Matthew 16
One day Jesus asked the disciples who the people said He was: they answered that some said He was John the Baptist; others, that lie was Elias (Elijah) or some other prophet. Then Jesus asked them,
“Whom do ye say that 1 am?” Peter answered,
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter and the other men with Jesus did not think He was a prophet come back to earth, but God’s own Son. The scriptures told of One to come from God, to be as God, and called Son (Psa. 2). The disciples believed Jesus was that holy One, celled The Messiah, which meant the ehosen and annointed by God: “The Christ” also means that.
Jesus knew whom the disciples thought Him, yet He wanted them to say, and was honored by Peter’s answer, Some people, now say Jesus was a great prophet or teacher, but do not give Him true honor as God’s Son. They have not believed God’s words about Him.
The holy One to come had been written of also as “a Rock and a sure foundation.” Isa. 28:16. So Jesus was that safe place for all who believed Him. He told Peter that on that Rock “He would build” the gathering together of His people, called the Assembly, or the Church.
Long before this, the temple of God was built in Jerusalem, and the people came there to honor God. But when the people sinned greatly and worshiped idols, the temple was spoiled. It was later, rebuilt and when Jesus was on earth, was highly regarded. But He spoke of the new building, not to be made of stones, but of people, who would believe that He was the Christ, the Son of God. These people are called. “living stones,” (verse 18; 1 Peter 2:5), and Peter and the others wh, believed were the first “stones” in this new “temple” to honor God (2 Cor. 6:16).
Because Jesus called Simon, “Peter”, meaning a stone, some have thought Peter was the “Rock” to be “built” upon. But the word, “Peter” did not mean a foundation rock, only Christ could be the One to trust. When Peter wrote of this building for God, he did not speak of himself, but of Christ, “the chosen of God”, and he called those who believed Him, “living stones ... . built up a spiritual house”. Christ is spoken of also as “the Corner Stone”, that which joins the stones together (1 Peter 2:4-6).
Jesus said He would give “the keys of the kingdom of Heaven” to Peter. That could not have meant real keys, because Jesus was not speaking of a building, but of the rule of God for His people on earth, We read that after Jesus had returned to Heaven, and the people were troubled at, the great sin of crucifying Him, Peter was the first to tell the way to God’s blessing,—by repenting their sin, and believing in Jesus, God’s Son. So Peter opened the way for them, as keys open a door (Acts chapters 2; 3:19-26).
We who read the words of Jesus, must decide how we would answer His question:
“Whom say ye that I am?” All who truly believe Christ, the Son of God, are “built” on that safe “Rock,” Christ. There is no other safe place.
ML 07/04/1943