13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.  (Matthew 16:13-20)
The Lord Jesus asked his disciples:  “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” The Lord Jesus called himself the Son of man, which represents his humanity. From a human perspective, the Lord Jesus is the descendant of David, and he is also the Son of God. He was with the Heavenly Father before the creation of the world. He is the Son of the Trinity God: Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Son of man represents his humanity, and the Son of God represents his divinity. When he asked his disciples, Who do you say that I am? Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The Lord Jesus did not tell them that he was the Christ. It was the Heavenly Father who revealed it to Peter. Christ means the Anointed One, the Savior. Peter in Greek means rock. To bind means not to allow, and to loose means to allow. There are other scriptures where the Lord Jesus told his disciples: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This is the authority that the Lord Jesus gave to his disciples. The Lord Jesus told his disciples not to tell people that he was the Christ. In the Bible, the Lord Jesus rarely told people that he was the Christ because the timing had not yet come.
May God bless you and your family! 🙏😊

5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ⁷ They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”  ⁸ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹¹ How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:5-12)
Here we see that the disciples forgot to bring bread when they crossed to the other side of the sea, and the Lord Jesus said to them: Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples thought that the Lord Jesus meant the real yeast which leavens the dough, because they did not bring bread. The Lord Jesus then talked about the miracles he had performed earlier, using five loaves to feed five thousand people, and seven loaves to feed four thousand people, and the leaven had nothing to do with them not bringing bread, because even they didn’t bring bread, he could feed them. The disciples then understood that the Lord Jesus wanted them to beware of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Earlier we saw that the Pharisees paid attention to the traditions of the ancients and ignored God’s commandments. We have learned the parable of the yeast, it is about the yeast which leavens the whole dough, that refers to sin, wrong teachings that affect the church, and the wrong teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees will also affect people, so the Lord Jesus wants the disciples to beware of their teachings.
May God bless you and your family! 🙏😊

³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” ³³ His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” ³⁴ “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.  “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” ³⁵ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ³⁸ The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan. (Matthew 15:32-39)
It was mentioned earlier that the Lord Jesus performed many miracles, so many people followed him. The Lord Jesus had mercy on the crowd because they had been with him for three days and had nothing to eat. The Lord Jesus used seven loaves and a few small fish, gave thanks, and gave them to the disciples, the disciples gave them to the crowd, and the Lord Jesus fed four thousand people, excluding women and children. Previously, the Lord Jesus used five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand people, and the leftovers filled twelve baskets. Here, the leftovers filled seven baskets. Seven is a perfect number, and twelve is also a special number. The Lord Jesus used seven loaves and a few small fish to feed four thousand people, once again demonstrating his divinity.
May God bless you and your family! 🙏😊

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” ²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” ²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. ²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” ²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. (Matthew 15:21-28)
Here we see that the Lord Jesus went to Tire and Sidon. Tire and Sidon were the territories of the Gentiles. A Canaanite woman came to ask Him because her daughter was possessed by a demon. Apparently she had heard about the Lord Jesus. But Jesus ignored her. Because the Lord Jesus came to preach the gospel to the Israelites first, he said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Israelites are the people of God, the children of God, they considered Gentile as dogs. The Canaanite woman replied, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” The Canaanite woman replied that the domestic dog belongs to the owner, was also loved by its owner and ate the crumbs that fell from the owner’s table. The Lord Jesus praised her for her great faith and immediately healed her daughter. In the Bible, the Lord Jesus only praised two people for their great faith. The other was a centurion. The centurion believed that the Lord Jesus could heal his servant with just one word. Here we see the persistence of the Canaanite woman and her refusal to give up. At first her request was rejected by the Lord, but she did not give up and continued to ask until the Lord granted her request. There are other passages in the Bible that talk about the need to keep asking in prayer. For example, the parable of the unrighteous judge, it is about a widow who went to the unrighteous judge for justices, she continue asking until her request was granted. The parable of a friend at midnight, it is about a friend who wanted to borrow bread at midnight and knocks on the door until the door is opened. We should ask until we receive, seek until we find, and knock until the door is opened. This includes asking for the Lord’s presence, asking for the Holy Spirit, asking for the Lord’s healing, etc.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😊

¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” ¹² Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” ¹³ He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. ¹⁴ Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” ¹⁶ “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. ¹⁷ “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Matthew 15:10-20)
As we saw earlier, when the Pharisees saw that the disciples of Jesus did not wash their hands before eating, they said that they violated the traditions of the ancients. Jesus said that they abandoned God’s commandments because of the traditions of the ancients. Then Jesus said: “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” The disciples told Jesus that the Pharisees were offended, and Jesus said:” Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. they are blind guides, here the Lord Jesus talked about their spiritual blindness. ” Then Jesus explained to the disciples that the food that goes into the mouth, passes through the stomach, and falls into the toilet, it does not defile a man, but the sins that come out of the heart and out of the mouth will defile a man.
³⁷ When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. ³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. (Luke 11:37-41)
The Pharisees believed that not washing hands before eating was unclean. They focused on the cleanliness of the outside. The Lord Jesus knew everything and knew people’s thoughts. He knew that although the Pharisees focused on the cleanliness of the outside, their hearts were not clean. The Lord Jesus continued: But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
May God bless you and your family! 🙏😊

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” ³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ ⁶ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ⁸ “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ⁹ They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” (Matthew 15:1-9)
Here we see that the Pharisees and scribes came to the Lord Jesus and told him that his disciples had violated the traditions of the ancients, because they did not wash their hands before eating. The Pharisees always found fault with the Lord Jesus and his disciples. Jesus told them that they had violated God’s commandments because of their traditions. The Old Testament says, “Honor your father and mother” and also says, “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” But the Pharisees said, “if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it.” The Pharisees abandoned God’s commandments because of their traditions. Jesus quoted the verses of the Old Testament.
¹³ The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. (Isaiah 29:13)
The Pharisees valued traditions, received the human rules they have been taught, but abandoned God’s commandments. They honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from God.

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33)
Here we see that after the Lord Jesus performed miracles and fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes, he asked his disciples to get into a boat and cross to the other side of the sea. After the crowd dispersed, he went up alone to the mountain to pray. We see the importance of prayer. The Lord Jesus left the crowd and went up alone to the mountain to pray, to be alone with the Father. During the fourth watch of the night, that is, from one to three o’clock in the morning, the Lord Jesus was walking on the sea, and the boat was in the sea. When the disciples saw the Lord Jesus walking on the sea, they were afraid and thought it was a ghost. When the Lord Jesus told them that it was Him, Peter asked the Lord Jesus to let him walk across the water to him. Peter was afraid and was sinking because of the strong wind, but the Lord saved him. It was amazing that as soon as the Lord Jesus got into the boat, the wind stopped, and the disciples worshiped Him and said, “You are truly the Son of God!” They worshiped Him because they knew that He was the Son of God. The Lord Jesus walking on the water manifested His divinity. He is the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Savior. I hope that more people will accept the Lord Jesus as Lord and savior and receive eternal life.
May God bless you and your family! 🙏😊