(4) The sign of the prophet Jonas.—See Note on Matthew 12:39. As given by St. Mark, the answer was a more absolute refusal, “No sign” (i.e., none of the kind that was demanded) “shall be given to this generation.” read more
Spiritual Discernment Matthew 16:3 Jesus Christ found that He was in the midst of a number of weather-wise people; they were quite experts in the reading of the cloudy signs, they knew what the weather would be Today and perhaps tomorrow, and they published their forecasts of the weather; but when it came to higher reading, reading on another level, they were as moles and bats from whom the genius of daylight penetration had been withheld. Do we make one another up? do we hold varied... read more
Chapter 12The Crisis in Galilee Matthew 14:1-36 - Matthew 15:1-39 - Matthew 16:1-12.THE lives of John and of Jesus, lived so far apart, and with so little intercommunication, have yet been interwoven in a remarkable way, the connection only appearing at the most critical times in the life of our Lord. This interweaving, strikingly anticipated in the incidents of the nativity as recorded by St. Luke, appears, not only at the time of our Saviour’s baptism and first introduction to His Messianic... read more
4. The Great Announcements of the Rejected King Concerning Himself. CHAPTER 16 1. Pharisees and Sadducees Asking a Sign. (Matthew 16:1-4 .) 2. Instructions Concerning the Leaven. (Matthew 16:5-12 .) 3. Peter's Confession. (Matthew 16:13-16 .) 4. The Future Building of the Church Announced. (Matthew 16:17-20 .) 5. The Announcement of His Death and Resurrection. (Matthew 16:21 .) 6. Peter's Rebuke and the Lord's Answer. (Matthew 16:22-23 .) 7. The Path of the Disciple. (Matthew 16:24-26 ... read more
16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but (c) the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.(c) The article shows how notable the sign is. read more
The enmity against the true Messiah increases now to the point of Pharisee's and Sadducee's (usually hostile to each other) conspiring together to tempt Him, in an effort to trap Him in some way. Both saw their hold over the people weakening through the transparent honesty of His teaching. They demand that He would show them a sign from heaven; for they had blinded themselves to the fact of His multiplying the loaves and fishes on two occasions, and to what was involved in His many other... read more
FIRST STATEMENT OF HIS DEATH In the first of these chapters there are several revelations, from one of which we take the title of the lesson. We need not dwell on the first section (Matthew 16:1-4 ), in which Jesus once more rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees. Nor need we dwell on the second section which is self-explanatory (Matthew 16:5-12 ). But at the third (Matthew 16:13-16 ) we reach something of much importance. Of course, Jesus knew what men said of Him, but the question of... read more
Chapter 66 Readers of the Outside Mat 16:1-12 The Pharisees and the Sadducees had looked upon the whole demonstration of evidence applied by Jesus Christ in the course of his varied and exciting ministry, and were exactly in the same condition of unbelief and disguised or avowed hostility as before. No impression had been made upon them of a vital kind. They had been dazed and stunned by a succession of miracles, but had not been convinced. Allowing that great and wonderful cures had been... read more
"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. (2) He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. (3) And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? (4) A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be... read more
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John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:1-28
St. Peter’s great Confession1-4. A sign from heaven demanded (Mark 8:11 cp. Luke 11:16: see on Matthew 12:38). 1. Pharisees.. Sadducees] An unnatural and unholyalliance of men whose only bond of union was hatred of Jesus. The Sadducees had probably been sent from Jerusalem by the chief priests, but some regard them as the same as the Herodians mentioned by St. Mark, and, therefore, Galileans.From heaven] Jewish superstition held that the demons could work signs on earth, but that only God could... read more