Matthew 16:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Let us examine why Matthew’s Gospel conveys that the disciples were instructed not to declare Him as the Christ (see Matthew 16:20), as it is noted that He commanded them to remain silent about His suffering and resurrection. In fact, everything essential is encompassed within the name of Christ. He is the One born of a virgin, the One who performed miracles, who died for our transgressions and rose again. To deny any aspect of His identity is to forfeit salvation. Heretics may claim possession of Christ's name; however, those who fail to acknowledge all that Christ embodies are, in truth, denying Him. For various reasons, Christ desired the disciples to hold their tongues to confuse the ruler of this world, to reject pride, and to foster humility, ensuring that the still-maturing disciples would not feel overwhelmed by the weight of such a profound mission.

Now, let us consider the rationale behind His command for silence among unclean spirits. The Scriptures reveal this as the Lord asked a transgressor, "Why do you declare My statutes?" (Psalm 49:16). This is so that those listening to the preacher may not fall into the deceptions of the enemy, for the devil is an unsuitable guide—frequently substituting falsehoods for truth, aiming to mask his lies with the appearance of reality.

Next, we should contemplate whether this was the first instance of Him instructing His disciples to remain silent about His identity as the Christ or if it had been previously addressed when He sent out the twelve apostles, giving them specific guidance: “Do not go the way of the Gentiles, nor enter a city of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel... Heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons” (Matthew 10:5-6, 8). It seems here that they faced no reprimand for preaching Christ, the Son of God.

Thus, the sequence of our reasoning forms the basis of interpretation. When evangelizing the Gentiles, we must gradually present the commandments, starting with the declaration that the Creator of everything is one God, a point echoed in Acts 17:24-31. In this God, we have our existence; hence we ought to love Him not only for life and light but for all humanity. It is essential to dismantle the prevalent notions about idols, demonstrating that the substances of gold, silver, or wood cannot encapsulate divine power. Once belief in the oneness of God is established, we should then illustrate that salvation is granted through Christ, beginning with His earthly actions, while revealing the qualities of His divine nature that confirm His supremacy beyond humanity.

Demonstrate that He overcame death by His own power, rising from hell after His demise. Faith develops progressively; as people realize that He is far beyond mere mortals, they will come to believe in His deity. If one cannot substantiate the divine power behind His deeds, how can they argue for the existence of such power within Him?

Is our authority insufficient, and our credibility lacking? Reference Paul’s sermon to the Athenians. Had he sought to eradicate idolatry right away, the Gentiles would have dismissed him. Instead, he began by proclaiming one God, the Creator of all: "God who made the world and everything in it" (Acts 17:24). They could not contest that one Creator exists. The apostle remarked that it would be inappropriate for the Lord of heaven and earth to reside in structures built by human hands, and that it is utterly implausible for the divine essence to be confined to inert materials like gold or silver. He pointed them toward a desire for repentance and eventually mentioned Christ. At this stage, he referred to Him as man, saying, “He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). It is crucial to consider the listeners' disposition, as they might scoff rather than listen. Would the Athenians have accepted that the Word became flesh (John 1:14) and that the Virgin conceived through the Spirit (see Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-38) if they mocked the resurrection? Still, Dionysius the Areopagite and others believed in Him as a man (Acts 17:34), eventually acknowledging Him as God. The order of belief does not alter the outcome; initial beliefs need not be perfect but can evolve towards perfection. This is the approach Paul modeled for the Athenians, which we should likewise apply to the Gentiles.

However, when the apostles addressed the Jews, they proclaimed that He was the Christ foretold by the prophets. Early on, they did not assert His identity as the Son of God, instead presenting Him as the man foretold, the righteous one, the one raised from the dead (see Acts 2:32-36; Acts 3:14; Acts 13:23-30). In this manner, affirm beliefs that may seem challenging by citing Scripture; demonstrate that His arrival was prophesied by the prophets and that His resurrection was foretold long before, not in reference to a universal resurrection, but as evidence of His eternal divinity through the specific resurrection of His body. By contrasting the decay of others’ bodies after death, you reinforce that He, of whom it is said, "You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10), is exempt from human decay, establishing His superiority over human nature and likening Him more to God than to men.

Should you require further enlightenment, realize that He stands alone in comparison to God rather than man. If an individual preparing for the sacraments needs guidance, one must state that there is one God, from whom all things originate, and one Jesus Christ, through whom all things exist (1 Corinthians 8:6). They cannot be regarded as two distinct Lords. The Father is perfect, the Son is perfect, yet both share the same essence. The Son is the eternal Word of God, not spoken into existence but emanating from the Father. Thus, the apostles were instructed not to disseminate the revelation of Him as the Son of God immediately, so that they could later share the message of the crucifixion. This embodies the pinnacle of faith: to grasp the significance of Christ’s cross. Other forms of suffering bear no utility for me; only the cross of Christ brings true purpose, by which the world is rendered dead to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14). If the world is dead to me, I recognize its lifelessness and sever my affections for it; I understand that the world is transient and do not covet it; I see that corruption will consume the world and regard it as repulsive; I flee from it as one would from a plague, abandoning it as one would a devastating blight.

Not everyone can immediately accept that salvation has arrived through the cross. Utilize historical instances from Greek history to illustrate that such a possibility exists. The apostle sometimes taught nonbelievers using quotes from pagan sources (see Acts 17:28), dismantling the myths of poets. Recall tales from Greek history where entire armies or nations were rescued through the sacrifice of individuals, such as the Athenian king Codrus, who gave his life for his nation's victory over the Dorians, as noted by Valerius Maximus in "Dostopamamematae Acts and Sayings" (5.6). Consider the account of Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon, sacrificed to enable the Greek army's journey to Troy. Further, scripture states: "The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean" (Hebrews 9:13). It is also noted that calamities caused by human sins are averted through the death of one. Whether these occurrences are seen as having reasonable explanations or regarded as providential acts, they serve to ease the acceptance of faith in the cross of Christ among hearers, who will find it challenging to dispute their own histories.

