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Commentary on Matthew 16 verses 21–23
We have here Christ's discourse with his disciples concerning his own sufferings; in which observe,
I. Christ's foretelling of his sufferings. Now he began to do it, and from this time he frequently spake of them. Some hints he had already given of his sufferings, as when he said, Destroy this temple: when he spake of the Son of man being lifted up, and of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood: but now he began to show it, to speak plainly and expressly of it. Hitherto he had not touched upon this, because the disciples were weak, and could not well bear the notice of a thing so very strange, and so very melancholy; but now that they were more ripe in knowledge, and strong in faith, he began to tell them this. Note, Christ reveals his mind to his people gradually, and lets in light as they can bear it, and are fit to receive it.
From that time, when they had made that full confession of Christ, that he was the Son of God, then he began to show them this. When he found them knowing in one truth, he taught them another; for to him that has, shall be given. Let them first be established in the principles of the doctrine of Christ, and then go on to perfection, Heb 6:1. If they had not been well grounded in the belief of Christ's being the Son of God, it would have been a great shaking to their faith. All truths are not to be spoken to all persons at all times, but such as are proper and suitable to their present state. Now observe,
1.What he foretold concerning his sufferings, the particulars and circumstances of them, and all surprising.
(1.)The place where he should suffer. He must go to Jerusalem, the head city, the holy city, and suffer there. Though he lived most of his time in Galilee, he must die at Jerusalem; there all the sacrifices were offered, there therefore he must die, who is the great sacrifice.
(2.)The persons by whom he should suffer; the elders, and chief priests, and scribes; these made up the great sanhedrim, which sat at Jerusalem, and was had in veneration by the people. Those that should have been most forward in owning and admiring Christ, were the most bitter in persecuting him. It was strange that men of knowledge in the scripture, who professed to expect the Messiah's coming, and pretended to have something sacred in their character, should use him thus barbarously when he did come. It was the Roman power that condemned and crucified Christ, but he lays it at the door of the chief priests and scribes, who were the first movers.
(3.)What he should suffer; he must suffer many things, and be killed. His enemies' insatiable malice, and his own invincible patience, appear in the variety and multiplicity of his sufferings (he suffered many things) and in the extremity of them; nothing less than his death would satisfy them, he must be killed. The suffering of many things, if not unto death, is more tolerable; for while there is life, there is hope; and death, without such prefaces, would be less terrible; but he must first suffer many things, and then be killed.
(4.)What should be the happy issue of all his sufferings; he shall be raised again the third day. As the prophets, so Christ himself, when he testified beforehand his sufferings, testified withal the glory that should follow, Pe1 1:11. His rising again the third day proved him to be the Son of God, notwithstanding his sufferings; and therefore he mentions that, to keep up their faith. When he spoke of the cross and the shame, he spoke in the same breath of the joy set before him, in the prospect of which he endured the cross, and despised the shame. Thus we must look upon Christ's suffering for us, trace in it the way to his glory; and thus we must look upon our suffering for Christ, look through it to the recompence of reward. If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him.
2.Why he foretold his sufferings. (1.) To show that they were the product of an eternal counsel and consent; were agreed upon between the Father and the Son from eternity; Thus is behoved Christ to suffer. The matter was settled in the determinate counsel and foreknowledge, in pursuance of his own voluntary susception and undertaking for our salvation; his sufferings were no surprise to him, did not come upon him as a snare, but he had a distinct and certain foresight of them, which greatly magnifies his love, Joh 18:4. (2.) To rectify the mistakes which his disciples had imbibed concerning the external pomp and power of his kingdom. Believing him to be the Messiah, they counted upon nothing but dignity and authority in the world; but here Christ reads them another lesson, tells them of the cross and sufferings; nay, that the chief priests and the elders, whom, it is likely, they expected to be the supports of the Messiah's kingdom, should be its great enemies and persecutors; this would give them quite another idea of that kingdom which they themselves had preached the approach of; and it was requisite that this mistake should be rectified. Those that follow Christ must be dealt plainly with, and warned not to expect great things in this world. (3.) It was to prepare them for the share, at least, of sorrow and fear, which they must have in his sufferings. When he suffered many things, the disciples could not but suffer some; if their Master be killed, they will be seized with terror; let them know it before, that they may provide accordingly, and, being fore-warned, may be fore-armed.
II. The offence which Peter took at this he said, Be it far from thee, Lord: probably he spake the sense of the rest of the disciples, as before, for he was chief speaker. He took him, and began to rebuke him. Perhaps Peter was a little elevated with the great things Christ had how said unto him, which made him more bold with Christ than did become him; so hard is it to keep the spirit low and humble in the midst of great advancements!
