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If we try to summarize what Matthew 16:13-20 says in a sentence, I think it would be something like this: there are many opinions who Jesus is but one reality upon which Jesus builds his church.
So three big ideas, one sentence, many realities. I mean, sorry, many opinions, one reality, and on this reality, Jesus builds his church.
Let’s just walk through those three big ideas and see if they emerge from Matthew 16:13-20. First of all, many opinions, verse 13.
“Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi,”
This district or region was about 25 to 30 miles north of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus and his disciples have been, up near the base of Mount Hermon. It is within Israel, but it is mostly pagan. The area is known as Paneas after the god Pan, the god of forests and flocks. Statues of the deities, these false gods, are carved into or placed in the rock cliff, and a shrine was constructed. We go to this place today, and you can actually see the shelves still carved in the rock where the idols were placed.
Why would Jesus take his disciples to a mostly pagan place to ask them these two questions about his identity? Let’s see if we can see some reasons for that as we walk through the text. Look at verse 13 again.
“Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Now, most likely these survey suggestions are people who are assuming that Jesus is continuing the ministry of these Old Testament characters. Jesus is taking up the mantle of Elijah and carrying it on, or Jesus is taking up the mantle of Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. But as you can see, there are many different opinions. No one really is sure.
In 2015, the Barna Group did a fairly sizable survey study on what Americans think of Jesus. 92% believe Jesus Christ was a real person who actually lived. 52% believe Jesus committed sins like other people. So, he was merely a rabbi or some sort of guru. 46% do not believe Jesus sinned, that he is divine. 63% say they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus as their Savior.
More recently, just a few weeks ago, Ligonier Ministries revealed the results of their study, The State of Theology. This is a little different. They’re narrowing the scope of the survey to people who self-identify as evangelical. Look at the results. These are just a view samples. 98% believe there is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. That’s good. Yet, 53% believe the Holy Spirit is a force, but is not a personal being. That contradicts the last one for a lot of people. Just over 50% believe Jesus was a great teacher, but was not God, yet 98% said he’s God the Son.
There are many other examples of that kind of confusion that emerged from that survey. It might tell us one of a couple things. One, it might tell that a lot of people who self-identify as evangelicals aren’t attending a Bible-teaching church. A lot of people who self-identify as evangelicals are attending churches that aren’t really teaching. Maybe one of those two, maybe something else. But the point is that our day is not that much different from Jesus’s day.
1. Many opinions
2. One reality
Second, one reality. And this becomes evident when Jesus presses in and asks a more personal question.
“He said to them [verse 15], ‘But who do you say that I am?’”
Can you imagine Jesus looking right in your eyeballs and saying, “Who do you say that, I am?” Jesus is undistracted by the variety of opinions, not impressed with survey results. He wants to get really personal.
“And Simon Peter [in verse 16] replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”
Simon Peter, representing the twelve, states Jesus’s identity very clearly. You are the Christ.
Years ago, Dr. Al Mohler was a featured speaker at a debate in Washington, D.C., and he was kind of the token theological conservative. So the entire environment was fairly hostile. He was probably the only one there who believed what the Bible says. And about halfway through, they opened it up for a Q&A. And this one man stood up and introduced himself as a NASA scientist and just happened to mention his multiple PhDs, and then explained to Dr. Mohler,
“I am a Christian . . . but I believe different from you. I don’t want theology. Theology just divides. I just want Jesus Christ.”
And by this point, Dr. Mohler had been attacked so often, he acknowledges, I was a bit frazzled. I didn’t lose my temper or anything, he said. I was just tired. And so he responded just a bit sarcastic to the guy with all the PhDs. He said, are you listening to yourself? Do you think the name Jesus Christ is Christ, is that his last name? Like you think you could go to first century Palestine and find a post office box with Christ, Jesus. Apparently.
Then he went on to explain what the name, the title, Christ actually means. Let’s look at that. The Greek word is “Christos,” and you literally cannot say the name Christ without making a theological statement. It means Messiah. It means anointed One. It is embedded within a huge story that takes us all the way through the Old Testament where prophets are prophesying of the coming One, the anointed One, the Messiah.
Passages like Psalm 2 that tell us that he is the one who will inherit the nations. He is the One who is both David’s son and David’s Lord. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. We don’t get to make up who we think Jesus is. He is The Christ. But what this NASA scientist wanted to do is something most Americans want to do. We want to take Jesus and reform him like an idol in our own 21st century image so that he reflects what I want out of a savior.
