The Rock and the Church Matthew Chapter 16 Mat 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ? The Lord Jesus in this verse, is presenting Himself as a human man All humans are the “ son of man , ” and this is what Peter , the other disciples, and our Lord Jesus of course, all had in common. But there is something special and completely unique about the humanity of our Lord Jesus There is one thing about the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is totally opposite from all other humans. Some people in that day were simply making the Lord Jesus equal with all other humanity Notice the disciples’ answer in the following passage. Mat 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. The prophets were human just as all men. But our Lord Jesus is not equal with all other humanity. And this is what He is exposing to the disciples , and why the Lord Jesus said this. Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God The distinction that matters here is ... Son of Man + Son of God = The Christ. Peter , just like the prophets , and all other men, was son of man + son of Adam Peter now understood that our Lord Jesus was not of the posterity of Adam , but rather of the posterity of God Himself Being human is not the problem for mankind Sin dwelling IN all of Adam’s posterity is the problem for mankind. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The gift of God is the ‘sinless’ human body of our Lord Jesus Christ. T hese three terms help us understand the issue. Son of man = human Son of Adam = wages of sin apply (Rom. 3:23) Son of God = wages of sin do not apply (1 st Jn. 3:9) The issue is one of posterity. Which posterity are we identified with? In our natural born state, it is the posterity of Adam, which can bring only death. 1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God And this is what Peter proclaimed. Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God And t here is the distinction that matters! Everyone had acknowledged that Jesus was “ Son of man ” But Peter has no w made the most important distinction. Mat 16:17 “ And Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘ Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee , but my Father which is in heaven. ’” What had been revealed to Peter was that Jesus is the Son of God . Not an ordinary man like the prophets. Not an ordinary man like Peter. And so, our Lord Jesus proceeds to use two different Greek terms, “petros” and “petra” to make the same important distinction Mat 16:18 “ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, ( Petros G#4074 ... human + Adam = small pebble ) and upon this rock ... (Petra G # 4073 ... man + God = Boulder Rock ) I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. “Hell” is not a reference to the lake of fire. The word “hell” is the Greek word “hades .” It is a reference to the place (state) of departed souls: - The grave And for the posterity of Adam, there are ‘gates’ to keep him in the grave. No man like Peter can deliver himself from the grave The “ gates ” keep him in! In verse 18 , our Lord Jesus is speaking of two things. First of all, t he “church” He is speaking of , are His eternal people That’s why He calls it “ my church.” The “church” spoken of by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 16:18, is not an organization created by man. It is the making and gathering of the eternal people of God. The Greek word translated “church” is ek - klay - see' - ah It simply means a called - out assembly And secondly in the verse , He is speaking of how He will obtain His eternal people. In verse 18, t he Lord Jesus just said, that His eternal assembly of people that He would gather unto Himself would be raised to life eternal, in a resurrection from their graves. The Lord Jesus said : “... I am the resurrection, and the life : he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live : ” (John 11:25) This “church” are people of true faith raised in resurrection to life eternal , and then gathered into one assembly for all eternity If the grave won’t prevail over this assembly of people , then a resurrection will obviously be needed. And at this resurrection, t hese believers are then made one with Christ’s sinless Body “ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh ; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church : ” (Ephesians 5:29). “ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones ” (Ephesians 5:30). “ And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body , the fulness of him that filleth all in all. ” (Ephesians 1: 22 & 23). Whose Body does the “church” come from ? Peter’s body? NO, Christ’s Body ! The Church is the Body of Christ. He is the Rock. “ Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his (Christ’s) body's sake, which is the church : ” ( Colossians 1:24). Again, Christ sai d... I am the resurrection , and the life : he that believeth in me, though he were dead , yet shall he live : (John 11:25). The Apostle Paul writes... “ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept ” (1Corinthians 15:20). “ For since by man (a human Adam) came death, by man (a human Christ) came also the resurrection of the dead ” (1 Corinthians 15:21). “ For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (again) ” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The Church must be built on the Rock Christ Jesus, or else ... “ And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. ” (1 Corinthians 15:17 - 20). That’s what the Lord Jesus was explaining to Peter in Matthew , c hapter 16. And there is an order to resurrection. The apostle Paul explains it here, 1Co r. 15:22 For as in Adam all die , even so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Co r. 15:23 “ But every man in his own order : Christ the firstfruits ; (That’s already happened) ... afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. ” This is the future resurrection of all believers of all time We can easily see that firstfruits is referring to a ceremony found in the Law of Moses that typifies resurrection It’s commonly called The Feast of Firstfruits. The first ‘seeds’ from the fruit of harvest, were to be saved to make ‘future seeds .’ Speaking of the purpose of His death, our Lord Jesus said, Joh 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die , it abideth alone: but if it die , it bringeth forth much fruit Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. His Body was the ‘Seed’ which died, so that He could “ ... bringeth forth much fruit ” , that is, make a people unto Himself for all eternity. This is the “church” in Matthew 16:18. Now note this v erse : “ Now to Abraham and his seed (singular) were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one , And to thy seed (singular), which is Christ ” (Galatians 3:16) Our Lord Jesus Christ indeed is the Seed from which all believers of all time will be resurrected. Believers will not be resurrected from the dead and remain the seed of Adam but be raised the Seed of Christ , a true member of His Body , and of His flesh , and of His bone s (Eph. 5:30) Only ‘this Seed’ will avoid the wages of sin which is ETERNAL death ! All those IN the Rock ( those who are the Church which is His Body) will avoid eternal death by a resurrection via Christ’s Body as He returns to this planet. Indeed, the “gates of the grave” will not hold the ek - klay - see' - ah of God’s eternal people in the ir grave s The ir graves will open wide. Just as Christ told Peter t he “ gates of hell (grave) shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) So, don’t be foolish ... place your faith in the Rock Christ Jesus , for a resurrection unto eternal life The Rock and the Church Matthew Chapter 16 www.blackhillsgracechurch.com