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1–4. The request of the Pharisees and Sadducees for a sign from heaven and the Savior’s answer to them. – 5–12. The leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. – 13–20. Confession of Peter. – 21–23. Christ's speech about suffering. – 24–28. The Doctrine of the Cross.
Matthew 16:1. And the Pharisees and Sadducees came and, tempting Him, asked to show them a sign from heaven.
(Cf. Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16, 29).
Mark (Mark 8:11–13) has a slightly shorter story than Matthew (verses 1–4). Already the ancient interpreters noticed some incongruity and unnaturalness of the connection between the Pharisees and Sadducees indicated here in the Gospels. This was explained by the fact that although the Pharisees and Sadducees differed in their dogmas, they acted in agreement against Christ. The unification of the Pharisees and Sadducees can and does indicate a further and ominous development of hostility towards Christ. More and more alarming news of the movement in Galilee is reaching the capital, and this is causing concern both among the ruling religious classes and among the zealots. Psychologically this is quite understandable. There is a constant tendency among people to adhere to established religious forms, and they are hostile to innovation, especially when their material interests are affected. Therefore, hostility against teachings that were completely outside the scope of these general provisions was natural. Mark speaks only of the Pharisees (Mark 8:11), but Matthew's Sadducees could also be Herodians.
The Pharisees and Sadducees are mentioned here in Matthew five times (Matthew 16:1–6, 11–12).
What sign did the Pharisees and Sadducees want? According to Chrysostom, these enemies of Christ asked Him to stop the sun, or to make the moon immovable (τὴν σελήνην χαλινῶσαι), or to bring down lightning, or to make a change in the air, or to do something similar. According to Theophylact, the Pharisees and Sadducees asked Christ to stop only the sun or the moon. But Evfimy Zigavin says that they wanted to see a miracle above the sun or the moon, or above the stars. The Pharisees and Sadducees, says Theophylact, thought that signs on earth were performed by the devil's power and Beelzebub. The foolish ones did not know that Moses in Egypt also did many signs on earth, but the fire that came down from heaven onto Job’s property was from the devil. Therefore, not everything that is from heaven is from God, and not everything that happens on earth is from demons. The thoughts are correct and characterize the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The present story seems to some interpreters to be a repetition of the story of Matthew 12:38 et seq., and identical with it. But if Matthew tells almost the same thing a second time and under different circumstances, then can we assume that he forgot what he said before? It was completely natural if the Savior’s enemies responded several times to His miracles by demanding a sign from heaven. Since in Jewish tradition there was an opinion that demons and false gods could perform signs on earth and only the true God teaches signs from heaven, the Pharisees and Sadducees now asked Christ for this, fully assuming that He would not be able to satisfy their requests. If the miracles performed by Christ on earth were unconvincing for the enemies of Christ, then the heavenly miracles would be convincing for them. For the custom of the Jews to demand a sign, see 1 Cor. 1:22.
Matthew 16:2. He answered them: in the evening you say: there will be a bucket, because the sky is red;
Matthew 16:3. and in the morning: today there is bad weather, because the sky is purple. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.
This text is found in this connection only in Matthew. (Similar expressions in a completely different connection are found in Luke 12:54–56). The words of Christ contain an extremely subtle and richly meaningful denunciation of His enemies. The error of their thinking and request He makes clear to them. They asked for some earthly, extraordinary sign, and specifically from heaven. Christ points them to things that are completely ordinary and known to them, that happen in heaven, about which they know how to reason. But being experienced in meteorological observations, why cannot or do not want to understand and be convinced of the truth of the messianic dignity of Christ when He reveals great signs? “In the lower region,” says Tsang, “they are as clairvoyant as the prophets; in the highest, they are so blind that they do not see the signs of the already begun καιρός (time) and do not consider them signs. These signs are those that the Savior already pointed out to John and the people (Matthew 11:4-14).”
Matthew 16:4. An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. And, leaving them, he went away.
(Cf. Matthew 12:39; Mark 8:12; Luke 11:29).
