Journal: Central Bible Quarterly
Volume: CENQ 14:4 (Winter 1971)
Article: Matthew: Messiah’s Instructions And Rejection
Author: Donn Kittle

CenQ 14:4 (Winter 1971) p. 22

Matthew: Messiah’s Instructions And Rejection

Second of two articles

Donn Kittle

First Baptist Church, Little Falls, Minnesota

This investigation set out to find in the Gospel of Matthew answers to five questions: (1) Is Jesus the prophesied Messiah? (2) If He is the Messiah, did He offer the prophesied kingdom? (3) If He offered the prophesied kingdom, did He establish it? (4) If He established the prophesied kingdom, how is it manifested during the present age? (5) If He failed to establish the prophesied kingdom, was it forfeited or postponed?

In tracing the argument of Matthew, the scope appears to be four-fold, (1) the authentication of the promised Messiah, (2) the public opposition to the ministry of the Messiah, (3) the private instructions of this Messiah, and (4) the national rejection of the Messiah. These last two sections of the Gospel will be examined in this issue.

The Instructions Of The King (Matt. 16:13-20:34)

Within this argument Matthew presents the preparation of the disciples by the Messiah in view of this rejection. There is a four-fold development: (1) the program of the church (16:13–20); (2) the program for His death (16:21–28); (3) the program for His kingdom (17:1–21); and (4) the program for His disciples (17:22–20:34).

The Program Of The Church (16:13–20)

The Confession Of Peter (16:13–16)

Peter’s confession, “thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16), is a confession of personal faith in the Christ, the Son of the living God, and is a confession of His Messiahship and Deity.

The question which Peter answered, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” (16:13), was asked by Christ. The title “Son of man” stems directly from Daniel’s great prophecy of Messiah and His kingdom (Dan. 7:13–14), and was our Lord’s favorite self-designation, used upon the most solemn occasions (Matt. 24:30; 26:64).

The Promise Of The Church (16:17–20)

Upon hearing Peter’s words Christ then significantly chooses this great moment of heavenly inspired confession shining with glory against the darkness of national unbelief to reveal the new thing that He will build. “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this...