. Though the question is in no way out of character, it isn’t the kind of thing that he did very often. He wasn’t in the business of saying what people wanted to…

Matthew 16:12   Notice how little explanation was required for the disciples to jump to the correct conclusion. Jesus did not have to connect many dots. The disciples already had an inkling of what he had meant, but were so distracted by present circumstances as to miss the truth. This happens often with us. The truth is…

Matthew 16:11   This verse is a beautiful picture of the mercy of God. Jesus knew the answer to his question, yet he asked anyway. It is a great mercy that, though God knows our nature, he has made a way of salvation. He does not simply lose patience and destroy us all. Bible Reading: Proverbs 28:1-30:33…

Matthew 16:10   One of the things we might easily miss here is actually really cool. Jesus specifically states the numbers of people involved in the two feedings. This is not simply a gloss on the part of Matthew when he was writing the account. Jesus knew how many people were fed not only because he knows…

Matthew 16:9    Notice here the first thing Jesus asks the disciples. He does not ask them first if they remembered the miraculous feedings. That is the obvious question to ask, and he does ask it. But, first, he asks if they understood the miracles. This is a crucial question. And, it reveals much about Christ’s…