1.It did not become Peter to contradict his Master, or take upon him to advise him; he might have wished, that, if it were possible, this cup might pass away, without saying so peremptorily, This shall not be, when Christ had said, It must be. Shall any teach God knowledge? He that reproveth God, let him answer it. Note, When God's dispensations are either intricate or cross to us, it becomes us silently to acquiesce in, and not to prescribe to, the divine will; God knows what he has to do, without our teaching. Unless we know the mind of the Lord, it is not for us to be his counsellors, Rom 11:34.
2.It savoured much of fleshly wisdom, for him to appear so warmly against suffering, and to startle thus at the offence of the cross. It is the corrupt part of us, that is thus solicitous to sleep in a whole skin. We are apt to look upon sufferings as they relate to this present life, to which they are uneasy; but there are other rules to measure them by, which, if duly observed, will enable us cheerfully to bear them, Rom 8:18. See how passionately Peter speaks: "Be it far from thee, Lord. God forbid, that thou shouldst suffer and be killed; we cannot bear the thoughts of it." Master, spare thyself: so it might be read; hileōs soî kurie - "Be merciful to thyself, and then no one else can be cruel to thee; pity thyself, and then this shall not be to thee." He would have Christ to dread suffering as much as he did; but we mistake, if we measure Christ's love and patience by our own. He intimates, likewise, the improbability of the thing, humanly speaking; "This shall not be unto thee. It is impossible that one who hath so great an interest in the people as thou hast, should be crushed by the elders, who fear the people: this can never be; we that have followed thee, will fight for thee, if occasion be; and there are thousands that will stand by us."
III. Christ's displeasure against Peter for this suggestion of his, Mat 16:23. We do not read of any thing said or done by any of his disciples, at any time, that he resented so much as this, though they often offended.
Observe, 1. How he expressed his displeasure: He turned upon Peter, and (we may suppose) with a frown said, Get thee behind me, Satan. He did not so much as take time to deliberate upon it, but gave an immediate reply to the temptation, which was such as made it to appear how ill he took it. Just now, he had said, Blessed art thou, Simon, and had even laid him in his bosom; but here, Get thee behind me, Satan; and there was cause for both. Note, A good man may by a surprise of temptation soon grow very unlike himself. He answered him as he did Satan himself, Mat 4:10. Note, (1.) It is the subtlety of Satan, to send temptations to us by the unsuspected hands of our best and dearest friends. Thus he assaulted Adam by Eve, Job by his wife, and here Christ by his beloved Peter. It concerns us therefore not to be ignorant of his devices, but to stand against his wiles and depths, by standing always upon our guard against sin, whoever moves us to it. Even the kindnesses of our friends are often abused by Satan, and made use of as temptations to us. (2.) Those who have their spiritual senses exercised, will be aware of the voice of Satan, even in a friend, a disciple, a minister, that dissuades them from their duty. We must not regard who speaks, so much as what is spoken; we should learn to know the devil's voice when he speaks in a saint as well as when he speaks in a serpent. Whoever takes us off from that which is good, and would have us afraid of doing too much for God, speaks Satan's language. (3.) We must be free and faithful in reproving the dearest friend we have, that saith or doth amiss, though it may be under colour of kindness to us. We must not compliment, but rebuke, mistaken courtesies. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. Such smitings must be accounted kindnesses, Psa 141:5. (4.) Whatever appears to be a temptation to sin, must be resisted with abhorrence, and not parleyed with.
2.What was the ground of this displeasure; why did Christ thus resent a motion that seemed not only harmless, but kind? Two reasons are given:
(1.)Thou art an offence to me - Skandalon mou ei - Thou art my hindrance (so it may be read); "thou standest in my way." Christ was hastening on in the work of our salvation, and his heart was so much upon it, that he took it ill to be hindered, or tempted to start back from the hardest and most discouraging part of his undertaking. So strongly was he engaged for our redemption, that they who but indirectly endeavoured to divert him from it, touched him in a very tender and sensible part. Peter was not so sharply reproved for disowning and denying his Master in his sufferings as he was for dissuading him from them; though that was the defect, this the excess, of kindness. It argues a very great firmness and resolution of mind in any business, when it is an offence to be dissuaded, and a man will not endure to hear any thing to the contrary; like that of Ruth, Entreat me not to leave thee. Note, Our Lord Jesus preferred our salvation before his own ease and safety; for even Christ pleased not himself (Rom 15:3); he came into the world, not to spare himself, as Peter advised, but to spend himself.
See why he called Peter Satan, when he suggested this to him; because, whatever stood in the way of our salvation, he looked upon as coming from the devil, who is a sworn enemy to it. The same Satan that afterward entered into Judas, maliciously to destroy him in his undertaking, here prompted Peter plausibly to divert him from it. Thus he changes himself into an angel of light.
