Photo by chris liu on Unsplash
In both Matthew 16:13-18 and Mark 8:27-30 we see a test and a teaching that Jesus gave to His Apostles in the towns of Caesarea Philippi. Jesus was explaining something very important about His Church.
As we study these texts tonight, we need to understand the importance of the reading and studying the Bible reverently, and in context.
The Bible is the work of God. It was written by God the Holy Spirit as He moved the Biblical authors. We are told by the Apostle Peter, “no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible is a holy Book. It’s God made. When God saves the believer, He enters the believer as “The Spirit of Truth” (John 14:17; 15:26) specifically to …
John 16:13 …… GUIDE YOU INTO ALL THE TRUTH ..
The One Who wrote the Scripture will define the Scripture. Keep this in mind as you look at our focal text.
Jesus Tests His Church
Matthew 16:13-18 KJV 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? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 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. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Location Is Important: When Jesus asked His question, He and the Apostles were at “CAESAREA PHILIPPI”. Location is important when you’re studying the Bible. In Caesarea Philippi – a Roman stronghold – the people worshiped many gods and goddesses. There was Pan, Zeus, Hermes, Nemesis, Tyche … lots of false gods and goddesses. As our Lord traveled the length of the Holy Land, He had healed many, and reached out to both Jews and Gentiles. So Jesus asks:
Whom do MEN say that I the Son of man am?
What does the general public consider Jesus to be? Here Jesus refers to Himself as “The Son of Man”. So what is Jesus asking?
In the Old Testament, the phrase “son of man” first referred to a descendant of Adam, a human. Humans are fallen creatures. The Scripture says:
Numbers 23:19 NKJV – GOD IS NOT A MAN, that He should lie, NOR A SON OF MAN, that He should repent. …
King David called himself a “son of man”, and marveled that God would even care about him (Psalm 144:3). God frequently called the Prophet Ezekiel a “son of man” (Ezekiel 2:1, 3, 6, 8). Our Lord Jesus called Himself “The Son of Man” (Matthew 8:20). When Jesus used the phrase, He was not saying He was just a descendant of Adam. When the Prophet Daniel saw the coming of the Messiah, he wrote:
Daniel 7:13-14 NKJV I was watching in the night visions, And behold, ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then TO HIM WAS GIVEN DOMINION AND GLORY AND A KINGDOM, That ALL PEOPLES, NATIONS, AND LANGUAGES SHOULD SERVE HIM. HIS DOMINION IS AN EVERLASTING DOMINION, WHICH SHALL NOT PASS AWAY, And HIS KINGDOM THE ONE WHICH SHALL NOT BE DESTROYED.
So there are two uses of the phrase “son of man” in the Bible. The first use is a reference to a descendant of Adam, a human being. But the second use is for the Messiah.
So here’s the test Jesus gave. “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”. How do people regard Jesus? Is He just a “son of man”, a man like other men? Or is He Someone else? The Apostles answer:
Matthew 16:14 KJV Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
These are all fine men. Jesus said of John the Baptist:
Matthew 11:11 NKJV – Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has NOT RISEN ONE GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST …
The Prophet Elijah stood against the false prophets on Mount Carmel, and called fire down from Heaven (1 Kings 18:36-39). And the Prophet Jeremiah was called by God while still in his mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:4-5). These were all great men. But as descendants of Adam, they were all fallen creatures. Compared to the holy and righteous God of the Scripture, all who are under the title of “son of man” fall short. As Bildad the Shuhite rightly said:
Job 25:4-6 NKJV How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? 5 If even the moon does not shine, And the stars are not pure in His sight, 6 How much less man, who is a maggot, And A SON OF MAN, WHO IS A WORM?”
The people who saw Jesus at work saw Him as a great Prophet, a Miracle Worker, but nonetheless just a man. They did not see Jesus as The Son of Man, The Messiah.
So Jesus tests His Church. He asks:
Matthew 16:15 KJV But WHOM SAY YE THAT I AM?
Jesus drops the title “Son of Man”, and asks “Who do YOU – the ones who have been called by Me and have been following Me – think that I am?” And Peter speaks up:
Matthew 16:16 KJV And Simon Peter answered and said, THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.
Peter’s response is NOT that Jesus is just a man like all other men. He is “The Son of Man” prophesied in the Book of Daniel. Jesus is the Messiah. Not only this, but Jesus is “The SON OF THE LIVING GOD”. He is God the Son.
