Audio Download

Matthew 16:13–28 Take up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

Today’s study is about Peter’s confession of Jesus as Christ, Jesus foretelling of His death and resurrection, and finally, the need for us to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

Mat 16:13  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 
Mat 16:14  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 

Jesus asking His disciples about the people of Israel’s opinion of Him is to show us what the church system of this world or Babylon, thinks about our savior Jesus Christ. The diverse opinions of the church system of this world about Jesus in verse 2 indicate that they do not have one mind and that they are divided. This implies that during our walk in the churches of this world, we were carnal.

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 
1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 

It is instructive to note that Jesus never said that the people were wrong in their view of Him. The mention of Jesus as John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets by the church system of this world is therefore to show us the work of the Lord in our lives, characterized by these prophets, during our time in Babylon. The work of John the Baptist is depicted by the following statement:

Joh 1:19  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 
Joh 1:20  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 
Joh 1:21  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 
Joh 1:22  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 
Joh 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

Here in John 1:23, the work of Christ through John the Baptist was to make straight the way of the Lord. This implies that during our walk in the churches of this world, the Lord was making it easier to come into the lives of His elect with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. In other words, our walk in Babylon prepares the way of the Lord to come into our lives with His judgment. 

Mat 3:7  But when he (John the Baptist) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

The fact that Elijah was mentioned as being Christ shows us the work of Christ in our lives, exemplified by Elijah during our time in Babylon. It is important to note that Elijah’s work in the Bible is the same as John the Baptist. That is to say that Elijah’s or John the Baptist’s work was to prepare us for Christ coming into our lives. This is what the Lord says about Elijah:

Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 
Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 
Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. 

The mention of Jeremiah as being Christ indicates the work of the Lord through Jeremiah during our time in Babylon. Jeremiah was the prophet who lived in the final days of the crumbling of Judah. The main point of Jeremiah’s message to the people of Israel was that they should surrender to the invading Babylonian army. 

Jer 38:1  Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, 
Jer 38:2  Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. 
Jer 38:3 Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it. 

Jer 38:17  Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: 
Jer 38:18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand. 

These verses show us that our walk in the churches of this world or Babylon is a necessary part of the work of the Lord for the enemy to trample over us so that we come to know our deplorable state. That is when the Lord comes with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to save our soul as indicated in Jeremiah 38:17. 

The mention of Jesus as one of the prophets in verse 14 shows us that the work of the Lord during our walk in the churches of this world was to make us blind so that we did not come to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. As we are aware, the prophets were never given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven.

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 

Mat 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 
Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 
Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

In verse 15, Jesus asking the disciples about what they think about Him is to let us know what the Lord is doing in the lives of His elect, represented by the disciples, in this age. When Simon Peter answered that Jesus is the son of the living God, the Lord told him that this revelation was not given to him by flesh or blood, but by the Father who is Spirit. This shows us that it is only those who are His elect, who know who Christ is in this age. That is another way of saying that it is only the elect who are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. The church system of this world is not given to know Christ, and therefore she is not able to appreciate the mysteries of the kingdom.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 

Jesus telling Peter that this revelation of Christ was given to him by His Father in Heaven, is to bring us to appreciate that we can only know the Lord in the spirit, since God is spirit. 

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

Christ is everything to us. It is in Him that we live, move and have our being. We do not have our own will. and it is Christ who does His work through us. We do not bring anything to the table.

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.  

Mat 16:18  And 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. 
Mat 16:19 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. 

Verse 18 is one of the misunderstood verses in the Bible. Many think that it is Peter on whom the Lord will build His church. This erroneous doctrine comes from the meaning of the name Peter. In the Bible, the Greek word “Petros” generally translates to “stone” or “a stone” and is used as the name Peter. We, His elect, are regarded as living stones for the building up of spiritual house with Jesus as the chief cornerstone or the foundation.

1Pe 2:4  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  

There is a Greek word “Petra”, which means “rock” or “cliff.” We know that it is Jesus Christ who is referred to in the Bible as rock.

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.  

Psa 62:6  He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. 
Psa 62:7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 

We can therefore see that in verse 18, the foundation upon which the Lord will build His church was not Peter (Petros) but that the revelation of Jesus as the son of the living God is what serves as the rock (Petra) upon which the Lord is building His church. It is therefore, this revelation of Jesus Christ which is the foundation upon which the Lord is building His church. This revelation is given only by God, just as Jesus told Peter that knowing Him as the son of the living God only comes from God.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 

Now let’s turn our attention to the gates of hell, which in other versions is called the gates of hades. In the Biblical times, most cities were surrounded by walls with gates. When an enemy wanted to attack a city in those days, the focus was to attack the gates. The protection of a city is therefore determined by the strength or power of its gates. The gates in verse 19 therefore signify the power or strength of Hades. 

In the New Testament, Hades represents the realm of the dead. Therefore the gates of Hades symbolizes the power of death which in the Bible is the sting of death. We know from the word of the Lord that the sting of death is sin. At that time, Jesus was yet to go through the cross and die for our sins. Therefore, Jesus was indicating that our sins will not hold Him back from building His church. This is because Jesus knew at that time that He will die for our sins once and for all. 

1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  

Are you struggling with sin in your life? Jesus is saying here that it will not hold Him back from delivering you to become a living stone for the building of His church. This shows us that all that the devil is throwing at us in this age will not prevail, because no matter the circumstance we go through, which is like the shadow of death, the Lord will build us up as living stones for the establishment of His church.       