Thou art an offence to me. Note, [1.] Those that engage in any great good work must expect to meet with hindrance and opposition from friends and foes, from within and from without. [2.] Those that obstruct our progress in any duty must be looked upon as an offence to us. Then we do the will of God as Christ did, whose meat and drink it was to do it, when it is a trouble to us to be solicited from our duty. Those that hinder us from doing or suffering for God, when we are called to it, whatever they are in other things in that they are Satans, adversaries to us.
(2.)Thou savourest not the things that are of God, but those that are of men. Note, [1.] The things that are of God, that is, the concerns of his will and glory, often clash and interfere with the things that are of men, that is, with our own wealth, pleasure, and reputation. While we mind Christian duty as out way and work, and the divine favour as our end and portion, we savour the things of God; but if these be minded, the flesh must be denied, hazards must be run and hardships borne; and here is the trial which of the two we savour. [2.] Those that inordinately fear, and industriously decline suffering for Christ, when they are called to it, savour more of the things of man than of the things of God; they relish those things more themselves, and make it appear to others that they do so.
And observe that it is not said,' He began to say,' or 'to teach,' but to show; for as things are said to be shown to the sense, so the things which Christ spake are said to be shown by Him. Nor indeed do I think, that to those who saw Him suffering many things in the flesh, were those things which they saw so shown as this representation in words showed to the disciples the mystery of the passion and resurrection of Christ. At that time, indeed, He only began to show them, and afterwards when they were more able to receive it, He showed them more fully; for all that Jesus began to do, that He accomplished. He must needs go to Jerusalem, to be put to death indeed in the Jerusalem which is below, but to rise again and reign in the heavenly Jerusalem. But when Christ rose again, and others were risen with Him, they no longer sought the Jerusalem which is beneath, or the house of prayer in it, but that which is above. He suffers many things from the elders of the earthly Jerusalem, that He may be glorified by those heavenly elders who receive His mercies. He rose again from the dead on the third day, that He may deliver from the evil one, and purchase for such as are so delivered this gift, that they be baptized in spirit, soul, and body, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are three days perpetually present to those that through them have been made children of light.
"From that time forth began He to show unto them that He must suffer. From that time." What time? When He had fixed the doctrine in them; when He had brought in the beginning of the Gentiles.
But not even so did they understand what He said. "For the saying," it is said, "was hid from them;" and they were as in a kind of perplexity, not knowing that He must rise again. Therefore He rather dwells on the difficulties, and enlarges His discourse, that He may open their mind, and they may understand what it can be that He speaks of.
"But they understood not, but the saying was hid from them, and they feared to ask this;" not whether He should die, but how, and in what manner, and what this mystery could be. For they did not even know what was this same rising again, and supposed it much better not to die.
For what having once had root has afterwards been torn up, if it is again planted, is with difficulty retained among the multitude; but what having been once rooted has continued ever after unmoved, is easily brought on to a further growth. He therefore dwells on these sorrowful things, and repeats His discourse upon them, that He may open the minds of His disciples.
Peter was for twenty-four years Bishop of the Church of Rome. We cannot doubt that, amongst other things necessary for the instruction of the church, he himself delivered to them the treasury of the sacred books, which, no doubt, had even then begun to be read under his presidency and teaching.
(Verse 21) Then Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And the meaning is: Proclaim me then, when I have suffered these things, because it is not profitable to publicly proclaim Christ and make known his majesty to the people, who after a little while will see him whipped and crucified, and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes. And now Jesus suffers many things from those who crucify the Son of God again (Heb. VI): and when the elders are thought to be in the Church, and the high priests, following the simple letter, kill the Son of God, who is wholly felt in spirit.
When then above He sends His disciples to preach, and commands them to proclaim His advent, this seems contrary to His command here, that they should not say that He is Jesus the Christ. To me it seems that it is one thing to preach Christ, and another to preach Jesus the Christ. Christ is a common title of dignity, Jesus the proper name of the Saviour.
But that none should suppose that this is only my explanation, and not an evangelic interpretation, what follows explains the reasons of His forbidding them to preach Him at that time; Then began Jesus to show unto his disciples that he must needs go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and Scribes, and Chief Priests, and be put to death, and rise again the third day. The meaning is; Then preach Me when I shall have suffered these things, for it will be of no avail that Christ be preached publicly, and His Majesty spread abroad among the people, when after a little time they shall see Him scourged and crucified.
. To them He foretells the Passion, lest it come upon them unexpectedly and they be scandalized, thinking that He suffered unwillingly and without foreknowing it. When they had heard, in Peter’s confession, that He was the Son of God, then He also revealed the Passion to them. But to the sorrow He adds the joy, that He would rise on the third day.
