A Study of Matthew Chapter 16

by Stan Feldsine (www.tojesusbeallglory.com)

Matthew 16:1-4 - Pharisees and Sadducees Demand a Sign

Mat 16:1-4 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. (2) He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' (3) and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. (4) A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.

Chapter 15 of Matthew concludes with Jesus getting into a boat and once again traveling to another city, Magadan. Upon arrival, He was again confronted by Pharisees, and this time the Sadducees accompanied them.

Pharisees focused on the religious aspects of Jewish life, while Sadducees on the political. Pharisees and Sadducees often disagreed strongly on religious and political approaches to the law and theology. But they had a common enemy in Jesus.

They wanted Jesus to show them a sign from "heaven". The said "heaven" due to the Jewish sensitivities regarding the use of God's name. As discussed previously, since the unforgivable sin Jesus was no longer validating who He was through the use of signs. As He said before, there would not be any signs given to this wicked generation.

The "generation" spoken of here is the specific generation of Jews that had committed the unforgivable sin. Jesus was aware that if He did give them a sign from heaven, that these unbelievers would just claim it came from the devil, as they did when they committed the unforgivable sin.

These unbelievers were well versed in physical things, able to predict the weather, but they were blind when it came to spiritual things, as they could not interpret the signs of the times. The times in this context was the first coming of Jesus as Messianic King as revealed in the OT prophecies.

The sign of Jonah was discussed in Matthew 12 when the Jews asked Jesus for a sign then. At that time Jesus told them that the only sign they would see going forward would be the sign of Jonah, and that is repeated here in Chapter 16.

Mat 12:38-40 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." (39) He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (40) For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

At the end of this encounter, Jesus "signed deeply" (a deep groan in His spirit), and left them. Mark was showing Jesus's deep anguish and exhaustion in dealing with these unbelieving religious leaders.

Mar 8:12-13 He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it." (13) Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

Matthew 16:5-12 - Leaven of Pharisees and Sadducees

Mat 16:5-12 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. (6) "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (7) They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread." (8) Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? (9) Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? (10) Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? (11) How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (12) Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus headed back across the lake, apparently with the disciples, who became concerned that they had only taken 1 loaf of bread between them. Jesus meantime has just left the Pharisees and Sadducees and is in deep anguish and exhaustion. He is thinking of His recent encounter with them.

Jesus remarks that His disciples should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Still with bread on their minds, Jesus's statement causes them to turn to themselves and ask each other if Jesus is referring to bread when He spoke of "yeast".

Knowing what they are talking about, Jesus states that they have little faith, and asks why they are talking about having no bread. This is coming right after the feeding of the 5000 and 4000, so they should be very aware that with Jesus they do not need to be concerned about having enough to eat.

The lesson Jesus has been bringing to the disciples since the unforgivable sin was that they need to depend on Him for everything. Their mindset or worldview is being molded so that they walk in humility and dependence expecting that Jesus will meet their needs, physical and spiritual. The faith that Jesus is expecting from them comes from mind change, as they move from independence to dependence.

The disciples are continuing in a worldly view of self reliance rather than having a change of mind to dependence on Jesus as an MO (mode of operation). In addition to the intentional resistance to change of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus is also faced with spiritual dullness leading to unintentional resistance to change on the part of the disciples.

The "yeast" in this context is a negative influence resulting in spiritual deadness. The Pharisees were focused on external ritual and tradition to bring holiness, while Jesus was focused on transformation of the mind to bring holiness. It takes only a small amount of yeast to enable bread to rise, and accordingly it takes only a small amount of false teaching to lead many astray.

But thankfully, the disciples do have eyes that can see and ears that can hear, however dull they are, and eventually recognize that Jesus is speaking about the ill influence of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Mat 16:11-12 How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (12) Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Mark 8:22-26 - Jesus Heals the Blind Man

Mar 8:22-26 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. (23) He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" (24) He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." (25) Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (26) Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't even go into the village."

This event recorded by Mark occurred at the time a sign was being demanded of Jesus, and at the time Jesus was warning the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. This is the only recorded miracle in which the healed as healed in two stages, a partial healing followed by a full healing.

There is an application for this two stage healing with regards to the future salvation of all Israel. The two stages are: 1) Jesus spat on the man's eyes, Jesus laid hands on the man, the man received partial blurred sight, 2) Jesus laid hands on the man's eyes, the man received full sight.