Literal repetition of Matthew 12:39. In Mark (Mark 8:12), this speech is preceded by the words “and He sighed deeply and said,” which are not found in the other evangelists. The harsh words of rebuke were, therefore, spoken with an expression of deep regret and deep sorrow at the blindness and error of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Chrysostom expresses this very well: “Although such a question should have aroused anger and indignation, the humane and merciful Lord is not angry, but regrets and grieves for them as incurably sick people, who, after so many proofs of His power, still tempted Him. They asked Him not in order to believe, but in order to catch him.” “Since they did not ask for a sign in order to believe, the Savior calls them in another place hypocrites because they said one thing and did another.” Zigavin adds to this that He called them hypocrites not only because they said one thing and did another, but because they considered themselves wise while being foolish.
Church writers think that the sign of Jonah was a sign from heaven because at the time of the death of Christ the sun was darkened and all creation changed. In the words “having left them, he departed” they correctly find the designation of “righteous severity” and note that the Savior “never left the people like that.”
Matthew 16:5. Having crossed to the other side, His disciples forgot to take the loaves.
Matthew 16:6. Jesus said to them: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
By leaven one should understand in general the entire way of thinking, direction, spirit of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees and their activities. Both evil and good develop, although in opposite directions. The driving force in this case is the leaven. The connection between these words of Christ and the previous question of the Pharisees and Sadducees about a sign from heaven is not obvious. It could be that their request only gave rise to a speech about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and this speech was of a general nature, not actually related to what was stated at the beginning of the 16th chapter. Christ, in His words, wanted to indicate the corrupting influence on the people of the teachings and activities of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Matthew 16:7. They thought within themselves and said: this means that we did not take the loaves.
The Savior thought about one thing, the disciples - about another. He thought and spoke about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples - about the loaves that they forgot to take. The word διελογίζοντο ("thought") shows that the disciples did not say out loud that they had no loaves.
Matthew 16:8. Having realized this, Jesus said to them: Why do you think within yourselves, you of little faith, that you did not take the loaves?
Matthew 16:9. Do you still not understand and remember about the five loaves of bread for five thousand people, and how many boxes you collected?
The expression “how many boxes did you pick up” (like the similar one in the next verse) is elliptical instead of “how many boxes did you pick up bread,” because the disciples, of course, did not collect boxes or baskets, but the bread in them.
Matthew 16:10. nor about seven loaves for four thousand, and how many baskets did you pick up?
The use of various words: κόφινοι (box) and σπυρίδες (basket) exactly corresponds to the terms used in the stories of two miraculous feedings (Matthew 14:20, 15:37).
Matthew 16:11. How do you not understand that I did not tell you about bread: beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
Matthew 16:12. Then they realized that He was telling them not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Mark (Mark 8:17–21) has a much more detailed story than Matthew. But the text corresponding to verses 11–12 is not found in other evangelists except Matthew.
Matthew 16:13. Having come to the countries of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples: Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?
(Cf. Mark 8:27; Luke 9:18).
Evangelist Mark (Mark 8:22–26) inserts here a story about the healing of a blind man and says that it was in Bethsaida, apparently Julia, on the north-eastern side of Lake Galilee and that it was from there that the Savior went “with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi” (Mark 8:27). Mark does not indicate which villages these were. The conversation with the disciples, according to Mark, took place while they were walking along this road with the Savior. Thus, we are able to determine with sufficient accuracy the place where the conversation took place, but it is difficult to say whether it was soon after arrival on the northeastern coast. Beginning the conversation about the confession of Peter, Matthew and Mark (Mark 8:27) agree with each other, and then Luke joins them (Luke 9:18), so that further events are told with slight differences by all three synoptics. Matthew tells the story in more detail here, from the end of the 16th to the 19th verse there is a story that is not found in other evangelists.
