08/17/20 JESUS’ FIRST MENTION OF CHURCH — Matthew 16:13-20 is the FIRST time Jesus mentioned “Church.” Near Caesarea Philippi, Jesus gave His disciples a quiz with only 2 questions. His first question is in v.13: Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” That question is interesting, but NOT of eternal consequence.

In v.15 He asked them one of the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS EVER: “But YOU,… who do YOU say that I am?” With God’s prompting, Simon gave the PERFECT ANSWER in v.16: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” THAT’s the question each person will one day be required to answer. And his/her answer has eternal consequences (see 1 Cor.12:3)!

In v.18 Jesus officially changed Simon’s name to “Peter”: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The Lord made a never-to-be-forgotten play on words: “Peter” is actually “Petros” in Greek, meaning a relatively small stone (maybe we should call him “Pebble” or “Rockie” instead!); the feminine form of his name in Greek is “petra,” which means “a foundation boulder” (according to MacArthur’s Study Bible).

Then Jesus told us at least four things about the Church: (1) Conservative Bible scholars agree that Jesus meant that Peter’s CONFESSION was the FIRM FOUNDATION of the Church (NOT Peter himself!); (2) The Church belongs exclusively to Jesus (NOT to any of us or denominations, etc.)—it’s HIS Church; (3) He had NOT birthed it yet—“I WILL build it”; and (4) The ULTIMATE VICTORY of His CHURCH is GUARANTEED! Praise the Lord!