The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah, Part 12: Matthew 16:21-17:9, by Kevin M. Williams

Journey through the Gospel to the Hebrews with Kevin Williams as he unveils rich Hebraisms and prophetic Messianic insights.

From that time Jesus Christ 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 be raised up on the third day. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16:21-23).

What a transition it must have been: to hear Yeshua (Jesus) give the inspiring promise of building the ecclesia only to promise his suffering. The disciples must have been deeply perplexed. How could these opposing ideas lead to such a demise for their Rabbi and yet bring about the promises of Matthew 16:12-20?

It may have been more than Kefa (Peter) could bear.

Yet Yeshua explains that he must suffer at the hands of the elders, the chief priest, and the scribes. We might easily say that these groups had no genuine idea of God’s intentions—as educated, as practiced, as devout as they were. We may even marvel that those seemingly so close to God—so studied in the sacred texts—could so easily miss His purposes.

Certainly we can expect better from the Messiah’s own disciples, can we not?

The answer appears to be, “no.” Even those with whom Yeshua broke bread, with whom he walked, slept, worshiped, before whom he performed miracles and taught—those who were closer to him than any other people on earth—who even had acknowledged Him as the promised Messiah—could be deceived by Satan.

Is there a lesson here for us today? Can those who acknowledge Yeshua as their Lord and Savior be “demonized” in this way? Can believers walk down a path contrary to the purposes of God, even while claiming to be disciples?

If Peter is any example, then the answer must be “yes.” If Peter, then why not Judas? If Peter, why not us?

A modern example came shortly after word got out that Martin Scorsese had produced the film, The Last Temptation of Christ. Ministry heads, pastors, teachers, and people from the pews spoke out vehemently against the movie. Marches were formed and cinemas picketed. Viewers were ridiculed and much damage was done to the worldwide opinion of the Ecclesia.

There were some, however, who saw this as an opportunity and contacted theater management. Would they give Christians 10 minutes after the movie to speak with the audiences? Might we have a chance to cooperate with them and share the good news as presented in the Bible? The resounding answer from these overwhelmed and somewhat frightened managers was, “yes,” even at the highest corporate levels. However, call after call to ministry offices, to pastors, and to congregants came to naught. They would defend God and his honor and continue to picket the movie-theatres and ridicule those who attended. No one was going to be allowed to defame their Messiah. They would not, however, do something like speak with an audience after a showing of this “blasphemous” movie.

And so, what could have been a chance to “reach” countless movie-goers who might never set foot in a church—to do what Yeshua has asked us—was missed. Like Peter, we did not see the bigger picture and decided that our God was not big enough to “take on” Hollywood by Himself. Passion became paramount and an ideal chance to do good was abdicated.

Does this mean that the Body-at-large was deceived? That answer rests with each individual.

Yet if we let passion direct our actions and reactions, taking our eyes off of God’s greater purposes, then we may well deserve the same response Peter got, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

On a deeper level, however, we find this person—Yeshua—demonstrating a remarkable willingness to obey the Father, recognizing and submitting to the greater purpose. Knowing the suffering and execution that awaited Him, He did not shirk.

If Yeshua were a mere man, He would be more likely to pursue a personal agenda intended to bring recognition to Himself. Instead, we see someone acting well-beyond human intention and living the example of discipleship.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to this deeds (Matthew 16:24-27).

Yeshua lives the example of discipleship and then he outlines it for the twelve. As in the case of Peter, Yeshua explains that personal passions and desires must at times be put to death in order to serve the greater purposes of the Almighty.

A friend has perhaps come up with the best catch-phrase, “You can’t hurt a dead man.” In other words, when our wills/passions/agendas/desires are submitted to the Father’s will, we are in the safest of all places. Even in the middle of the spiritual battlefield, if we already consider ourselves “dead” to ourselves and alive to the Father, then we really cannot be hurt by any earthly or demonic foe.

Yeshua did not promise the disciples a prosperous life they way many would define it. He did not promise them an earthly “land of milk and honey.” Rather, He tells them that their yoke is the cross and their salvation found only by losing their own lives.

For most, this is not the most inspiring speech nor the most encouraging battle-strategy for a counsel of twelve spiritual generals. But He is “going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will the recompense every man according to his deeds,” Again, the bigger-picture, God’s purposes are more important and more rewarding than anything we endure in this life.

Yet even this is a clue to Yeshua’s identity. In referencing Hosea 12:2, “He will repay him according to his deeds” the Son of Man identifies himself with the Lord. The entire verse reads, “The LORD also has a dispute with Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; He will repay him according to his deeds.” The Lord has the dispute, but Yeshua will be His emissary bringing recompense. Those with ears to hear would recognize the position Yeshua was establishing for Himself.

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light (Matthew 16:28-17:2).

Yeshua’s promise in the last verse of chapter 16 comes to pass in the opening verses of chapter 17 in what is commonly known as the “transfiguration.” The chapter assignments in our translations can allow one to assume that the events in 16 are unrelated to 17, but in the original manuscripts, there are no such distinctions. In 16 we have the anticipation. In 17, only six days later, we have the fulfillment.

The point? This Yeshua was no mere mortal man. He was the reflection of the Father’s glory!

According to the Scriptures, there may be yet another reason:

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him (Matthew 17:3).

In Exodus 34:29, we read that like Yeshua, Moses’ face shone. This lead to another tradition in Hebraic theology. The notion is that at the end of Moses life, as he was writing the yud-hay-vav-hay (הוהי the biblical name for the Anglicized Jehovah), the ineffable name of God, his face shone like the sun.¹

This biblical and extra biblical accounts give great credibility to Yeshua being the Messiah of Israel. After all, Moses had promised the people of Israel, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

Here were two of the Bible’s greatest personalities—now in their glorified form—Moses and Elijah. In their midst was Yeshua, “coming into his kingdom.”

The Torah instructs us, as Paul reiterates (2Cor 13:1), “on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed” (Deuteronomy 19:5). What better witnesses could there be to confirm the Messiah than Moses and Elijah, the very embodiment of both the Law and the Prophets?

And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4).

Whatever concerns Peter may have had six days earlier they were completely overshadowed by what he beheld now. Perhaps by building tabernacles they would be inclined to remain so that the rest of Israel might come to witness this fulfillment of Scripture and the confirmation of the promised Messiah.

It is also possible that Peter believed that this was the end of the age, and that the olam habah, (the world to come), had arrived. If so, lodging would be needed.

Yet something  even more awesome was coming:

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5).

The third witness, the Father in heaven, adds His confirmation. Moses, Elijah, and Yahweh—the Torah, the Prophets, and the Creator—all bore witness before these elect disciples of the Messiah. There could be no doubt remaining in the minds of Peter, James, and John.

And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus Himself alone (Matthew 17:5-8).

Knowing the commandment that no one could see God or else he would die (Exodus 33:20), the disciples were understandably afraid. Yet there are none in the biblical accounts who were not filled with trembling when in the presence of the Lord of the universe, let alone amidst such an august tribunal.

And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead” (Matthew 17:9).

Yeshua wants this news contained. Who among us does not want their exploits recognized by others so they can further their agenda and their reputation? Not so with Yeshua. Still, His eyes were set on the greater, longer-term purposes of the Almighty. What could Peter, James, and John do? Obey the voice that told them to, “listen to Him.”

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In part 13, we shall find Yeshua and the disciples coming nearer to the execution and how He prepares them for the inevitable.

PR

Endnotes
¹ Deuteronomy Rabbah II:10