by Giles Day

Created on: March 13, 2010   Last Updated: March 15, 2010

Matthew 16:13-23

Within these eleven verses, there are two different entities mentioned. They are distinctly separated one from the other in God's plan for humanity.  The first entity involves the nation of Israel as pertains to the life of Jesus and His disciples. They, of course, were of Jewish ancestry, and therefore were born under the dispensation of the law. The people of the nation of Israel wrestled with the concepts of grace as they were taught by Jesus, and even though many of them were believers, they had difficulty with these concepts their entire lives. As was clearly taught by Jesus in Matthew 5: 17-20, He did not come for the purpose of destroying the law, but rather He came to fulfill it.

The second entity mentioned here is the church. Christ knew that His followers would carry on His work, and He made preparation for that in this passage. His follower, Peter, would become the first great preacher within the church (Acts 2), as a result of his ministry, many would be saved. (Acts 2:41).It is unlikely that this former fisherman (Matthew 4:18) fully understood the entire scope of what the Master had in store for him, but it is clear that he was ready and willing to serve. In the book of Acts, Peter was not considered a church official, but he was numbered with the elders in Acts 6:4-7. All of original twelve, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, were the foundations of the early church, on which the church was built. The foundation is very important, even more important that the cornerstone,which is Jesus Christ Himself.

Replacement Theology claims that the church is simply an extension of the nation of Israel. This is a fallacy. While it is true that the nation did receive all of the promises, it is also a fact that they have rejected their Messiah. All of the Gospels contain the curse that the religious leaders brought down on themselves at the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They told Pilate that this man's blood (Jesus) wold be upon them and their children.

The ministry of the church is three fold: the Church, the family and the Government. Certainly these three areas are under attack, not only throughout the world, but also, and perhaps more importantly to us, through  the United States. Although our government is not Christian by any means, there are those who are Christian involved in the government. However, through legislation, and under the guise of political correctness, we are confronted every day with ideals and lifestyles that are condemned by God's Word. Jesus stated that the 'Gates of hell" would not prevail against the church, but He never claimed that the attacks from hell would not be a fierce one.

When will it end? The end will come when God decides enough is enough and takes the Church out of the world, leaving the world to it's own misery. At that time, the forces of evil will be unleashed on the world, and God's wrath will be unleashed on sinful humanity.  (Revelation 4: 1-22) A sad lesson can be learned about Peter's statement concerning Jesus' coming death in Jerusalem. Tis outspoken was coming off the spiritual high of being appointed by Christ to be an important part of the building of the early church. He was rebuked by his master by trying to out talk what was about to happen. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ was the centerpiece of the Gospel. (Eph. 1:7, Acts 4:12,Rom. 6:23, Lev. 17:11, etc.).We take notice of this because whenever we experience a spiritual high, we are at our most vulnerable.

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