Before the Church Could be Established
Jesus promised to build His church in Matthew 16:18: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” In the same context, remember Peter had confessed Jesus as the “Messiah” in verse 16, Jesus goes on to say of the “Messiah:” “He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day” (verse 21).
Before the church could be established, the Messiah had to be crucified and raise from the dead. In fact, recall from Jeremiah 31:31-34 that a key component of the new covenant God would make with mankind consisted of the forgiveness of sins. Jesus’ covenant was established on the fact that His blood would forgive sins (Matthew 26:28).
The prophet Ezekiel (in 36:27) promised that God would send His Holy Spirit over His people, giving them a new heart. Jesus told His disciples in John 7:38-39 that the Holy Spirit would be given, once He was glorified, that is, raised from the dead and ascended into heaven.
What we see, then, is that the Messiah must die for sins and raise from the dead. Then the forgiveness of sins would be made available to His new covenant community, through His shed blood. Once that was made available, the Holy Spirit would come, guiding mankind in worshipping and serving the Creator. This is the historical working out of God’s eternal plan.
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Once the Messiah had died, risen, and ascended into heaven, forgiveness of sins was available and the Holy Spirit could be given. Having accomplished all of that, the church of Christ was prepared to be established (Luke 24:47-49; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4).
Again, in the life of the individual Christian, once he/she has been united with the resurrected Christ, received forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), then she/he is added to the church of Christ (Acts 2:47).
–Paul Holland