Now Jesus speaks, and this is where several denominations of Churches fail the test. Jesus is recognizing Peter’s STATEMENT as being from God. But some think that Jesus conveyed particular power on Peter because of his statement – and that …
Peter Was Ordained The First Pope
Matthew 16:17-18 KJV 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. 18 And I say also unto thee, THAT THOU ART PETER, and UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Preach! The devil is always trying to disrupt and destroy the Church. The Church is God’s Kingdom on earth. The Church is a body of believers, all Holy Spirit indwelt, all Priests and Kings unto God (Revelation 1:5-6; 5:10). The local Church is taught by a Pastor and by teachers. The Church is under the leadership of it’s High Priest, Jesus Christ, and follows the clear teachings of the Bible, the Word of God. The devil is always attempting to reconstruct and twist what God made – just as He did in the Garden of Eden. Jesus was not here making a Pope, or a Vicarius Christi, a Vicar of Christ on the earth.
Jesus’ words are not a transfer of power to one man – but a recognition of power and its Source in the Church.
Was Jesus not saying, “Peter, I’m going to build My Church on you”? This is what the devil would have us believe, that the Church is built on a man. We have proof of this in the text itself, and in the context of Scripture. Let’s examine the words of our Lord.
1 The Greek makes a transfer of power unlikely.
THAT THOU ART PETER {petros}, and UPON THIS ROCK {petra} I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH
Word Study: Peter’s name is the Greek petros, which means “a small, movable stone”. The work ROCK is the Greek petra, which means “a solid rock, a rock mass, something solid like a foundation you would build on”. Peter is a pebble, a movable stone. But the Church is not built on a pebble.
Peter is a pebble. Jesus is not building His Church on a pebble, but on a PETRA, strong rock foundation.
2 The reaction of the other Apostles makes a transfer of power unlikely.
It is the nature of sinful man to want to be the boss of others, to be the top, to be the ruler. Humility has to be taught, but pride is inherent in every human. When Jesus told Peter, “ THAT THOU ART PETER {petros}, and UPON THIS ROCK {petra} I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH”, what was the reaction of the other Apostles. Did they walk away from there that day saying,
“Wow! Jesus just made Peter the Pope!
We’ve got to do what Peter says from now on.”
No, they didn’t. As a matter of fact, the subject of power and ruling among the Apostles come up just a few chapters after this. The Apostles ask Jesus a question:
Matthew 18:1 NKJV – At that time THE DISCIPLES CAME TO JESUS, saying, “WHO THEN IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?”
What they are asking is “Who’s the most important, the Vicarius Christi among us”? Jesus didn’t stop them and say, “Don’t you remember back at Caesarea Philippi I told you the Church is going to be built on Peter? He obviously is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven!” No, Jesus doesn’t say that. Peter himself didn’t interpret what Jesus said in Caesarea Philippi as a promotion to Pope, or he would have interrupted their grumbling and said, “Don’t you remember Jesus made me Pope?” How did Jesus answer their question?
Matthew 18:2-4 NKJV – Then Jesus CALLED A LITTLE CHILD TO HIM, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, UNLESS YOU ARE CONVERTED AND BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN, YOU WILL BY NO MEANS ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 4 “Therefore whoever HUMBLES HIMSELF AS THIS LITTLE CHILD IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
Jesus did not set Popes and Fathers and Reverends and Theological Doctors over the Church to rule it. The HUMBLE rule the Church. The ones that seek God’s Word and cling to it, and share it, and would die for it. Those who are willing to die daily for Christ, suppress their pride, and let God use them. These are those whom God will use. In our day we want to Church to be a corporation, a business, with a well trained CEO running it. That’s not the Church. The Church is Christ’s Kingdom, and Christ is our King.
Jesus Set Overseers And Stewards To Guard And Feed The Church – Not Bosses Or Dictators
Greatness in the Kingdom of Christ is based on serving, just as Jesus served – even unto death. We read:
Matthew 20:25-28 NKJV – Jesus called {the Apostles} to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 “YET IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU; but WHOEVER DESIRES TO BECOME GREAT AMONG YOU, LET HIM BE YOUR SERVANT. 27 “And WHOEVER DESIRES TO BE FIRST AMONG YOU, LET HIM BE YOUR SLAVE– 28 “just as THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE a ransom for many.”
As Jesus is, we who are His are. The key to a powerful Church is to understand Who has the authority. The Word of God, rightly applied, has the authority. The Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, has the authority.
