Session 24: Matthew 16:13-28

 

Session 24: Matthew 16:13-28

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1) Summarize

I. Jesus asks His disciples about the identity He is given by people and by them (16:13-17).

a. Jesus asks the disciples who people say the Son of Man is (16:13-14).

b. Jesus asks the disciples who they say He is (16:15).

c. Simon Peter confesses Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (16:16).

d. Jesus declares Peter's confession was revealed by the Father, not human effort (16:17).

II. Jesus pronounces a blessing on Peter and gives him authority (16:18-20).

a. Jesus gives Peter a new name and states He will build His church on this rock (16:18).

b. Jesus gives Peter the "keys of the kingdom" and the authority to bind and loose (16:19).

c. Jesus commands the disciples not to tell anyone that He is the Christ (16:20).

III. Jesus clearly predicts His suffering, death, and resurrection (16:21).

a. Jesus begins to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem (16:21).

b. Jesus must suffer many things, be killed, and be raised on the third day (16:21).

IV. Peter rebukes Jesus, and Jesus sharply rebukes Peter in return (16:22-23).

a. Peter takes Jesus aside and objects to the prediction of suffering (16:22).

b. Jesus turns and tells Peter to "Get behind Me, Satan!" (16:23).

c. Jesus tells Peter he is a stumbling block because he is not focusing on God's interests but human interests (16:23).

V. Jesus teaches the disciples the principle of taking up their cross and following Him (16:24-28).

a. True discipleship requires self-denial and carrying one's cross (16:24).

b. Losing one's life for Christ's sake means saving it; gaining the whole world but losing one's soul is profitless (16:25-26).

c. The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father and repay everyone according to their works (16:27).

d. Jesus assures the disciples that some of them will see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom before they die (16:28).

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2) Analyze

Read Matthew 16:13-17

1. What did the people say about Jesus, and who did the disciples say He was (16:13-16)?

   a. What is the significance of Peter's confession that Jesus is the "Christ, the Son of the living God?" (16:16)

   • Cultural/Theological Context: The term Christ (Greek: Christos) is the translation of the Hebrew term Messiah, which means "Anointed One." To call Jesus the Christ was to declare Him the long-awaited King of Israel and ultimate deliverer.

     b. How does Jesus distinguish the source of Peter's insight from other human opinions, and what does this suggest about the nature of true spiritual understanding (16:17)?

     c. Why is the personal question "But who do you say that I am?" the critical turning point in a person's faith journey?

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Read Matthew 16:18-20

2. What does Jesus promise to build, and on what "rock" is it founded (16:18)?

   a. What does it mean for Peter to be given the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" and the authority to "bind and loose" (16:19)?

   • Theological Context: To "bind and loose" was a rabbinic phrase for forbidding or permitting certain actions based on interpreting God's law (binding) or declaring a person free from a religious obligation (loosing). Here, it signifies the authority given to the Apostles to establish the rules and structure of the New Covenant Church.

     b. Why does Jesus immediately command His disciples not to tell anyone that He is the Christ (16:20)?

     c. What practical authority or responsibility does Jesus give you (a follower of Christ) in building His Kingdom today (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)?

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Read Matthew 16:21

3. What three specific events does Jesus predict about His future (16:21)?

   a. Why did Jesus "must" (it was necessary) go through the suffering, death, and resurrection He described? (cf. Luke 24:44-46)

   b. If the disciples had just accepted Jesus as the Christ (the King), how did this prediction of suffering and death disrupt their understanding of the Messiah?

   c. What part of Jesus' teaching or God's plan today is most challenging for you to accept because it contradicts your own expectations or desires?

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Read Matthew 16:22-23

4. How does Peter react to Jesus' prediction, and how does Jesus respond to Peter (16:22-23)?

   a. Why does Jesus use the intensely harsh language "Get behind Me, Satan" toward the same disciple He just blessed (16:23)?

   b. What does Jesus mean when He says Peter is setting his mind on the "things of men" rather than the "things of God" (16:23)?

