Doctrinal Response (Matthew 16:1-20)
Table of Contents Overview
Lesson 41
- The Lord is now officially bringing His public ministry to a close.
- Final dismissal of t he religious leadership
- Defines “the leaven”, the doctrine of the antichrist
- Phase 1:Results in the rejection of Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry
- Phase 2: Results in the countermanding of the Holy Ghost’s testimony to Israel (as seen in the early chapters of Acts).
- Phase 3: Intensifies during the future “fifth installment” (the Day of the Lord) and provides the doctrinal basis for the nation to be duped into accepting the Antichrist as their Messiah.
Lesson 42
- Jesus begins to educate his disciples in the conclusion of his public ministry and the major turning point that is now going to take place
- Peter’s confession, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”
- “Upon this Rock” doctrine: the “rock” foundation is not Peter the man, but the divine truth he had just confessed : that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
- Peter receives the “keys of the kingdom of Heaven”: the authority to “bind” and “loose” on earth, with those decisions being ratified in heaven. This authority is specific to Peter and the twelve within Israel’s kingdom program.
- A change in tactics: “Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.“
- The public ministry phase is over, confirmed by the nation’s failure to recognize their King. The program now moves to its next phase: the private preparation of the believing remnant for the cross and the events that will follow.