3 What happens after Peter’s declaration proves to us that the Church cannot be built on one fallible man. When we started looking at Matthew 16:13-18, I told you that Mark 8:27-30 covers the same event at Caesarea Philippi. Let’s look at that text:
Mark 8:27-30 KJV And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I AM? 28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elijah; and others, One of the prophets. 29 And he saith unto them, BUT WHOM SAY YE THAT I AM? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, THOU ART THE CHRIST. 30 And HE CHARGED THEM THAT THEY SHOULD TELL NO MAN OF THEM.
The Evangelist Mark is a lot more abbreviated in his account of what happened at Caesarea Philippi. If Jesus had made Peter the Pope, I’m pretty sure that Mark wouldn’t have left out that whole “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church”. I think the Holy Spirit put this abbreviated retelling of the event for a reason, one that will show up in just a moment.
Let’s say for the sake of argument that “David is wrong in this interpretation. Peter is the Pope, and the Church is built on the Pope, on an Apostolic Succession of Popes.
Mark 8:31-33 KJV {Jesus} began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he spake that saying openly. And PETER TOOK JESUS, AND BEGAN TO REBUKE HIM. 33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, HE REBUKED PETER, saying, GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN: for THOU SAVOREST NOT THE THINGS THAT BE OF GOD, BUT THE THINGS THAT BE OF MEN.
Peter did so well that Jesus commended him at Caesarea Philippi. But now Peter is SATAN. This illustrates something we all have to understand.
The Church Is Built On One Man, The Messiah,
The Son Of Man & God The Son, Christ Jesus
The Church is not built on a fallible man, but on God Who became Man, Jesus Christ. The Church is governed by the Word of God, plainly taught. It’s priests are the people, all Spirit indwelt, who love and follow the Word of God. When Peter later wrote to the Church, notice how he refers to himself:
1 Peter 5:1-3 NKJV The elders who are among you I exhort, I WHO AM A FELLOW ELDER and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD WHICH IS AMONG YOU, serving as OVERSEERS, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 NOR AS BEING LORDS OVER THEM ENTRUSTED TO YOU, but BEING EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK
Peter called himself “A FELLOW ELDER”. He did not set himself above his fellow Pastors. And he commanded that the Pastors NOT act as LORDS over the Church, but to be examples. The Church is taught by Pastors and teachers from the Word of God, the Bible. The foundation of the Church is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let’s go back to Jesus’ test of the Church. When He asked …
Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Jesus was separating the lost from the saved. The lost believe that Jesus is a great teacher, a great prophet, a wonderful healer. The lost admire Jesus as the Founder of a world religion. But to the world, Jesus was born of Joseph and Mary, born just like all other people have been born since the formation of Adam and Eve. But those who are Christians like Peter believe Jesus to be …
Matthew 16:13-18 KJV THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.
We who are saved know Who Jesus really is. Jesus is THE Son of Man, THE Messiah, the One that Israel has been waiting for, the One prophesied of in the Old Testament Scripture. Believers that are true believers know Jesus. When Jesus told Peter:
I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter
Jesus was telling Peter, “I know who YOU are, as well”. Peter knew Jesus, and Jesus knew Peter. Jesus knew that the Father opened Peter’s eyes to the truth as to Who Jesus really is.
The Church is built on the Rock, build on the assurance – God given to each believer – that Jesus is “THE Christ, The One and Only Messiah, THE Son of God”. Jesus is fully human, but He is born of supernatural generation. He was not born of Mary and Joseph. Jesus was born, conceived of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18–20 and Luke 1:34–35). Though He can trace His lineage back to Adam through His mother Mary (Luke 3:23–38), God Himself is the Father of Christ. This created a Holy Child that was, is, and will always be free from sin. As the Messiah Jesus came to this earth, sent of the Father (John 5:36–37; 6:38 and 8:42) to establish His Church, and to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
The Bible tells us that (2 Timothy 2:19) “The Lord knoweth them that are His.” We know Jesus, and listen to Jesus, and follow Jesus. Jesus said:
John 10:27-30 NKJV My sheep hear My voice, and I KNOW THEM, and THEY FOLLOW ME. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and [My] Father are one.
The devil is doing his best to try and make the Church like the world. The Church is a body of believers who serve one another, and glorify the Lord Who saved them by living their lives for Him. Each believer is a priest before God, and Jesus Christ is our High Priest.
We are not a corporation.
We are not a business.
We are not a self help group.
We are the Kingdom of God on the earth.
As long as we work together for the glory of God, honoring His Word, and loving one another, the Church cannot be destroyed by Satan or by the world. Let us live for Him.