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. 

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 
Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

In verse 19, the Lord told Peter that He is giving him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. In the churches of this world or the Babylonian system, they believe that it was only Peter that was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. They are not given to know that Peter, in this case, represents the Lord’s elect, and therefore it is unto us that the keys of the kingdom have been given. This is what the word of the Lord says about this:

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (keys of the kingdom of Heaven), but to them it is not given.   

In verse 19, the wording seems to suggest that it is what we bind or loose here on earth that is replicated in heaven. In other words, what we disallow or permit here on earth is what is replicated in Heaven. This is an error and does not reflect the sum of the Lord’s words. Fortunately, there are a few Bibles which have translated correctly verse 19 to show that it is what is disallowed or permitted in heaven first, that we also disallow or permit here on earth. 

Mat 16:19  And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. And whatever you bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven. And whatever you may loose on the earth shall be, having been loosed in Heaven. (LITV) 
Mat 16:20  Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 

Jesus strictly ordering His disciples not to tell anyone about the fact that He is the Messiah is to let us know that it is His elect, represented here by the disciples, whom the Lord is opening their eyes to see and their ears to hear who Jesus is. The rest of humanity shall know Him in another age called the lake of fire age.

Mat 13:10  Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 
Mat 13:11  And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 
Mat 13:12  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 
Mat 13:13  This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 
Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 
Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 

It is when we begin to know who Christ is in the spirit that we are given to know about the suffering Jesus endured resulting in the destruction of His flesh. Being raised the third day means that Jesus went through the process of spiritual maturity through judgment and is the first man to be resurrected after death. His resurrection was what made Him perfect. 

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 
Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

As He is, so are we. We are also going through this process of spiritual maturity through judgment as our flesh or old man is gradually being destroyed. This destruction of our flesh is what guarantees the fact that we shall be perfected when we are raised from the dead during the first resurrection. 

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

Peter taking Jesus aside and objecting to His going to the cross is the main strategy of Satan in His dealing with us. In this case, Peter was being used by Satan to prevent the Lord from achieving the will of His Father – dying on the cross and being resurrected on the third day to provide a way of salvation for us first and later, all mankind. That is why the Lord rebuked Satan. 

The devil wants us to reject the idea of suffering which is the requirement for the death of our flesh and our being raised on the third day. In a way, he had been successful in deceiving us during our time in the churches of this world, when we taught that Jesus has already suffered for us and therefore we are not meant to suffer. Without suffering and death of the flesh in this age, there is no first resurrection.   

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Jesus’ rebuke of Satan in verse 23 shows us that Satan is focused on those things that be of men. The things that be of men generally refers to human perspectives, motivations, and priorities that are not aligned with God’s will or perspective. It often contrasts with “those things that be of God,” which represent divine wisdom, truth, and righteousness.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 
Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

To understand what is being said in verse 24, we need to know what it means to deny oneself and to take up his cross. Verse 25 gives us a clue as to what denying oneself and taking up the cross is about. To deny oneself means to prioritize the Lord’s will over our own desires. It’s about sacrificing personal ambitions, comfort, and even life itself, if necessary, to follow Jesus. This involves a daily commitment to submitting one’s will to God, even when it’s difficult or unpopular. Like the disciples, we have to leave everything to follow Jesus.

Mar 10:28  Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 
Mar 10:29  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, 
Mar 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. 

To take up our cross therefore signifies the willingness to endure suffering or hardship for the sake of knowing Christ. That was not what we heard when we were in the church system of this world or Babylon, where we were taught that coming to know Christ results in the end of our suffering – a false doctrine from the pit of hell. 

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 

This suffering which we have to endure in this age as the Lord’s elect is what the scapegoat goes through when it is set free in the wilderness. The other goat upon which the lot fell, represents Christ who offered Himself for our sins.

Lev 16:7  And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Lev 16:8  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 
Lev 16:9  And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

We are the scapegoat that is set free in the wilderness as we complement the afflictions of Christ for His body’s sake, which is the church.  

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 
Col 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 

Ultimately, denying oneself and taking up one’s cross is a call to a life of selfless service and devotion to God, even in the face of adversity. It’s a radical shift in perspective that prioritizes God’s kingdom over personal comfort and desires. 

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 
Mat 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 

There are several examples in the Bible of those who, for the sake of serving God, denied themselves as they look forward to future reward. There are others, however, who tried to gain the whole world and ended up losing their soul. Let’s take a look at one or two examples of those who tried to gain the world at the expense of their soul:

1Ki 11:1  But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 
1Ki 11:2  Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 
1Ki 11:3  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
1Ki 11:4  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 
1Ki 11:5  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 
1Ki 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 

2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

On the other hand, Let’s look at the example of Moses, who represents the Lord’s elect.

Heb 11:23  By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. 
Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 
Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 
Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 

Mat 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. 

What is said here in verse 28 is the same as what Simeon said regarding the fact that he was not going to see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ, during the presentation of baby Jesus in the temple.

Luk 2:25  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 
Luk 2:26  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luk 2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,  

The disciples did see Jesus coming to establish His kingdom within them when the Holy Spirit came to them on the day of Pentecost. Spiritually, verse 28 means that it is until Christ comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to establish His kingdom within us that we proceed to die to our old man or flesh.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  

May the Lord grant us mercy to be with Him when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. Amen!!