When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 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.”
Let us note a few things about this text. First, in the text Jesus inquired of His disciples about what was being said by the people as to His identity. Evidently people were not fully sure who Jesus truly was. They were saying that He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or a prophet. It was then that Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said he was “blessed” and that no man had told Him about His identity. He simply told him that God, Himself, had revealed it to him.
Jesus then told Peter of His plans to build His church and that Hades, itself could not stop it! Jesus then gave to Peter “the keys” to the kingdom of heaven, the church! He used those “keys” when he preached the first gospel sermon in Acts, chapter two. Think about what Jesus said, in that Jesus, Himself, would build His church. That church that He built came into existence: ONE CHURCH, not many churches that we see in the worldly churches throughout our land. Why can people not understand that basic, fundamental truth about Jesus and His church? I would suggest that is why Paul described Jesus’ church as “the churches of Christ” in Romans 16.16. He knew to Whom the church belonged, Jesus Christ!
Think about it!
Kevin Williams