Peter said, you are the Christ. He was saying, you’re the one that God promised. You are the fulfillment of all these prophecies. We don’t tell you who you are, you tell us who you. You are the Christ. And then he goes on, you are the son of the living God. And this is where the setting in Caesarea Philippi can be helpful because you wonder if Jesus is teaching at the base of that cliff. Peter might have been thinking when he said, son of the living God, pointing in contrast to all the dead gods, the stone gods like Pan, who was up on the wall as a dead God. No, you are the son of living God. You’re not just another idol in our lives. You are living, and you are the Son of the living God.
When I talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses, as many of you have, I find they typically want to start with prophecy and then talk about all these secondary things. And I generally don’t want to spend time doing that. I simply ask them, who is Jesus? Who is Jesus and they generally will say the Son of God. But what they view is “son” implies inferiority to them.
So I ask them a second question, what is Jesus? And they look at me funny, and that’s reasonable. A lot of people look at me funny. But what is Jesus? If I am a human being, and I have a son, what is he? He is human. So if God is divine and he has the son, not an adopted child, like we’re adopted into the family of God, but his only son, what is he? He is divine. He is God. And this is what Peter is saying. And Peter is probably saying more than he fully understands that he is saying, he makes a remarkable confession. But look at Jesus’s response in verse 17. Jesus answered him, blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. Bar is the word, Hebrew word for son. Jonah is short for Jonathan. So Simon, son of Jonathan. “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
Why is Peter described as blessed? What has he done? Nothing. What has been done to him? The Father has revealed the Son, and he is blessed. That word “revealed” there in verse 17 is the word “apocalyptic.” We get our word apocalypse. It has the idea of to disclose, unveil, take the cover off of, reveal. The last time we saw this verb in the Gospel of Matthew was 11:27 when Jesus said,
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son. And anyone to whom the son chooses to [apocalypto him] reveal him” (Matthew 11:27).
Open the eyes of who he really is. Do you want a blessed life? The media communicates the way to blessing is if you make enough money, you drive a nice car, you own a home, you have a big bank account, maybe become an influencer. People want to know that that’s being fortunate. You’ve made it. That’s blessing. But Jesus is saying, you want to know what blessed looks like? It’s when God miraculously opens your eyes to who Jesus is. And you suddenly — You couldn’t see it. I was blind to that — and then suddenly I can see that’s who he is. Like Peter,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Blessed are you, Peter. That is truly living. Whether you are rich or poor, whether you have a lot or nothing, whether you are sick or healthy, if you can see Jesus, it makes all the difference. All the difference! You are blessed. The old, I don’t know if it’s a hymn, the song,
“I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold
I’d have be his than have riches untold
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands
I’d be rather be led by his nail-pierced hand.”
And you can fill in the blank. I’d would rather have that than everything else. I’d had rather have him. Than everything else I think I need. And if we can’t say that, okay, let’s be honest, I can’t say that. Then right now, begin praying, “Father, open my eyes. I’ve allowed stuff to blind me. I’ve allowed the lies that come from my own heart and a cultural system that screams the opposite to blind to what it means to really be fortunate. Blessed.
You can put your name in here. Jesus says, “Blessed are you.” I’m fortunate enough not to have to fill another name in. Blessed are you, Katie, Josh, CJ. Blessed, blessed are you. Because your parents couldn’t do that for you. Your Christian school teacher couldn’t do it. It doesn’t matter even if you grew up in an atheist’s home or a Christian home, whether you’ve been in church your whole life or this is your first time. In any case you see Jesus, it is a miracle. An eye opening, heart transforming miracle. When we finally can say with Peter, “Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Many opinions. One reality.
3. Upon which Jesus builds his church.
Now in this section, Jesus vividly describes his church with three concrete objects: rock, gates, keys. A little different than rock, paper, scissors, but same idea. Rock, gates, keys. So let’s walk through those.
First, rock. Verse 18.
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.”
So Jesus is using a play of words. The name Peter, “petros,” is masculine and means rock. The word rock there, “petra,” is feminine. So Jesus saying to Peter, on this rock, I will build my church. So let’s talk about church for a second because as Americans, we generally think of Christianity in individualistic terms. I need to believe and be saved. And is that wrong? No. We’re going to get in chapter 18 to a story where Jesus said he leaves the 99 and goes after the one. Jesus cares about the one. We are not just a mass of people. He loves the one and is saving the one.
