Jesus Teaches About the Foundation of His Church

During the first years of His ministry Jesus had criss-crossed the land of the Jewish people. He covered the territory and met with the people. He healed their sick, drove out demons, fed them and taught them. The people welcomed the earthly things that Jesus could provide them… they were happy to be healed and fed.

In the previous sermon on Matthew we read how a crowd of 5000 people had eaten His bread and enjoyed it… but when He used that opportunity to them about the true bread which would give them life everlasting… they didn’t understand. When He told them they must eat His flesh and drink His blood…  the people rejected His message.

In hindsight we know He meant they must believe and accept the sacrifice of His life to cover their sin and open the way to everlasting life... but after hearing what He had to say even many of those who had previously followed Him now left.

It was a winnowing or sifting of Jesus’ followers… to separate out those who would follow Him in faith…

Yet even the 12 didn’t really understanding what He said… but they trusted Him.  The crowds were amazed at the obvious miraculous power of Jesus, and they wanted to enjoy the benefits… but for His true followers the displays of power meant they could trust Him, that He truly was of God. That He was the prophesied Messiah.

After the miraculous feeding of the crowds and the rejection His teaching that quickly followed… Jesus’ ministry came to a turning point. From here on Jesus’ teaching would focus on the small nucleus of disciples. He would use these faithful disciples to start the Church. Jesus would talk to them about servant leadership, about forgiveness and reconciliation, and dealing with sin in the church.

But He begins by establishing some fundamentals here in Matt 16:13-28

Matt 16:13-16 The Church Must Recognize Who and What Jesus Is

The crowds did not see Jesus as the Messiah. They reckoned Him to be a great man and were willing to put Him up there with the highest… for example they speculated Jesus might be the prophesied Elijah who would  prepare the way for the true Messiah… important but not the ONE.

Peter’s reply was clearly an acknowledgement of Jesus as a divine part of the God family. Peter understands that this Jesus is the Son of the living God… Not merely a great man or a new prophet. 

This fundamental understanding that Jesus Christ came as God in the flesh lets you go to the next level. To believe and understand how the sacrifice of this one life can pay the death penalty of sin for every person who ever lived and will ever live. The death of a mere “great man” or a prophet could perhaps pay the penalty for one other person… but not the penalty for all.

Jesus asks because He wants to hear them say it… to know that they know. Likewise the church must recognize and teach the divinity of Christ. It is a fundamental principle that you do not mess with. Without it there is no sacrifice for sin. (in fact every person must confess that He is God)

Matt 16:17-18 The Church is Built on the Foundation of Jesus Christ

Peter is the first to openly recognize Jesus’ divinity and Jesus commended him.

Then He gives a riddle / a pun / a word play. Simon Bar-Jona’s Greek name was Peter. So what Jesus said is something like “you are Petros, and on this Petra I will build my congregation”.

·        Petros – is a piece of rock (for example a hewn stone)

·        Petra – is a huge mass of rock (for example a bedrock slab you would build on as a foundation)

So the petra is the massive bedrock that the smaller hewn stone is placed on as if you were starting to build a temple etc.

Peter is the first to confess with his mouth that Jesus is the Son of the Living God and as such Peter is the first building stone to be placed on the foundation as part of the process of building the church.

Given the context you could also say the bedrock and foundation of faith is the acceptance and professing that Jesus Christ is the son of the Living God.

What about the Gates of Hell? The phrase is one Jewish people used to indicate the place where all the dead people go… the grave. So it’s a poetic or folksy way of saying that the Church would never die… beginning with the foundation of the church, Jesus Christ, who death could not retain a hold on Acts 2:24

Matt 16:19-20 Establishing Authority Within The Church

Jesus had hinted before about what the future had in store for Him in Jerusalem… He talked about the sign of Jonah for example. But He had not plainly set the matter before the disciples. He knew He would be leaving them in the near future… but they weren’t on that page yet. They don’t realize it but Jesus now begins to explain how He will delegate much of the church’s life to them.

·        He will hand the keys to them…. The disciples of Christ will regulate and administer the functions of the church. An assembly of God’s people doesn’t just happen. People work behind the scenes to make it go.

·        Binding & Loosing… The disciples of Christ will have to make decisions about how to apply the law (like the judges of Israel) and make rulings on sometime difficult matters.

Rev 1:18; 3:7 Jesus is still the key holder – the church only acts on His behalf.

Jesus does not yet tell them how this would all function via the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. All they know is that the church will not be left without authority and power.

Then, He warns them to tell no one about the Messiah. Why?

Of all those who had listened only the disciples seem to have been humble enough to dig deeper, to ask him to explain further, and believe what He said. They had the beginnings of faith and understanding. And it would lead to greater faith and understanding later. But if they were to go forth with only what they now understood they would misrepresent Jesus and lead people in the wrong direction about what the Messiah would accomplish.

