SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 16:1-12
The Pharisees and Sadducees demanded a sign from Jesus. Jesus replied that they say it will be stormy if the sky is red and overcast. He says they can interpret the skies but not the signs of the times. Only a wicked adulterous generaion looks for miraculous signs, and all they will be given is the sign of Jonah.
The disciples forgot to bring bread, so Jesus told them to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Jesus realizes they are confused and says they have little faith because they don’t remember the five loaves for the five thousand or the seven loaves for the four thousand. He wonders why they did not understand he was using yeast as a metaphor, and that he meant to beware the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 17, Day 2: Matthew 16:1-12
3a) A sign from heaven in order to test Jesus’s identity.
b) Jesus replied that they say it will be stormy if the sky is red and overcast. He says they can interpret the skies but not the signs of the times. Only a wicked adulterous generaion looks for miraculous signs, and all they will be given is the sign of Jonah. It revealed that they had wicked hearts.
c) Jesus is saying he is sufficient
4a) To beware the teaching (yeast) of the Pharisees and Sadducees
b) The disciples were focused on the literal bread because they had just commented that they had forgotten bread to eat. They had no idea what Jesus was talking about because of this.
c) Jesus realizes they are confused and says they have little faith because they don’t remember the five loaves for the five thousand or the seven loaves for the four thousand. He wonders why they did not understand he was using yeast as a metaphor, and that he meant to beware the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He explains what he meant to them.
5) We, like the disciples, are too focused on the literal meaning that we can miss the spiritual meaning behind things, too. I think this comes with time, prayer, and learning to look for the spiritual in things.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 17, Day 2: Matthew 16:1-12
I love how the Pharisees and Sadducees are constantly put in their place by Jesus in a nice way. Great example for us. Great learning from the disciples mistake, too.
Just a book I wanted to share!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 17, Day 2: Matthew 16:1-12
It is worth noting that the Pharisees and Sadducees were normally not friends. They were politically opposed and held different beliefs. Yet, both wanted Jesus dead.
In Matthew 12:38, Jesus had already been asked for a sign, which he refused to give then. As if healing people was not enough. They could read the heavens, but not the Messianic signs. This is a warning to us to not miss the signs of the Second Coming as outlined in Revelation mainly.
Note that signs do not convert people; they will always have hard hearts.
Jesus’s resurrection would be a hard sign to deny. He would disappear like Jonah for three days and nights and then return.
Yeast, or leaven, was compared to sin and corruption as we’ve seen repeatedly in the Bible (Matthew 13:33) Exodus 12:8, 12:15-20).
Note that the disciples were ignornant of what yeast symbolized, they didn’t believe they’d be find if they had forgotten bread since Jesus fed the 5,000, and they forgot all that had happened with regards to this.
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