Note the next two sections we study. 1) Jesus asks the disciples who He is, and they demonstrate partial sight, in that they know who Jesus is (Mat 16:13-17), 2) but the disciples do not yet have a full understanding of His plan of salvation for mankind through the death and resurrection (Mat 16:22-23).

Mat 16:13-17 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (14) They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (15) "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" (16) Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (17) Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

Mat 16:22-23 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" (23) Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."

From the perspective of the nation of Israel, we see that 1) partial blindness has fallen on Israel due to their rejection of the King and Kingdom, and 2) when the "full number of Gentiles has come in" (Rom 11:25) the blindness will be fully removed from the nation and they will fully see, resulting in "all Israel being saved" (Rom 11:26).

Rom 11:25-26 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, (26) and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

Jesus closed this healing out with instructions not to go to the village, indicating once again that it was not the time for Jesus to be delivered to death.

Matthew 16:13-20 - Peter and the Rock

Mat 16:13-20 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (14) They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (15) "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" (16) Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (17) Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. (18) 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. (19) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (20) Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Jesus again is moving from city to city, and now arrives in Caesarea Philippi, at the foot of Mt. Hermon, rising 9000' above sea level. At the foot of the mountain is a massive cliff, and in the cliff face is the opening to a great cave.

The cave is named the "Cave of Pan", and in the cave was a shrine to "Pan". "Pan" is the "god of nature". In the cave is a bottomless pit and no one was able to measure it's depth. It was known informally as the the entrance to the underworld, or, the "gates of Hades".

Jesus now asks the disciples a question, perhaps testing all that He has taught them to this point. He asks who people say He is. The answer that the disciples give shows that the people, while believing in the supernatural power of Jesus, do not believe he is the promised one, the Messiah God in their midst. Their answers are 1) John the Baptist, 2) Elijah, 3) Jeremiah, 4) one of the prophets, all individuals who have lived and died.

Next Jesus asks the disciples who they say that He is. Peter's answer shows that they have indeed learned the lessons that He is teaching them, and they have correctly concluded that Jesus is the Messiah God in their midst. Their answers are 1) you are THE Messiah, 2) you are THE living God.

Interestingly, Jesus refers to Peter as the "son of Jonah", when we know from John that Peter's father's name is John, not Jonah.

Joh 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

Joh 21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Jesus responds to the answer of Peter that Jesus is the Messiah. This response is 5 statements to the Jews in general as regards the consequences of the unforgivable sin.

Peter's Insight

Mat 16:17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

The phrase "son of" in the Greek means "displaying the characteristics of" or "being a follower or disciple of" similar in meaning to "sons of the prophets". Peter was a proclaimer of truth regarding the Messiah, and as such he was displaying the characteristics of the prophet Jonah. As Jonah was a prophet to the Ninivites, Peter was a prophet to the Gentiles at this point, although Paul would take that role after he was saved.

Secondly, Jonah's success as a prophet was due to God's power, not his own, and so also Peter's confession was not a result of his own intellectual insights but rather a result of God's divine revelation. Calling Peter the blessed "son of Jonah" had to do with the revelation given Peter that Jesus was the Messiah. Peter had come to this understanding through divine revelation, not through cleverness on his part in figuring this out, even though Peter may have believed this.

The reference to Peter as the "son of Jonah" was with regards to character, not lineage.

The Church's Foundation

Mat 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, ...

There are two words in this phrase that define stones and rocks. "Peter" is translated from "Petros", which means small stone or pebble. A large cliff such as the one at the foot of Mt. Hermon is "Petra" which means "one massive rock formation". What Jesus was saying is that Peter was a little stone and that the church would be built on the massive rock.

Grammatically, Peter could not be both the little rock and the massive rock formation. What Jesus was saying is that He Himself was the Messianic King and the Living God upon which the church would be built, and Peter's confession indicated that. Many "little pebbles" would be built upon a massive "rock" foundation of the Messianic King and Living God Jesus.

Mat 7:24-26 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (25) The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (26) But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Messiah is always symbolized as a Rock in scripture.

Deu 32:3-4 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! (4) He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

1Co 10:1-4 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. (2) They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. (3) They all ate the same spiritual food (4) and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

It should also be noted that in this passage we have an indication of the time frame in which the church would be built. Jesus said "I will" build my church. This is the first mention of "church" in scripture, and it is clearly indicated to be built in the future from the time Jesus said this.

Another indication that the church would be a future reality is found in Eph 2:19-20. The church would be built on the foundation of the apostles who were with Jesus, and Jesus Himself would be the chief cornerstone of that spiritual building.