Caesarea is called Philippi, probably to distinguish it from Caesarea Palestine or Strato. The Savior asked the disciples about Himself, far from the Jewish world, hostile to Him. According to Jerome, Philip, the brother of Herod (Antipas), tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, built Caesarea in honor of Tiberius Caesar and himself, and in the time of Jerome it was called Panea. Whether Caesarea was located in the province of Phenicia, as Jerome claims, is difficult to say. Here the Jordan begins at the spurs of Lebanon from the confluence of two small rivers, one of which, according to Jerome, was called Jor, and the other Dan, which is where the name of the river came from - Jordan. The city was located at the foot of Lebanon near the so-called "upper" source of the Jordan, a day's journey from Sidon. It was once called Lais (Judges 18:7, 29) and after – Dan, but in Latin times – Panea or Panias from Mount Pania, at the foot of which it was located (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities”, XV, 10, 3; also Eusebius, “Church History”, VII, 17: ἐπὶ τῆς Φιλίππου Καισαρείας, ἣν Πανεάδα φοίνικες προσαγορεύουσιν ).
Currently, Caesarea is called Banias. The city and its surroundings were predominantly inhabited by pagans (Josephus, "The Jewish War", III, 9, 7). According to Mark 8:27 (Matthew's τὰς κώμας τὰ μέρη), Jesus Christ apparently did not enter it. Christ did not ask who the scribes and Pharisees thought He was, although they often came to Him and talked with Him. According to Zigavin, He asked the disciples not as if they were ignorant, but edifyingly, so that Peter would tell what was revealed to him.
Matthew 16:14. They said: some for John the Baptist, others for Elijah, and others for Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
Matthew 16:15. He says to them: Who do you say that I am?
Matthew 16:16. Simon Peter answered and said: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
(Wed (Mark 8:29) - simply: “You are the Christ”; (Luke 9:20): “for the Christ of God”).
Theophylact notes that Peter did not say: “You are the Christ, the Son (υἱός) of God,” i.e. without the article ὁ, but with the article – true – ὁ υἱός, i.e. He Himself, the One and Only Son, not by grace, but from the very essence of the Father, begotten, for there were many Christs (χριστοί): all the Old Testament kings and priests, but the true Christ (ὁ χριστός) is one.” Writing an article in Greek before the word “Christ” was almost equivalent to turning this word into the proper name of Christ, which it became in the primitive Church. All other Christs were, therefore, only nominal ones. The only Savior was actually and truly Christ. This is the meaning of Peter's confession. Christ is the Son of the Living God, God is called so in the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament (Num. 14:21; Deut. 32:40; 1 Kings 17:1; Ps. 41:3, 83:3; Isa. 37:4, 17, etc.) and often in the New (Matt. 26:63; John 6:57; Acts 14:15; Rom.9:26, 14:11, etc.). According to Chrysostom, Peter at that time was, as it were, the mouth of the apostles, and not only from himself, but from all of them, he gave his answer.
Peter's words were testimony to the true humanity of Christ and His true Divinity, on the recognition of which the entire life of the Church is based.
Matthew 16:17. Then Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven;
“Son of Jonah” – Hebrew Var – Jonah, rendered literally in Greek. Simon Peter's father was called John (Greek: Tischendorf), as seen in John 1:42, 21:15–17. In the Gospel of Matthew he is called the son of Jonah (only here), which actually means “dove.” As a shortened form of the name John, it is not found anywhere else. The word “revealed” (ἀπεκάλυψεν) does not indicate the revelation received by all the disciples already when they first followed Christ, but the revelation specifically given to Peter. “Flesh and blood” corresponds to the Hebrew “beshar vedam” (among the rabbis) - a descriptive expression instead of “man”, denoting his weakness due to the bodily side of the human organization. In the Talmud, this expression often denotes human nature as opposed to divine nature.
