Matthew 16:20

Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ.

This admonition came because any indiscreet disclosure of Christ's true and total heavenly identity would have compromised Jesus' purpose, which was to accomplish his death in Jerusalem in such a manner that the true reason for that death could not be clouded or distorted by Satan. Significantly, at once, after the great confession, Christ began to instruct his disciples concerning the passion and resurrection.

John Locke, whose writings had such influence on Alexander Campbell, noted that the difficulties confronting Christ were almost insurmountable. It was his purpose to die for the sins of the whole world; but if, at the instigation of Satan, evil men could make it appear that he died in an attempt to take Caesar's throne, the will of God would have been circumvented.

Jesus took note of that situation when he said, "But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" (Luke 12:50). The exceedingly narrow line that Jesus walked was marked on one side by the fact that all men, insomuch as was possible, should be instructed that he was the Messiah and Savior of the world; and, on the other side, by the danger that they would misunderstand his mission, which they were prone to do, and would crucify him for sedition. Only the wisdom of God could have enabled Jesus to negotiate that narrow road so successfully as he did.

The overriding consideration of Christ to reveal himself, and yet not so ostentatiously as to defeat his purpose, illuminates much of what is otherwise arcane in the gospel narratives. Thus, Jesus told the Samaritan woman plainly that he was the Messiah (her word, as a Samaritan, was not any good in court), but on other occasions instructed his followers to reveal the truth to no man (at that time).

The grand design of Christ's purpose called for him to die, not as a seeker of the secular throne, but as the Son of the living God. Since the Son of God is the rightful ruler of all men, it was hard to distinguish between them, especially in the environment provided by that generation. Christ succeeded so well in achieving his purpose that when the Sanhedrin finally condemned him, their charge of sedition, as alleged before Pilate, would not stand up; and they were compelled to admit at last that their real reason was not a suspicion of disloyalty to Caesar, but "because he made himself the Son of God" (John 19:7).

DIVISION V

THE SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OF CHRIST REPEATEDLY FORETOLD; THE SCHOOLING OF THE DISCIPLES FOR THE PASSION (MATT. 16:21-20:34)

In section four, the Messiah's kingdom was accepted by some, rejected by others. A summary of each class in that section is thus:

He was accepted by the disciples (Matthew 14:33), by the woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:22), by a great multitude (Matthew 15:30), by Peter (Matthew 16:16); he was rejected by the Nazarenes (Matthew 13:57), and by the Pharisees and their sympathizers (Matthew 15:12; Matthew 16:4).

In section five, the sufferings and death of Christ make up the burden of the message, especially the prophecies of his passion. There are three of these:

First announcement (Matthew 16:21); second announcement (Matthew 17:22,23); third announcement (Matthew 20:18).