Matthew 16:1–12
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a] 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Some people refused to believe. There was plenty of evidence. But nothing would convince them.
Matthew 16:1–12
The signs that prove who Jesus is
Some people refused to believe. There was plenty of evidence. But nothing would convince them.
These verses are very similar to 12:38–42. So, Jesus repeated some of his teaching. Matthew recorded it again too. This showed that the subject was important.
Some people chose not to understand (verses 1–4)
The Pharisees and the Sadducees wanted to test Jesus (verse 1). So they asked him to do a miracle. It would be like a sign. It would prove that he came from God. Read 12:38–42. These verses explain more about the incident. Jesus refused to do what they asked. The signs or proofs were already there. People who were willing to learn would know about them.
People would look at a red sky in the evening. They would know that the next day would have good weather. But a red sky in the morning meant the opposite. There would soon be a storm. This was what happened in ancient Israel. (This is true in other parts of the world today too.) The Jews knew how to understand signs like these. So Jesus told them to do the same with him.
They could already be sure that he came from God. Here are some of the signs or proofs:
• Nobody else ever spoke as he did. (Read 7:28–29.)
• He had done many great miracles.
• He could control nature (Read 8:27.)
• Even evil spirits knew him (8:29).
• His whole life and work were already proof enough.
If the Jews would not believe all these signs, then nothing would convince them.
Then Matthew said something that was sad. He said: ‘Jesus left them and went away.’ (Read 15:22 too.) He will never stay with people who do not want him.
The disciples did not understand (verses 5–12)
We do not know why the disciples did not understand Jesus’ words (verse 6). But Jesus’ answer was clear. He was talking about the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The disciples must be careful about their teaching. Jesus taught something that was important. It was this. People’s thoughts affect the way that they act. And people’s actions affect the way that they think. This was true about the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The way that they thought affected their reaction to Jesus.
Jesus described their teaching. It was like yeast. This substance makes bread rise. That was why the disciples thought that Jesus was talking about bread! But in the Bible, yeast was often a word picture. It described something that affected all that it touched. It grew and it was powerful too.
We may want to know what teaching Jesus was thinking about in this passage. He did not explain. But, from what we know about the Pharisees, we can suggest certain things. First, the Pharisees had a wrong opinion of themselves. They thought that they were very holy. They thought that their lives were very good. So, they believed that they had a special relationship with God. Because of this, they could not understand that they needed Jesus.
The Pharisees had a wrong opinion of God’s purpose for the world too. God wanted all people to love him and to enjoy him. The Pharisees had failed to understand this. They did not want to share their God with the rest of the world. They were selfish with their religion. They only cared about obeying all the details of their laws.
To the Pharisees, the world that is future was not important. So they thought that this life was most important. That was especially true about the Sadducees. It made it very hard for them to receive Jesus.
Even today, it is easy to have attitudes like these. If we do, the result will be the same. We could easily think that we do not need Jesus either.
Questions
1. Do you wish that God would give you ‘signs’ of his will? He has already given many signs. They are in the Bible. They are in history. They are in your own life. Make a list of them.
2. Should people who belong to churches expect signs or miracles today? When do miracles help people to hear the word of God? When do they make it harder for people to hear the word of God?
3. What things stop people from receiving Jesus today? How can we help these people?