Matthew 16:18. and I say to you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it;
“Since Peter confessed Christ as the Son of God, He says: this confession, which you confessed, will be the foundation of believers, so that everyone who intends to build the edifice of faith will lay this confession as the foundation” (Theophylact). In two cases, two different words are used in Greek: in the first case, π´ετρος and in the second, πέτρα. Πέτρος, of course, is not the same as πέτρα. There has been enormous controversy about this saying, especially since the Reformation. Some (Catholics) said that Christ intended to create His Church in the person of Peter, and this gave rise to the well-known doctrine of the primacy of the Popes over the Church as Peter’s successors. Others have argued that the expression "thou art Peter" corresponds to Peter's words "thou art the Christ"; that the further πέτρα, in contrast to πέτρος, does not indicate the personality of Peter, but his confession, on which Christ created His Church. The difference between the practical consequences that emerge from these two interpretations is easily understood.
We would deviate from the truth if in such an important saying we began to mean only a play on words. But that Christ really promised to build His Church not on the person of Peter, this is indicated precisely by the fact that he changed the word πέτρος to πέτρα. Thus, the question is resolved if we focus the interpretation only on the word πέτρα, following the literal meaning of the gospel expression. The rock or “petra” never meant people in the Old Testament, but this expression was adopted by Jehovah (Deut. 32:4; 2 Sam. 22:32; Ps. 61:3, 94:1; Is. 26:4, 44:8). Only God, God in Christ or Christ in God, is the eternal rock on which the Church must be created. In the New Testament, πέτρα is never used about ordinary people (Matt. 7:24–25, 27:51, 60; Mark 15:46; Luke 6:48, 8:6, 13; 1 Pet. 2:4–7; Rom. 9:33; 1 Cor. 10:4; Rev. 6:15–16 ), but either about ordinary stones, or about Christ Himself. Thus, the natural conclusion is that Christ, using the name of Peter, pointed here only to Himself, and precisely in the sense in which Peter confessed Him to his disciples (hence - ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ).
The recognition and confession of His Son as the Living God, which came from the mouth of Peter, was to become the foundation of the Church. The expression, apparently, has the closest analogy in John 2:19, 21, when Christ pointed to the church, but in reality spoke about Himself.
The word "Church" is found in the Gospels only here and Matthew 18:17, but often in Acts, in the Apostle Paul, four times in the Council Epistles and several times in the Apocalypse corresponds to the Hebrew "kahal".
Theophylact understands the gates of hell as murder and adultery. But the expression πύλαι ᾅδου (gates of hell) is based on the figurative representation of hell as a building with strong gates (Wis.16:13; 3Mac.5:36). This is often found among the classics. The form “gate” is now preserved in the expression “Ottoman porta”, which means “Ottoman gate”. Our word “hell” means a place of eternal torment. But the Hebrew “sheol” or Greek hell had a broader meaning then. They signified the realm of death in general and thus the region of death or destruction. Anyone who died or was destroyed was in hell. The church in Christ's expression is compared to a building; so hell is compared with it. It is clear that one building cannot fight against another. It is conducted by the people who are and live in the building. The expression πύλαι ᾅδου, therefore, is figurative and is used because the struggle of the forces of hell against the Church is waged from its gates.
The last word "her" can refer (in the Greek text) to either the rock (τῇ πέτρᾳ) or the Church (ἐκκλησίαν), and this led Origen to offer the explanation that both were possible. But the relationship of “her” to the word “Church” is indicated by the closest position of “her” to this word, and mainly by the fact that, according to the meaning of Christ’s words, the hostile attacks of the forces of hell are directed not at one stone in the foundation, but at the entire building.
Matthew 16:19. and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
If earlier the Church was presented under the guise of a building, now the image changes: speech about the building is replaced by speech about the Kingdom of Heaven. The image of the keys, obviously taken from the building, is now applied to the Kingdom of Heaven. The latter, therefore, appears again under the guise of a building, which is entered through doors that are locked and unlocked. The expression “Kingdom of Heaven” means the same as the previous one – “Church”. Only the latter points more to the Church from its visible side, while the Kingdom of Heaven points more to the invisible and eternal side of the Church. The keys of hell are mentioned in Rev. 1:18; Wed Rev.9:1, 20:1.
