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SCRIPTURE: Matthew 16:21-28
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CONCISE EXEGESIS:
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You can access the following sermons on this text FREE:
• "An Invitation to Die," by the Rev. Charles Hoffacker
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CHAPTER 16: THE CONTEXT
This reading is closely tied to verses 13-20, last week's Gospel lesson. In verse 16, Peter confessed his faith that Jesus was the messiah, the Son of God. Now Jesus shows him what messiahship and discipleship entail.
VERSE 21: JESUS MUST GO TO JERUSALEM
21From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must (Greek: dei –– it is necessary) go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
"From that time on, Jesus began." These are the same words that Matthew used in 4:17 to mark the transition following Jesus temptation. There Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." Now he begins to show his disciples that he must suffer and die.
"Jesus began to show." He will tell the disciples over and over, because they are simply unable to grasp what he is saying. Not until they see the resurrected Christ will the truth begin to break through their prior understanding.
"he must (dei –– it is necessary) go to Jerusalem." The little word, dei, speaks of divine necessity –– of God's will. Jesus must go to Jerusalem to complete his God-given mission.
Jesus "must undergo great suffering." Isaiah 53:4-6 introduces the idea of a Suffering Servant, so the idea should not be foreign to the disciples –– but it is.
Jesus will suffer "at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes." These three groups make up the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of the Jews. It is not the worst of men who will kill Jesus, but the best.
"and on the third day be raised." Jesus' prediction of his own death is so shocking that, like a great magnet, it draws all our attention. It seems unlikely that the disciples are still listening when Jesus predicts his resurrection. They are still focused on the words, "be killed."
Note that "be raised," like "be killed," is in the passive voice. Jesus will not commit suicide –– the Jewish leaders assume the initiative for his death. Jesus will not raise himself from the dead, but will place his life in God's hands. God will take the initiative for the resurrection.
VERSE 22: GOD FORBID IT, LORD!
22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you."
"And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him." Having so recently been confirmed in his belief that Jesus is the messiah, Peter cannot understand this dramatic news. He has the decency to take Jesus aside so that his rebuke is private rather than public. His rebuke is friendly, but a rebuke nevertheless. He treats Jesus as a fallen Lord who must be helped to his feet.
"God forbid it, Lord!" (literally, "May God be gracious to you, Lord"), which here means "May God prevent this from happening to you."
We should not be surprised that Peter fails to understand (see 1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
VERSE 23: GET BEHIND ME, SATAN!
23But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
"But her turned and said to Peter." Jesus turns to confront Peter face-to-face, which sounds as if Peter has been physically positioned behind him all the time. "Get behind me, Satan!" Now Jesus demands that Peter move behind him spiritually as well as physically. Jesus' words are reminiscent of his response to Satan, "Away with you, Satan" (4:10), at the conclusion of the wilderness temptation. The difference is that Jesus commanded Satan to move away or depart (Greek: hupago), while he commands Peter to move (hupago again) to his proper position behind Jesus. That is the disciple's place –– behind the master.
"Get behind me, Satan!" In this incident, Peter becomes Satan –– tempter. Just as Satan tried to persuade Jesus to take the easy way, so now Peter calls Jesus to abandon the narrow, rough road that leads to the cross.
"for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." That isn't the way that Peter sees it. Peter understands that Jesus is the messiah, and is simply trying to keep him from spoiling everything in a weak moment. Peter wants messiah to succeed.
We should take note. The church is always tempted to take the world's high road instead of God's low road. We are tempted to put our faith in the world's methods (advertising, fund-raising, psychology, theatrics, high production values, etc., etc., etc.) instead of God's methods (the cross, preaching the cross, taking up our cross, serving the needy in Christ's name).
VERSES 24-26: IF ANY WANT TO BECOME MY FOLLOWERS
24Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers (Greek: thelei opiso mou elthein –– wishes after me to come), let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For those who want to save their life (Greek: psuchen –– life or soul) will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
"Then Jesus told his disciples" (v. 24a). In Mark's Gospel, Jesus addresses these words to the crowds (8:34), but this Gospel, he addresses the disciples.
"If any want to become my followers" (thelei opiso mou elthein –– wishes after me to come) (v. 24b). These disciples earlier left everything to follow Jesus. Now Jesus invites them to reassess their decision based on the new information about the cross.
"let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (v. 24c). First Jesus mentions self-denial, but that is just the beginning. Jesus also expects disciples to bear a cross. A cross is where a person dies. End of story!
Except that it isn't the end of the story! "For those who want to save their life (psuchen –– life or soul) will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it" (v. 25). From the very beginning of his teaching in this Gospel, Jesus taught the Great Reversal.
The meaning of discipleship is slowly unfolding. The disciples did not fully understand discipleship when they signed on. Now, even though Jesus clearly states what lies ahead, they still fail to understand.
If the first disciples were slow to understand, we need not be surprised if we are also slow to understand. Spiritual growth takes place slowly and painfully. Our spiritual journey takes a lifetime.
The reward of cross-bearing is life. What does Jesus mean by life? The Christian life, with its costs and rewards, begins when we first begin to take up our cross and follow Jesus. It gives freedom from fear of death –– from slavery to materialism –– from a sense of worthlessness.
Jesus uses the language of commerce to ask, "Or what will they give in return for their life?" (v. 26b) –– "but the language of commerce is not applicable when we are talking about one's life.... One's life is in a different world; nothing can compensate for its loss" (Morris, 433).
VERSES 27-28: THE SON OF MAN IS TO COME WITH HIS ANGELS
27"For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done (Greek: ten praxin autou –– his or her work singular –– not works plural). 28Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
"For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father" (v. 27). Son of Man is the most common title for Jesus in this Gospel. He "will repay everyone for what has been done" (ten praxin autou –– his or her work singular –– not works plural). This is both a warning and a promise. For those trying to save their own lives and to feather their own nests, it is a warning. For those willing to lose their lives for Jesus' sake, it is a promise.
"there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom" (v. 28). The question is whether Jesus is speaking of the Second Coming or another event (the resurrection or the Transfiguration or Pentecost or the destruction of Jerusalem). "It is unlikely that Jesus would mean (the Second Coming); he consistently refused to set dates, and in any case he said explicitly that he did not know when the End would come (24:36)" (Morris, 434).
–– Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Barclay, William, Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1957)
Bergant, Dianne with Fragomeni, Richard, Preaching the New Lectionary, Year A (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2001)
Blomberg , Craig L., New American Commentary: Matthew, Vol. 22 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992)
Boring, M. Eugene, The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VIII (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)
Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R.; and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV –– Year A (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995)
Bruner, Frederick Dale, Matthew: Volume 2, The Churchbook, Matthew 13-28 (Dallas: Word, 1990)
Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, A (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1992)
Gardner, Richard B., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Matthew (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990)
Hagner, Donald A., Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 14-28, Vol. 33b (Dallas: Word, 1995)
Hare, Douglas R. A., Interpretation: Matthew (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993)
Harrington, Daniel J., S.J., Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Matthew (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1991)
Johnson, Sherman E. and Buttrick, George A., The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 7 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1951)
Long, Thomas G., Westminster Bible Companion: Matthew (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997)
Lueking, F. Dean in Van Harn, Roger (ed.), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday's Text. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001)
Keener, Craig S., The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Matthew, (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1997)
Martin, Clarice J., Proclamation 6: Pentecost 2, Series A (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995)
Morris, Leon, The Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1992)
Senior, Donald, Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: Matthew (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998)
Soards, Marion; Dozeman, Thomas; McCabe, Kendall, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993)
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