   • Conceptual Context: "Things of men" refers to the pursuit of earthly glory, power, and the avoidance of pain—the natural, human way of thinking. "Things of God" refers to the divine plan involving sacrifice, suffering, and eternal victory.

     c. What are the "things of men" (comfort, acceptance, ease) that often tempt you to become a "stumbling block" (an obstacle) to God's will in your own life?

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Read Matthew 16:24-28

5. What three conditions does Jesus give for anyone who desires to follow Him (16:24)?

   a. What is the logical paradox Jesus describes in losing your life to save it, and gaining the whole world yet forfeiting your soul (16:25-26)?

   • Conceptual Context: Taking up one's cross refers to the Roman practice of carrying the beam of the cross to the place of execution. It is a metaphor for total commitment to Christ, even unto death, and the daily acceptance of suffering and self-denial.

     b. What is the ultimate metric by which the Son of Man will repay every man (16:27)?

     c. In what small, practical way can you "deny yourself" and take up your cross this week in service to Christ?

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3) Contextualize

1. Something we learned about ourselves: The human mind, even in its most sincere devotion, is naturally predisposed to prioritize comfort, earthly glory, and the avoidance of suffering, making it an unintentional obstacle to God's sacrificial plan.

2. The highest confession of faith (Peter's declaration in 16:16) does not automatically eliminate our tendency to revert to human, self-serving logic (Peter's rebuke in 16:22).

3. The essential choice of discipleship is a constant, logical decision to surrender the perceived profit of this world (gaining the whole world) for the certain and eternal reality of life with Christ (saving one's soul), regardless of the cost.

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4) Actualize

The logical conclusion of understanding the necessity of the cross and the priceless value of your soul is that living for Christ is the only rational investment. You are challenged today to move beyond merely confessing Christ with your lips to demonstrating Him with your life.

Do you see yourself carrying the cross, or are you trying to dodge it?

Do not let the temporary fear of self-denial or the anxiety of cultural rejection convince you that your life is better saved by your own efforts. The Lord Jesus, who offered the ultimate sacrifice, invites you to a life that is truly alive—a life found only in losing it for His sake.

Take one small step this week: Identify one area where you are currently seeking the approval of man (a small comfort, a specific worry, or a refusal to speak boldly about your faith) and consciously deny yourself in that area, entrusting the outcome entirely to your Lord.

This first small step of obedience—this intentional choice to place the "things of God" above the "things of men"—will be your personal testimony that Jesus is indeed your Christ and your Lord. As you trust Him with the inconvenience, He will begin to transform your anxious resistance into a courageous peace, painting a picture of a future where your life is not a constant pursuit of security, but a confident, joyful march toward the coming King.

Session 23: Luke 15

 

Session 23: Luke 15 

Summarize

1. The Setting: A Complaint and Three Parables (1-3)

 a. Tax collectors and sinners gather to hear Jesus (1). 

b. The Pharisees and scribes complain that Jesus welcomes and eats with sinners (2). 

c. In response, Jesus tells them three parables (3).

2. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (4-7) 

a. A shepherd with 100 sheep loses one (4). 

b. He leaves the 99 in the open country to go after the one lost sheep until he finds it (4).

 c. He joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home (5).

 d. He calls his friends and neighbors to rejoice with him because he has found his lost sheep (6). e. Jesus concludes there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don't need to repent (7).

3. The Parable of the Lost Coin (8-10) 

a. A woman with ten silver coins loses one (8). 

b. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it (8). 

c. She calls her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her because she has found her lost coin (9). d. Jesus concludes there is rejoicing in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents (10).