“The writer depicts the risen Christ as having the keys of hell, i.e. power over it, the power to enter into it and release from it or plunge into it. Likewise, the Kingdom of Heaven is equated to a fortress with locked gates. Whoever has the keys can enter it, admit it or exclude it. According to Rev. 3:7, this power belongs to Christ Himself. The image has an analogy in Is. 22:22 and expresses the highest authority. To have keys means to have an absolute right, not disputed by anyone. It is possible that the word “keys” originally expressed the idea of Peter’s penetration into divine truth. His thought that Jesus is the Son of the Living God was the key with which Peter was allowed into the Kingdom of Christ. By leading others to the same faith, he could also open the Kingdom to them, in contrast to the scribes and Pharisees, who locked it up before the eyes of those who wanted to enter it (Matthew 23:13).” This place is usually understood in the sense of the right of clergy to absolve people or retain their sins.
Matthew 16:20. Then [Jesus] forbade His disciples not to tell anyone that He was Jesus Christ.
(Cf. Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21).
The evangelists Mark and Luke, skipping what is stated in Matthew in verses 17-19 and connecting Mark 8:30 and Luke 9:21 with their previous speech, talk about the same thing as Matthew, but express themselves completely differently from him. If Matthew had only repeated the words of Mark and Luke here, then the evangelist’s speech would have referred to the prohibition of speaking about what Christ said to Peter. But since Christ forbade talking not about this, but about the fact that He is Christ, Matthew changes the expressions περὶ αὐτοῦ - “about Him” (Mark) and τοῦτο - “this” (Luke) and says exactly: ἵνα μηδὲνὶ εἴπωσιν ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός ("so that no one should be told that He is the Christ"), which is not found in other synoptics, whose expressions, however, are as precise as those of Matthew. This verse forms the transition to further teaching about what is the true meaning of the dignity attributed to Christ by Peter and, no doubt, by other disciples. That Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, this could still be clear to both the disciples and the people.
But that the sufferings predetermined for Christ were connected with such names was incomprehensible even to the disciples themselves. If the disciples had prematurely revealed to the people the idea of the suffering Christ, this could have interfered with the fulfillment of the divine plans for suffering and, thus, made the true and correct implementation of the messianic idea seem incomplete. Therefore, the Savior, as can be seen from the expressions of the evangelists, persistently and strictly forbids the disciples to speak of what was revealed to them not by flesh and blood, but by His Heavenly Father.
Matthew 16:21. From that time on, Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again.
(Cf. Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22).
Christ's Galilean ministry to the common people was now over.
The word "elders" or "presbyters" was originally applied to such old people as could be fit representatives of the rest of the population in the council, but long before the time of Christ this name ceased to signify age and became the name of an office. It meant persons who were considered suitable, due to their high or influential position in society, to enter the Senate. The elders of the Sanhedrin were, without a doubt, the main persons in the state. They were like the sheikhs of the people. The word "sheikh" means "old man".
Matthew 16:22. And, calling Him back, Peter began to rebuke Him: Be merciful to Yourself, Lord! may this not happen to you!
Mark (Mark 8:32) is the only one who adds the words “and spoke openly about this.” Mark does not include the words that Peter spoke, and they are found only in Matthew. Peter's objection was based on the fact that his confession was completely contrary to Christ's actual speech about His suffering.
Matthew 16:23. He turned and said to Peter: get away from Me, Satan! you are a temptation to me! because you think not about what is God, but about what is human.
Peter's objection indicates that neither he nor the other disciples sufficiently understood Christ's speech about His true messianic greatness. “Peter, concluding the matter according to human and carnal reasoning, thought that the suffering of Christ was shameful and unusual for Him” (St. John Chrysostom). According to Chrysostom, Christ, answering Peter, said that hindering Him and lamenting His suffering was not only harmful and destructive for Peter, but that he himself could not be saved unless he was always ready to die. Some interpreters thought that it was not Peter who was now being blamed, but the evil spirit that inspired such speeches in the apostle. The same expression is used here as the Savior used in Matthew 4:10, and, without a doubt, He expressed it in relation to the same tempter. He looked for a moment through Peter and saw behind him His former enemy, who skillfully took advantage of the prejudices, temper and honesty of the simple-minded apostle.
