John Calvin Commentary Matthew 16:28

"Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." — Matthew 16:28 (ASV)

Truly, I say to you. As the disciples might still hesitate and ask when that day would be, our Lord encourages them with the direct assurance that He will soon give them a proof of His future glory. We know the truth of the common proverb that for one who is in expectation, even speed looks like delay; but this never holds more true than when we are told to wait for our salvation until the coming of Christ.

To support His disciples in the meantime, our Lord offers them, for confirmation, an intermediate period. It was as if to say, “If it seems too long to wait for the day of My coming, I will address this in due time; for before you die, you will see with your eyes that kingdom of God, of which I tell you to maintain confident hope.” This is the natural meaning of the words, for the notion adopted by some—that they were intended to apply to John—is ridiculous.

Coming in his kingdom. By the coming of the kingdom of God we are to understand the manifestation of heavenly glory, which Christ began to make at His resurrection, and which He afterwards demonstrated more fully by sending the Holy Spirit and by performing miracles.

For by those beginnings He gave His people a taste of the newness of the heavenly life, when they perceived by certain and undoubted proofs that He was sitting at the right hand of the Father.