Matthew 16:14 Commentary and Bible Study

John the Baptist, of course, had been killed, murdered, his life taken, but Herod, who was responsible for his death, thought that he had risen from the dead, and so did many other people. This great worker of miracles, whose teaching was so unparalleled and amazing: they thought he must be John the Baptist, risen from the dead. Then others said Elias, that is Elijah, ‘and others, one of the prophets.’ That reference to ‘one of the prophets’ was Jeremiah in particular, as Matthew tells us. Why could the people not see and accept that Christ was the Messiah? ‘Oh, he is amazing, they thought. Nobody does things like this man; there is nobody like him. He seems to us divine. But, of course, he can’t be. He can’t be Messiah.’ Why not? ‘Because he doesn’t look like a Messiah. He is not wealthy and prosperous and powerful. He doesn’t carry a sword and he isn’t leading an army. How could he be the Messiah? Our understanding of Messiah [which was quite wrong] is that he will be a conqueror, a deliverer. Look at him in those poor garments, healing the sick, working miracles. It’s wonderful, we acknowledge; we cannot explain it. He seems to be divine, but is he the Messiah who is going to deliver the nation and make us prosperous?’ That is why they could not accept that he was Messiah. He must be Jeremiah risen from the dead, or something of that kind!