Who is Jesus Christ to You? (Matthew 16)

Scripture reading – Matthew 16

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* Please note that words and phrases in brackets are the author’s amplification.

Today’s Scripture reading is from Matthew 16, a pivotal chapter in Christ’s earthly ministry. He had ministered in the Gentile territory known as the Decapolis, a region of ten independent city-states on the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. There, He performed the miracle of feeding the four thousand with seven loaves of bread (Matthew 15:34-39).

Christ’s Confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:1-4)

Despite His miracles, the Pharisees and Sadducees came to tempt Jesus and demanded yet another sign—”a sign from heaven” (Matthew 16:1). He rebuked them, noting that they could predict good and bad weather by looking at the sky, yet they refused to see the obvious—that Jesus Christ was the Messiah (Matthew 16:2-3). Reproving the Pharisees and Sadducees as “a wicked and adulterous generation,” Jesus foretold that “there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas” (Matthew 16:4).

What was the sign of Jonah? (Matthew 12:39-40)

It was the historical event when Jonah was “three days and three nights in the whale’s belly” (Matthew 12:40; Jonah 1:17). So, the sign that Christ was the Messiah was that He, “the Son of man,” would “be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” This was fulfilled when Christ died on Friday, was buried, remained in the tomb on the Sabbath, and was raised from the dead sometime Sunday morning—the third day, by the Jewish custom of counting any part of a day as a full day (Matthew 12:40).

Danger: “Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:5-12)

Soon after His controversy with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus and His disciples departed. When they arrived at the other side, “they had forgotten to take bread” (Matthew 16:5). It was then that Jesus said unto them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).

Misunderstanding His meaning, the disciples reasoned among themselves, concluding, “It is because we have taken no bread” (Matthew 16:7).

Take a moment to consider the irony of the disciples’ presumption that Jesus was concerned they had failed to bring bread on their journey. After all, they had witnessed Him feed five thousand men with a lad’s sack lunch and, on another occasion, four thousand with seven loaves. Despite the miracles they witnessed, the disciples’ focus and faith were not in Christ. How did they fail to see Christ’s divine, unlimited resources to provide for their sustenance?

After hearing their argument, Jesus warned the Twelve: “O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?” (Matthew 16:8). Jesus then asked, “How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?” (Matthew 16:11). The disciples then realized that Christ’s concern was not leaven (i.e., yeast) but “the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:12).

The Pharisees tended to be legalistic, ritualistic, and self-righteous. Often described in the New Testament as proud and hypocritical, they focused on outward appearance rather than on people’s hearts. Many sought to elevate rabbinic traditions to an authority equal to the Scriptures.

The Sadducees were the group from which the high priest and chief priests often came. They are generally considered theologically liberal, denying the resurrection, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8). They were politically powerful and willing to compromise their positions for political expediency.

Although the Pharisees and Sadducees differed, they shared a common goal in opposing and destroying Christ.

“Whom Do Men Say That I the Son of Man Am?” (Matthew 16:13-20)

Matthew 16:13-20 places Christ and His disciples at “the coasts of Caesarea Philippi” (Matthew 16:13). Two towns named Caesarea appear in the New Testament. The first is Caesarea by the Sea, located on the Mediterranean coast northwest of Jerusalem. It is home to a beautifully preserved Roman theater and ruins of a city and fortress.

The other city was Caesarea Philippi, which held religious and political significance in Christ’s day. King Herod the Great had built a white marble temple there to honor Caesar Augustus, thereby associating the region with emperor worship. Understanding the religious significance of Caesarea Philippi, Christ asked His disciples as He entered “the coasts of Caesarea Philippi…Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13).

Jesus loved the title “Son of man.” It appears at least eighty times in the New Testament, and Christ used it exclusively for Himself. Nevertheless, when Jesus asked the disciples what the multitudes were saying about Him, the more important question was:

“Whom Say Ye That I Am?” (Matthew 16:16)

Simon Peter, often the first disciple to speak, answered Christ with a marvelous confession that is shared by all the redeemed: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

From childhood, Peter was taught to look, wait, and live in anticipation of the Messiah’s coming. Peter’s confession implied his faith that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Messianic prophecies. He believed that Jesus was more than a man; He was “the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Christ Affirmed Peter’s Confession (Matthew 16:17-19)

Jesus answered Peter, saying, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). Peter’s confession was a divine revelation.

Christ’s affirmation of Peter’s statement has caused division and contention within Christianity for two millennia. Jesus said, “I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19).

For nearly fifteen centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has espoused the erroneous doctrine that Christ taught that Simon Peter is the church’s foundation and has “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19). Therefore, the Catholic Church contends, Peter is the head of the church. He has the authority to determine who enters heaven (Matthew 16:19). 

Closing thoughts –  

What do the Scriptures teach? Is Simon Peter the church’s foundation? No! 

The Scriptures teach that Christ, not Peter or the Pope, is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:21-22; 5:23). It is a fallacy, a monumental error, to believe that a mortal man is the foundation of Christ’s Church.

Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” is the foundation upon which the Church is built! Jesus declared, “Thou art Peter [Petros; a stone, or piece of rock], and upon this rock [petra; a great mass of rock, or bedrock] I will build my church…” (Matthew 16:18).

What mattered more than what the multitudes said was what the disciples believed. Peter had followed Christ and witnessed His miracles. Yet his faith in God’s revelation led him to believe and confess, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

What do you believe? Have you confessed Christ as your Savior?

Copyright © 2026 – Travis D. Smith 

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