Upon This Rock Jesus will Build His Church - Matthew 16:18

Matthew the apostle wrote, “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? And they said, Some say that you are John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He said unto them, But whom say you that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven”, and in chapter sixteen and verse eighteen of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus told Peter, “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” where we read

And I say also unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The verse reads, “And I say also unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;”. Matthew began with the words, “and I say” whose name means “and Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed” “also” or “even so and indeed” “unto you” or “to Peter”, “that you are Peter” which is the Greek word “petros” and means “that you are a little stone or pebble”, “and upon this rock” which is the Greek word “petra” or “and on this large rock, stone, cliff or crag” “I will build”, “my church” which means “Jesus will erect, promote and found His company of Christians or of those who are hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake”. Matthew shared How Jesus referred to Peter as a “little stone or pebble” but He would establish His “church” upon the “large stone or rock” of Himself and His word.

The verse continues, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew added the words, “and the gates” which means “and the leaf or wing of folding entrance” “of hell” or “belonging to death, the nether world, the realm of the dead, the grave or the place of departed souls” “shall not prevail against” or “will not be superior in strength, overcome or overpower” “it” which refers to “the church”. Matthew shared how Jesus declared not even the “gates of hell” would “overcome and overpower” His “church”.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus promised to establish His church upon His word, and no person or entity would be able to “overcome” it. Jesus is the living word of God, and when He states something shall be established, it will. The church of Jesus Christ has prevailed for almost two thousand years since Jesus said these words, and not even the power of “death, hell and the grave” shall “prevail” against it. May all who read these words become a part of the church of Jesus by believing and trusting in Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” today and be assured, nothing shall “overcome” God's “church”.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus tells Peter, “I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.