No man was ever so great as to atone for the sins of the entire world; neither Enoch nor Abraham could do so. Even Isaac, though he was nearly sacrificed, was spared from death (see Genesis 22:11-13) because he alone could not bear the weight of all sin. Indeed, which individual of the many could carry the burden of sin for all? Thus, it was not a single member of the multitude who was chosen, but God’s Son. Being supreme, He could offer Himself for all. It was right for Him to perish, so that by being mightier than death, He might liberate others; therefore, among the dead, the powerless could find freedom (Psalm 88:5). Through His own strength, without assistance from man or any creation, He became truly free from death, having escaped the shackles of sinful desires and the chains of mortality.

From that moment, it is noted that He began to reveal to His disciples that He must journey to Jerusalem, endure great suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, face rejection, be crucified, and rise again on the third day. He, acknowledged as the Son of Man and recognized by Peter as the Christ, who was blessed for receiving this revelation from the Father, proclaimed that He must indeed suffer and be crucified.

It brings no benefit to you.” Yet, as he readies for this external onslaught, the Lord bestows upon His servant a spirit of endurance, preparing within his heart a fervent willingness to face all forms of suffering and opposition, rendering the enemy's attack ineffective. Just as the Lord declared of Himself that He “must suffer,” they too develop a yearning for afflictions. When such trials arise, they embrace them with joy, savoring them like a thirsty person relishing cool water.

This is why, immediately following their acknowledgment of His Divinity, the Lord explicitly communicated to them for the first time about His impending suffering and death in Jerusalem, which were prerequisites for the establishment of His Kingdom: From that moment Jesus began to disclose to His disciples and, with increasing frequency, emphasized that He must go to Jerusalem, endure many things at the hands of the elders and chief priests, be put to death, and on the third day rise again. The esteemed apostles, Peter, James, and John, were soon taught about this on Mount Tabor, where the two eminent prophets, Moses and Elijah, appeared from the realm beyond and spoke with the transfigured Lord concerning His forthcoming sufferings. Yet, even in this revelation, the Lord maintained a wise sense of gradualism. Until then, He had communicated these truths to the disciples and the crowd in a veiled manner. He hinted at it during His first visit to the Jerusalem temple when He stated, "Destroy this temple" (John 2:19), referenced it in His address to the Pharisees regarding the sign of Jonah the prophet, and further in His talks to the people about His body and blood. Even John the Baptist had identified Him as the Lamb who bears the sins of the world. However, none of this adequately prepared the disciples to receive a straightforward declaration of the suffering and death of the one whom they, along with other Jews, believed would endure forever. The Lord now disclosed to them that He would endure much suffering and be killed, subsequently stating that He would be handed over to the Gentiles and, just prior to His suffering, that He would face crucifixion. To alleviate the burden of these predictions on His disciples' hearts, He consistently assured them that He would rise on the third day. Yet, despite the clarity of the Lord's predictions regarding His impending sufferings, the apostles still did not grasp His message, for "these words were hidden from them" (Luke 18:34); they remained in a state of confusion, failing to understand the meaning of the resurrection and insisting instead that it was paramount that He would never die (St John Chrysostom).

While He had previously alluded to His future afflictions, this was the first occasion on which He articulated them plainly and directly. However, He refrained from disclosing every detail concerning the horrific nature of His impending death. He indicated that He would be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes—the various spiritual and temporal authorities—but did not mention that He would be turned over to the Gentiles. He cautioned them about His death, yet, right up until His final journey to Jerusalem, He withheld the devastating reality that He would be crucified.

This idea could be more readily reconciled with their steadfast faith in Jesus, although it still posed challenges for their understanding (cf. Luke 18:34), as exemplified by Peter's reaction (Matt. 16:22-23). Their expectation remained fixated on the Messiah as a temporal king of Israel, a belief they had nurtured for a considerable time (cf. Acts 1:6). After affirming their belief that He was indeed the Messiah through Peter's confession, the Lord, with profound wisdom, began to unveil the mysteries surrounding the earthly mission of the Messiah, aiming to correct their misconceptions.

When He mentioned that He "must go to Jerusalem," this did not imply that He had never visited the city before; according to the accounts of John the Evangelist, He had been there multiple times prior to this moment. Here, He speaks prophetically of His final journey to Jerusalem during the last Passover, when He would face suffering and death.

His declaration concerning suffering at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes refers to those who composed the Sanhedrin, which later condemned Christ (see note on Matthew 2:4, 5, 7). He also asserted that "on the third day rise again." Given that later, when the Lord repeated this to them, the disciples failed to grasp His meaning (Luke 18:34) and did not believe in His resurrection for some time, even after it had occurred, indicating their struggle with understanding this reality (Luke 24:11 and parallels). Furthermore, it is noted in John's Gospel that Peter and John were unaware from Scripture that He would rise again (John 20:9). While Jesus began to speak more clearly about His suffering and resurrection following Peter’s acknowledgment, His references—even concerning the resurrection—remained somewhat veiled, preventing the disciples from fully comprehending His statements. They certainly understood the concept of resurrection since they had witnessed His miraculous acts involving the dead. The nature of their confusion during this discourse remains somewhat uncertain. They persisted in a degree of ignorance, not grasping what it truly meant to resurrect. Therefore, He elaborated on this challenging subject, seeking to enlighten them and facilitate their understanding of His words. Nevertheless, many failed to comprehend, and the significance of His message remained obscured to them. They did not fully realize the implications of resurrection and deemed it crucial to avoid death altogether.