From what Peter said in this verse, we learn some vital lessons about the glory of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ. We learn what NOT to focus on when we think about Jesus, when we think about the gospel, when we think about the glory of our Lord. And instead, God calls us to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and God that He is.

God declares to us the redemptive purpose of His word. Through the warnings of judgment that God gives through His prophet, Jeremiah, God's resounding offer of forgiveness to all who will repent and submit to Him in faith is also proclaimed.

Jesus declared that there were some who were with Him who would not taste death before the coming of His kingdom. What did He mean by that- And what does it mean to us today- God declares to us that His kingdom is here and now. It began to be -here and now- two thousand years ago not long after Jesus made this statement. It is still -here and now- right now, this very moment. But are you part of His kingdom-

The calling to follow Christ is undeniably comprehensive. Jesus is demanding your all, everything that you are, if you are to be His true follower and disciple. But why should any one of us be willing to commit like that- Why should you be willing to actually deny your natural appetites and desires for the sake of Christ- Why should you be willing to suffer and die for Him like He calls us to do- In these verses, God tells why you should deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ.

When David wrote this Psalm, he was probably thinking about the nations around Israel that had been subdued but who later rebelled. This Psalm, however, does not only apply to those nations during David's day, but to every nation that exists today. Jesus Christ, the Son of David, is rightful King over every nation, and every nation today is in rebellion against Him. The nations rage in their rebellion.

True biblical discipleship and what that word means is outlined for us in this single verse in Matthew. In this verse, God calls us to come to Christ on His terms. Not everyone who calls himself or herself a Christian is a true follower of Jesus. But Jesus tells us what a true follower looks like, and here He gives us the basic principles of genuine discipleship.

In this passage in Matthew 16, God is showing us that if we are not careful, if we are not completely submissive to Christ and His word, allowing Christ Himself to determine what is right and wrong in our understanding, in our theology and doctrine, and in the kinds of things that we say and do, then we can very easily stumble into the most serious sins we can imagine, even opposing Christ and the gospel. Those of us who are genuine believers don-t want that- God warns us of the very real danger of standing in opposition to Him. And He shows us here what the trap is so that we can avoid that trap and avoid making the same horrific mistake that Peter did.

We see in this passage that God establishes His church upon the rock of salvation which is Jesus Christ. The question that this prompts, then, for each of us is simple- Are you a member of the true and spiritual church that Jesus is building upon the rock of Himself and His salvation-

There is a vitally important question that every person must answer before the end of this life- Who is Jesus- In these verses, God Himself shows us the correct answer to the question. Answering that question correctly and then responding to that correct answer has eternal consequences.

Jesus is talking about false teaching that denies the gospel in one way or another. In this case, he is talking about the teaching of the Pharisees and the teaching of the Sadducees. Those two groups were poles apart in what they taught the people, though they teamed up against the Lord Jesus to oppose Him. So, in this passage, God warns us of false teachings that in any way deny the gospel of salvation. There are many such false teachings today. Many of them are all still related to the leaven of the Pharisees or Sadducees in some way.