4. The Parable of the Two Lost Sons (11-32) 

a. A younger son asks for his share of the estate (11-12). 

b. He travels to a distant country and squanders his wealth in wild living (13). 

c. A severe famine hits, and he ends up in desperate need, hiring himself out to feed pigs (14-16).

 d. He comes to his senses and decides to return to his father as a hired servant (17-19). 

e. While he is still a long way off, his father sees him, is filled with compassion, runs to him, and embraces him (20).

 f. The son begins his confession, but the father interrupts to restore him fully with a robe, a ring, and sandals (21-22). 

g. The father commands a celebration because his son who was dead is alive again; he was lost and is found (23-24). 

h. The older son, working in the field, hears the party and becomes angry, refusing to go inside (25-28).

 i. He complains to his father about his own dutiful service and the grace shown to his sinful brother (29-30).

 j. The father pleads with him, affirming his place in the family but explaining the necessity of celebrating his brother's return (31-32).

Analyze

Read Luke 15:1-10

1. What is the complaint from the Pharisees and scribes that prompts Jesus to tell these parables? (v. 2) 

a. In the first two parables, what do the shepherd and the woman do when they realize something valuable is lost? (v. 4, 8) What does the intensity of their search tell you? 

b. What is the common reaction in both parables once the lost item is found? (v. 6, 9) What does this reveal about God's heart toward those who are lost?

 c. Jesus contrasts the one lost sinner with the 99 "righteous persons who need no repentance" (v. 7). Considering his audience, who might the 99 represent? How can a "righteous" attitude actually prevent someone from experiencing the joy of being found?

Read Luke 15:11-24 2. What does the younger son's request for his inheritance signify about his relationship with his father? (v. 12) 

Cultural/Historical Note: A son asking for his inheritance while his father was still alive was a profound and calculated insult. It was essentially saying, "Father, I wish you were dead. Your existence is an obstacle to my happiness, so just give me your stuff now." 

a. At his lowest point, feeding pigs (an unclean animal for Jews), what motivates the son to return home? (v. 17-19) Does his repentance seem to be more about sorrow for his sin or sorrow for his circumstances? 

b. Describe the father's reaction when he sees his son returning. (v. 20) What do the gifts of the robe, ring, and sandals signify? (v. 22) 

Theological Note: The father's response is one of radical restoration. The robe signifies honor and restored status. The ring (likely a signet ring with the family seal) signifies restored authority and full sonship. The sandals signify he is a son, not a slave, as slaves typically went barefoot. The father doesn't just forgive him; he completely reinstates him. 

c. The father says his son "was dead and is alive again" (v. 24). In what ways have you experienced this kind of spiritual resurrection? Where might you need to "come to your senses" and return to the Father today?

Read Luke 15:25-32 3. When the older brother learns the reason for the celebration, what is his reaction? (v. 28-30) 

a. How does the older brother describe his relationship with his father? (v. 29) Does it sound like a relationship of love or one of servanthood and transaction ("I've been slaving for you and you never gave me...")? 

b. How does the father's gentle response to the older son reveal his heart for both of his lost children? (v. 31-32) 

c. The parable ends without telling us if the older brother joins the party. Why do you think Jesus leaves it open-ended for his audience (the Pharisees)? Which brother do you identify with more in this season of your life—the rebellious younger son or the self-righteous older son? Why?

Contextualize

• God's character is one of a loving Father who actively, diligently, and joyfully seeks out the lost.

• It is possible to be lost in two ways: through rebellious living far from the Father (the younger son) and through resentful, self-righteous religion in the Father's house (the older son).

• The heart of the gospel is repentance and unconditional restoration, which ought to lead to uninhibited celebration in the family of God.

Actualize

This chapter reveals that God's heart breaks for the lost and rejoices wildly when they are found. This week, reflect on two things. 

First, who in your life is "far off" like the younger son? Commit to praying for them daily, asking God to help them "come to their senses."

 Second, examine your own heart for any "older brother" attitudes. Is there any resentment, bitterness, or self-righteousness keeping you from celebrating when God shows grace to someone you feel doesn't deserve it? Confess that to the Father and ask Him to give you His heart for the lost so you can join the party.