Matthew 16
The Pharisees seek a sign from Him. He gave them a sign again, the sign of Jonas and left them. He had given them the same sign before, but it had no effect on them. When a man knowingly refuses truth, the enemy takes over and such a person will walk in paths that lead him on to his destruction. What a sad thing for the Lord to have to depart and leave them; for them the end would be eternal woe.
Jesus told the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Since they had forgotten to take bread before leaving for Magdala, they thought that He was reminding of this. But the doctrine of the Pharisees was the "leaven" that He was warning them about.
Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?" Some said He was John the Baptist, others Elias, and others Jeremiah. Some of these answers showed hatred, others indifference. Jesus asked, "But whom say ye that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Then Jesus said to Him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [a stone), and upon this rock [Christ) I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven
Having the keys was a personal privilege for Peter. As an apostle, he opened the door of the kingdom of heaven to the Jews (Acts 2:37-40) and to the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-48). Peter could bind and loose on earth, but not in heaven. Now that the apostles are gone, the Church has that privilege and responsibility.
Having been rejected, Jesus was no longer to be spoken of as Christ (Messiah); He was now the Son of man.
The Church belongs to heaven, but is being formed on earth. The kingdom of heaven belongs to earth, though governed by heaven.
When Jesus spoke of His death, Peter rebuked Him. Peter would not have the Lord leave, but rather set up His kingdom. He did not know the Father's will. The Lord rebuked Peter, saying, "Get thee behind Me, Satan," for not savoring the things that be of God-rejection and salvation for man through a perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The Lord marked out the path for one who was in the kingdom. He said: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?... For the Son of man shall come, in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works."