Eph 2:19-20 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

The Gates of Hades

Mat 16:18 ... and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

The location that the disciples were in provided a visible representation of the "gates of Hades".

"Gates of Hades" is an idiom for physical death. It is by physical death that one enters Hades. Jesus was saying that the physical death of the apostles or martyrs would not deter the church.

Note, idiom's are sayings like "piece of cake", "egg on your face", "in a nutshell", "spill the beans", "let your hair down", "blow ones top", "go bananas", "under ones belt", etc...

The Keys of the Kingdom

Mat 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; ...

The context of Matthew 16 is the church facet of God's plans for mankind. Peter being given the "keys of the kingdom" refers to the vital role that Peter would have in opening the church to the three groups of people that would come into the kingdom, Gentiles, Samaritans, and Jews.

Jesus was informing Peter that he would play a vital role in bringing all people groups of mankind into the church. Peter would bring a change to the mindset of the Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles that included all three in the church.

At the time the Messianic Kingdom was being offered, the Kingdom was only offered to the Jews.

Mat 10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. (6) Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

With the rejection by the Jews of the Kingdom, this opening of the church to the world would begin on the Day of Pentecost. The first to come into the church would be the Jews on that day.

Act 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The next group to come in would be the Samaritans.

Act 8:14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. (15) When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, (16) because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (17) Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

The last group that would come in would be the Gentiles.

Act 10:44-48 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. (45) The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. (46) For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, (47) "Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." (48) So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Once the door was opened to these three groups, the door stayed open from then on.

1Co 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body--whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Binding and Loosing

Mat 16:19 ... whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

This passage is one of the more controversial in the Bible. To get this right, we can consider several things.

The context for the passage is the establishment of the church and apostolic authority. The Pharisees claimed this authority for themselves, although God never gave it to them. They took pleasure in binding and loosing men and exercising control over them. The terms were expressions related to humanly administered discipline. This sort of binding and loosing where given only to Peter at first, then in Mat 18:18 to the disciples. This authority was never passed on from them to the church at large.

There was no sense in which the original meaning of this passage applies to spiritual warfare, such as binding demons or Satan, or binding sins. We simply do not have that authority, and that is not the context from which the passage is teaching.

The Greek from which this passage is translated is grammatically complex, and the nature of what is being said is that when Peter binds or looses something it is because it has already been bound or loosed in heaven. So if Peter binds or looses, it is within the boundaries of truth already established in heaven. Furthermore, it is within the context of the establishing of the church and church discipline.

Dr. Ed Glasscock says it this way, "This grammatical discussion is to point out that Jesus was telling Peter that he would be the voice of what had been previously determined in heaven, not that he would be declaring what heaven would then confirm."

Carson says this: "The periphrastic future perfects are then perfectly natural: Peter accomplishes this binding and loosing by proclaiming a gospel that has already been given and by making personal application on that basis (Simon Magus). Whatever he binds or looses will have been bound or loosed, so long as he adheres to that divinely disclosed gospel. He has no direct pipeline to heaven, still less do his decisions force heaven to comply; but he may be authoritative in binding and loosing because heaven has acted first."

So the net of this is that Peter, who has the keys to the kingdom of heaven, can open and close (loose and bind) doors that will shortly be made available to the Jews, Samaritans, and the Jews, so long as Peter remains faithful to the gospel as revealed to him. Peter will be the instrument that shows the doors that allow believers to become a part of the Body of Christ, the church.

An example of judicial binding and loosing:

Act 15:10-11 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? (11) No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

Other examples of Peter fulfilling this role are Act 2:14-41, Act 3:11-26, Act 4:9-12, Act 5:1-11, Act 10:9-33, Act 10:34-43.

Not A Spiritual Warfare Tool

Satan, the works of the devil and spirits of sin like murder, theft, arson, etc. cannot be bound by Christians claiming to bind them. This is empirically evident as it can be seen that the things supposedly being bound continue to operate in the minutes, hours and days after such binding has been claimed. The question remains after such a binding, who keeps letting him back out?

Satan and his hordes will be bound during the Messianic Kingdom, and not before.

Rev 20:1-2 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;” ‭‭‬ ‭

During the church age, we are told as believers to resist, not attack. We are to have a defensive position, not an offensive one.

Jud 1:9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

Eph 6:10-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (11) Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (13) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (14) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (15) and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (16) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (17) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1Pe 5:8-9 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (9) Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Gabriel had struggles dealing with demons, who do we think we are in comparison.