They didn’t know that part yet. They were not ready.

Matt 16:21-23 Jesus Explains The True Work Of The Messiah

Like all Jews the disciples had ideas about the re-establishment of the nation of Israel in righteousness… sweeping social change and reform. But all that would be a fruitless rehash of the past that would not lead to anything lasting.

For everlasting results the work of the Messiah would have to address the problem of sin and the human heart. A sacrifice was needed to redeem humans from the death penalty of sin… to pay the penalty for them. As creator of all people His one life could pay the penalty for all people. Colossians 1:16 – logic: everything that was created was created by Christ, therefore Christ could not be a created being.

Jesus death makes no sense until you grasp His divinity. Otherwise, He’s just a lonely martyr on a desolate hill in a forgotten history book, in a dusty library. The disciples had taken that vital step forward in faith. So, now Jesus could move forward explaining the true work of the Messiah.

Next He lays another brick of doctrinal truth on the foundation… the Messiah would be raised to life by the Father to open up the doors of eternal everlasting life and entry into the Kingdom of God. Wow… that’s not what the disciples were expecting.

Peter says “no way! I will never allow such a thing to happen”. He’s responding instinctively out of great love for Jesus and a desire to preserve and protect Him from death, suffering, defeat etc… Peter is probably also motivated by a his personal desires to see the work of Messiah fulfilled in a more glorious victorious manner.

Why does Jesus say “get behind me Satan”? – Peter was offing up stumbling block of temptation. It was the familiar temptation Satan had offered in the desert… to accomplish all the “good” of the KOG without suffering the death of sacrifice. Luke’s record says after Satan’s offer was rejected he left Jesus until opportunity presented itself again.

Remember that after the feeding of the 5000 the crowd wanted to make Jesus their king… He had to shake that temptation off with a night of prayer. Now temptation comes in the beguiling form of one who loves Him… and whom He loved back.

Note: Jesus would stand down that same temptation in the Garden when He prayed "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

To Satan He said “get away from me” (banishment) to Peter Jesus says “get behind me” (restoration)… you place is behind Me, to follow Me… not to lead me where you think I should go.

Matt 16:24-25 Implications For Church: Crucified With Christ

Christ sacrifice for sin is a teaching of cosmic proportions… but it also has very earthly implications for anyone who is called to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus’ day a person who wanted to become a disciple of some great teacher or rabbi would sit at the feet of his master. He would follow the teacher around throughout the day and learn… day after day. A disciple learned through formal lessons but also through imitation of the master/teacher in matters of day to day living.

As a disciple you are not merely called to  be good. You are called to take up your cross and follow the same path of self denial… putting to death the old person you were.

Each of us has our cross (not all are as dramatic as Jesus’): Will I give up that secret sin… Will I do that disagreeable duty… will I remain loyal in this dark and lonely trial… will I sacrifice my ambition, my comfort, my status… to follow God in obedience. To do His will rather than my own. To crucify the flesh?

Jesus has hinted to the disciples about the straight gate, the narrow way… now He begins laying it out before them. His self sacrifice is cosmic in it effect on humanity… but it also has personal implications for those who are called to the assembly of God (the church)...  It is a call to, and an example of, personal sacrifice… and suffering.

Matt 16:26-27 You Can’t Take It With You

The world is based on material things… none of which you can take with you into, or beyond, the grave. Spend the moments of your life on these things and you’ll regret it. You’ll have nothing to show for yourself when you are raised up and may lose the opportunity for eternal life entirely.

Nothing you have gained can be offered to Him as a substitute for your heart and soul. They cannot be exchanged for developing the mind of God.

But if you let go of yourself… let your selfish desires, lusts, angers, animosities… all those works of the flesh… and put on the mind of Christ by taking up your cross and walking with it daily… then you’ll build the mind of Christ in you… and that’s something to show for yourself on the day you are raised.

Take the risk… willing to lose it all. “bet your life that God exists and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”.

A Promise From Jesus

Jesus was laying out a lot of heavy material for the disciples… rejection, death, suffering, self-denial. It was probably overwhelming. But with God there is always a light a the end of the tunnel… a goal that is not only bright and shiny but worth reaching for.

Towards the end of this lesson Jesus lets the disciples know that the Messiah will indeed come in triumph, and glory, and splendor, and power… but not right now. First, He must address the problem of sin and the human heart. Then He must be victorious over death and open the way for those who will follow Him.

He finishes with a promise: that some of those who are with Him will be given a dramatic preliminary glimpse of the power and the glory of the Messiah. Verse 28 – “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”.

It was an experience they remembered for the rest of their days and surely helped them in dark moments. But we’ll leave that for the sermon on Jesus teachings in the book of Matthew.