In reality, it was the former temptation, which was now made through Peter, to avoid suffering, persecution, evil hatred, contempt and death, and instead to establish an earthly dominion with complete authority over the thrones of the earth.
Matthew 16:24. Then Jesus said to His disciples: If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me,
(Cf. Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).
Matthew says that this speech was spoken only to the disciples; Mark - to the disciples and the people; Luke - everyone. It is very difficult to explain where the people here came from. The speech of the evangelists shows that events did not happen as quickly as they imagine.
Chrysostom explains the verse this way: “I,” says the Savior, “do not force, I do not compel; but I leave this to everyone’s own will. That’s why I say: “if anyone wants.” I invite you to a good deed, and not to an evil and painful one, not to execution and torment, which I would need to force. The matter itself is such that it may attract you. By saying this, Christ only attracted us more to follow Him.” The cross here cannot mean violent death.
Matthew 16:25. for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it;
(Cf. Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24).
"Nefesh" (soul) in a later Hebrew text means person. Therefore, in Luke (Luke 9:25), the expression of the first two evangelists (Matt. 16:26; Mark 8:36) “to his soul” is replaced by the pronoun “to himself.” Likewise with the Seventy and Job.32:2; Proverbs 1:18, 19:8; Am.6:8. This means that the meaning of the Savior’s words is this: whoever wants to save himself will lose himself, etc. Here is one of the paradoxes with which the New Testament is generally rich. It indicates life as a result of self-denial, extending to the complete loss of this very life.
Matthew 16:26. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? or what ransom will a man give for his soul?
(Cf. Mark 8:36–37; Luke 9:25).
The word “ransom” (ἀντάλλαγμα) is designated differently by the Seventy and in the Hebrew text (Ruth.4:7; 1Kings.21:2; Job.28:15; Jer.15:13; Am.5:12; Sir.6:15, 26:17). The meaning of Christ's words is clear. The human soul has such value that the entire outside world is not worth it. If a person really, and not imaginary, destroys his soul or himself, then such destruction for him is unrewarded by anything. Therefore, a person must take care to save his soul, and such salvation is completely dependent only on following Christ and imitating Him.
Matthew 16:27. For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward everyone according to his deeds.
(Cf. Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26 - with the additions “who will be ashamed” and so on, which is not in Matthew).
The connection between this verse and the previous one is not clear enough; it must be sought in the 24th verse, placing verse 27 in close relation with it, and the intermediate verses 25 and 26 should be considered an interpolated explanation of the 24th verse. Thus, the train of thought is this: salvation is obtained from the Son of Man; only the one who follows Him, denying himself, is saved (verse 24). Such self-denial is necessary, because whoever does not deny himself may destroy his soul and will not be able to redeem it with anything (verses 25-26). The Son of Man will be the Judge of man at His second coming, during which it will be revealed who followed and did not follow Him, who denied themselves for His sake and who did not deny. Then He will reward everyone according to his deeds. Since the words “who will be ashamed” and so on (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26), defining and expressing the connection closer and more specifically, were already given by Matthew earlier (Matthew 10:33), he does not repeat them now, but adds the expression omitted by other evangelists: “and then he will reward each according to his deeds.”
Similar expressions are found in Job 34:11; Ps.61:13; Proverbs 24:12; Jer.32:19; Ezek.33:20.
Matthew 16:28. Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.
In Mark and Matthew the expressions are almost the same, in Luke they are somewhat different. The meaning of the sayings is clear. Not as an earthly king, but as a heavenly one, after persecution, suffering and death, Christ will enter His glory. Some of those who listened to Him will live to see this, will witness His suffering, death and resurrection. There is no need to say how this prediction of Christ was fulfilled, and, moreover, with literal accuracy.
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