Dan 10:13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

Satan is the god of this world.

2Co 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. (4) The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1Jn 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

As far as taking any authority over Satan we are told, "stop it". Don't, this is Gods territory. Let the rebuking be done by the Lord.

Matthew 16:21-23 - Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

Mat 16:21-23 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. (22) Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" (23) Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."

In this passage Jesus for the first time tells the disciples about His impending death and resurrection. Jesus has said nothing about this before. From this time onward Jesus will speak to them about this.

This pericope shows that the disciples still had only a partial ability to see what Jesus is teaching them about what is to come. The disciples really did not understand what Jesus was telling them, even though He spoke plainly to them and not in parables.

Mar 8:31-32 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. (32) He spoke plainly about this, ...

The third time Jesus speaks of this Luke records that they still had no idea what He was talking about.

Luk 18:34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

At this point, Jesus is just keeping this simple. He states that he will 1) go to Jerusalem, 2) suffer at the hand of the religious leaders, 3) be killed, 4) rise again. Peter's response, so shortly after showing He understood Jesus to be the Messianic God / King, shows that he did not understand what the death and resurrection of Christ was all about.

An interesting point can be made regarding this lack of understanding. If he disciples did not understand what Jesus was talking about, would it be required for their salvation at this point that they believe that Jesus would die and rise again? Clearly the disciples were saved, and it is on the basis of belief that Jesus is the Messiah King and the living God. Their righteousness was not yet on the basis of a content of faith that consisted of Jesus's death and resurrection.

Jesus's rebuke of Peter for attempting to thwart His death and resurrection was aligned with Satan's desire as well, and Peter was unwittingly aligning himself with Satan.

This response on Peter's part prompted Jesus to teach three lessons in discipleship, covered next.

Matthew 16:24-26 - Take Up Your Cross

Mat 16:24-26 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 will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. (26) 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?

The first lesson Jesus taught was the difference between salvation and discipleship.

In vs. 24, Jesus is speaking of discipleship, not salvation. Salvation in all ages is by faith, believing and trusting what God says. In the church age, the content of faith is believing that Jesus died and rose again to take our sins away. Taking up a cross and following Jesus is speaking of identifying with Jesus and His rejection. Luke adds that this should be done "daily" (Luk 9:23).

The disciples would have seen this in the context of the Jewish religious leadership's rejection of Jesus as Messiah and the living God.

‭‭The second lesson deals with the consequences of improper discipleship. Aside from a loss of rewards, not identifying with Jesus means that we identify with our flesh or the spiritual enemies. This can lead to loss in life and even death. Jesus was telling the disciples that if they tried to avoid discipleship they would end up loosing, even loosing their lives.

In the context of the discussion in Jesus's day, the warning was to the disciples not to return to the rabbinic Judaism from whence they came.

The third lesson deals with the promises made to those who properly followed Jesus. Those who take up the cross, and identify with and follow Jesus are promised life. They would find a better life today and a greater reward in heaven.

Again the context of this passage should be considered as it relates to the Jewish believers of that day. The idea of "taking up a cross" evoked great shame, for the individual and their family. It would have been a very graphic depiction of self denial. Jesus is illustrating the great cost of discipleship, in their case total surrender with great personal shame.

Matthew 16:27-28 - Promise of Revelation

Mat 16:27-28 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. (28) "Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Mark and Luke finish the previous passage about discipleship with a warning.

Mar 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

This is not a passage about salvation, but the consequences of improper discipleship and loss of rewards at the Bema Judgment and status in the Messianic Kingdom. If we in this life are ashamed to be identified with Jesus, then He will also be ashamed of us when He returns.

But if we persist and are happy to be identified with Him, then He will also be happy to be identified with us, and we will receive rewards and status.

2Ti 2:11-13 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; (12) if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; (13) if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

Proper discipleship involves rewards. Jesus was again warning the Jewish believers not to fall back to their old beliefs which the Pharisees taught and led.

Mat 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Rev 22:12‬ “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”

‭‭Rev 3:11‬ “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”

‭Php 3:14‬ “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

‭Mat 6:20-21 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

2Co 5:10‬ ‭“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

In vs. 28 Jesus refers to some people who will not see death until they see the Son of Man, Jesus coming in His Kingdom. They would see the power of the Kingdom. This promise is fulfilled in the Transfiguration which we will cover in the next chapter.