Daily Bible Reading (Monday, Jan. 23th)

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Matthew 16 (ESV)

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

8 Comments

When I read v. 27 one word came to mind-urgency! Jesus emphatically say he is coming again to judge and it could be translated, "about to come." We don't know when he will return so I need to make the most of everyday with the ultimate purpose of making disciples to the glory of God.

I can't help but think about the Catholic "system" when it comes to verses 16-19. For this is pinnacle in understanding true revelation of the authority of God the Father verses Catholicism's "doctrine" of the authority of the pope. That is to say they hijack these verses to conclude that in what Peter has revealed in such a revealed revelation from God alone makes him out to be the "vicar of Christ", and therefore the very first pope, and thus has been given the authority to be head of the "church". Blasphemy! Yet, thank God some continue to leave the Catholic Church. Verse 12 is clear that the disciples understood the false teaching of the "hierarchy" of their day. My prayer is that many more come out of false systems like that of the Catholic Church. This whole chapter is rich with warning and truth. Eager to hear other comments...

Thank you Martha and Rebekah! Great thoughts!

I love vv 13-20! I love how unabashedly Peter proclaims the truth of who Jesus is. These verses always remind me that my salvation was an act of God alone and nothing I did. Not just Christ's sacrifice, but my underatanding of that sacrifice and my need for a savior was totally dependent of God allowing me to understand and respond to the truthbof the Gospel. The only reason I am able to proclaim that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." is because it was revealed to me by God in His grace. Without His willingness to reveal this truth to me, I would still be in darkness thinking my foolishness to be wisdom.

Verse 23 has always been helpful to me: If I keep my focus on the things of God, not on the things of man, I will be a help, not a hindrance.

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Have heard this verse and ones like it a lot, yet still never fail to be amazed at it's radical call, my life is loss. Gal. 2:20

As I read Verses 23 to the end of the chapter I was thinking how easily I allow myself to be distracted from the main thing and set my eyes on the things of men rather than the things of God, and how dangerous that is. I'm praying I will take that to heart and be diligent to seek His Kingdom first.

Peter was a conduit for the Holy Spirit and God had revealed to who Jesus really was but "six versus" later he's thinking carnally and is called Satan. When I look at Galatians chapter 5 people practice witchcraft, idolatry, worship of idols. Human nature is trash! So we as Christians have an obligation but it is not to live according to human nature for those who do so will result in death.

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