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SUMMARY
Matthew 16:21 marks a pivotal moment in Jesus's ministry, immediately following Peter's confession of Him as the Christ. For the first time, Jesus explicitly reveals to His disciples the divine necessity of His impending suffering, death at the hands of the Jewish religious authorities in Jerusalem, and His glorious resurrection on the third day. This declaration fundamentally redefines the disciples' understanding of Messiahship, shifting from a conquering king to a suffering servant, and sets the stage for the profound challenges and ultimate triumph of the Gospel.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Matthew 16:21 employs several significant literary devices. Foreshadowing is central, as Jesus explicitly predicts His future suffering, death, and resurrection. This direct prophecy builds dramatic tension and prepares the reader (and the disciples) for the events of the Passion week. There is also a powerful sense of Irony, as the very religious leaders—the "elders and chief priests and scribes"—who should have recognized and welcomed the Messiah, are identified as those who will orchestrate His death. This highlights their spiritual blindness and the tragic rejection of God's chosen one. Furthermore, the verse uses Contrast to juxtapose the glorious confession of Peter in the preceding verses with the grim reality of Jesus's impending suffering. This stark contrast underscores the radical redefinition of Messiahship that Jesus is presenting, challenging conventional expectations and revealing a path of redemptive sacrifice.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 16:21 is profoundly significant because it articulates the very essence of the Gospel: the necessity of Christ's atoning death and His victorious resurrection. It reveals God's sovereign plan for salvation, demonstrating that Jesus's suffering was not a tragic accident but a divinely ordained means to reconcile humanity to God. This verse underscores that the cross and the empty tomb are inseparable, forming the foundation of Christian hope and the power of God unto salvation. It also highlights the tension between human expectations of glory and God's pathway of humility and sacrifice, a theme central to understanding both Christ's mission and the nature of true discipleship.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 16:21 serves as a profound reminder that the path to true glory often involves suffering, a truth exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ. For believers, this verse calls us to embrace God's sovereign plan, even when it challenges our preconceived notions or involves personal hardship. Just as Jesus willingly submitted to the Father's will, we are invited to trust in His perfect wisdom, knowing that His ultimate purpose is always redemptive. It reminds us that the Gospel is not merely about a triumphant king but about a suffering servant who achieved victory through sacrifice. This understanding shapes our discipleship, preparing us to face difficulties with faith, knowing that suffering is often a prelude to resurrection and new life, both for Christ and for those who follow Him. It challenges us to align our expectations with God's revealed truth, finding hope not in worldly power but in the transformative power of the cross and the empty tomb.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was it "necessary" for Jesus to suffer and die, according to this verse?
Answer: The Greek word for "must" (G1163, deî) signifies a divine necessity or imperative. It indicates that Jesus's suffering, death, and resurrection were not accidental events but were part of God's predetermined, sovereign plan for the redemption of humanity. This necessity was rooted in Old Testament prophecies concerning the suffering servant (e.g., Isaiah 53) and the need for a perfect sacrifice to atone for sin and fulfill the demands of God's justice. Jesus's death was the means by which He would secure salvation, defeat sin and death, and establish His kingdom. His resurrection was the ultimate validation of His identity and work, demonstrating His victory and power over death.
Who were the "elders and chief priests and scribes," and why were they involved in Jesus's suffering?
Answer: These three groups represented the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish religious and judicial council in Jerusalem. The "elders" (G4245, presbýteros) were respected leaders and heads of families. The "chief priests" (G749, archiereús) included the high priest and leading members of the priestly families. The "scribes" (G1122, grammateús) were experts in the Mosaic Law, responsible for interpreting and teaching it. These groups largely opposed Jesus because His teachings and claims challenged their authority, their interpretations of the Law, and their understanding of the Messiah. They perceived Him as a threat to their religious and political power, leading them to orchestrate His arrest, trial, and condemnation, as detailed in the Passion narratives (e.g., Matthew 26-27 and Matthew 27).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 16:21 stands as a foundational declaration of Christ's mission, revealing that His path of suffering, death, and resurrection was not a deviation but the very essence of His messianic fulfillment. This verse perfectly encapsulates the Gospel message: Jesus, the Son of God, willingly embraced the Father's predetermined plan to "suffer many things... and be killed, and be raised again the third day." His suffering was the atoning sacrifice, fulfilling the prophetic image of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, bearing our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). His death was not a defeat but the ultimate victory over sin and death, disarming the powers and authorities (Colossians 2:15). Crucially, the prediction of His resurrection "the third day" is the triumphant capstone, validating His divine identity and ensuring the hope of eternal life for all who believe. This resurrection is the cornerstone of Christian faith, demonstrating Christ's power to conquer death and guaranteeing our own future resurrection and glorification with Him (Romans 8:11). Thus, Matthew 16:21 points directly to the finished work of Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection, through which He secured salvation and inaugurated the new covenant, making Him the central figure of God's redemptive history.