But the one is being rescued and brought into his church. The many. The word church means, “ecclesia,” means called out ones or assembly. Now it sounds contradictory. Are we the, is the church the called out or the called in? And the correct answer, church, is yes. We are called out to come in. We are an assembly of called out ones. He is disassembling us in order to reassemble us. And we see this when the same Peter is preaching after Jesus rose from the dead on Pentecost in Acts 2. And when he gets to the end of his sermon during the invitation time, look what he says in verse 40. “And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying, “‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were”
What’s that word? That was lame. What word is that? Added. Yeah.
“Added that day about three thousand [souls].”
So “called out,” that is when he says save yourselves from this crooked generation. You can’t stay where you are. You’ve got to come out. But then you’re not just coming out so that you can float around as an individualistic Christian. There’s no such thing. You’re called out of the crooked generation to come in.
Look what he says there. “Received his word.” That means you’ve repented and believed and be baptized and added. The word “added” doesn’t make any sense if you’re not added to anything. They were added to the church that day, 3000.
So let’s go back to baptism for a second because baptism plays a significant role in publicly identifying, expressing this miracle of being called out to come in. Here at North Hills, we explain in our baptism class that baptism pictures three realities. I am no longer guilty. I am washed clean through Jesus. I’m no longer dead in my sin. I’m alive in Christ. And third, I’m no longer identified with the world system that’s coming out of this crooked generation. I am now part of the family of God. So you’re coming out to come in.
Quick advertisement. On November 9 — See how I did that? — next baptism. If you have trusted Christ or even if you have questions as to what that means, sign up for the adult/teen class or the kids classes because baptism in the New Testament you see right there in Acts plays a huge role. Baptism doesn’t save you but is the public display that “I’m coming out to come in based on what Jesus has done in my life.” So jump online. Classes start soon.
Now, as many of you know, Matthew 16:18 is hotly debated territory. The Roman Catholic Church believes that these words in verse 18, are the biblical basis for the papacy or the Pope. Look at verse 18. “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” So the Roman Church teaches that Jesus was in these words establishing the supremacy and fallibility and succession of the papacy. Supremacy, infallibility and succession like this. Being Pope is passed down from generation to generation.
Let me give you an example. In Vatican I, July 18, 1870, the Roman Catholic Church officially defined the infallibility of the Pope. And it may surprise some of you that it wasn’t until the 1800s. But after quoting this passage, Matthew 16, Vatican I document explains papal authority and issues, many anathemas against anyone who does not affirm it.
What is an anathema? Anathema is eternal condemnation to those who do not affirm this. So let me read just a part of it. This is at the very end, chapter 4.9 of Vatican I.
“Therefore, faithfully adhering to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith.”
Don’t miss that. So they’re saying, even though it’s the 1800s, they’re saying it’s always been viewed by the church this way, that the Pope is supreme, infallible, and successive.
“We teach and define as divinely revealed dogma that when the Roman Pontiff speaks EX CATHEDRA [literally from the chair] that is, when in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole church. He possesses. By divine assistance promised to him and blessed Peter [so they’re referring to this passage] that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his Church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals. Therefore, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves and not by the consent of the church, irreformable.”
You can’t edit it, you can alter it or revise it, super clear. Now, a couple quick qualifications. It is true that Peter is clearly a leader among equals. Every list you see in the New Testament, whose name is at the top of the apostles? It starts with Peter. He clearly is a leader among equals.
It’s also true that for hundreds of years, the early church looked to Rome, the Roman Church, as one of the leading churches. And there were several reasons for that, three. Rome was the capitol of the empire, the Roman Church was one of the most sizable churches, and it was doctrinally pure. Think Romans. It was a church that. Had a lot of influence. But does that mean that the Roman bishop is in any way supreme, infallible, or successive? And the answer to that, is Jesus establishing a pope? No. Why? A couple reasons.
Number 1. The New Testament never sets up a supreme human leader.
Jesus is the head of the church, not Peter, not Paul, not Mary, or the combination thereof. His church, Ephesians 2.20, is built on the foundation, the rock of the apostles and prophets. Plural. Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. The main rock. All discussions, unless they’re speaking to an individual, but discussions of overseers, bishops, elders, are always plural in the New Testament.
Number 2. There is no evidence, no biblical evidence, Peter led the church in Rome.
None. Now, some church fathers said he started it, others that he led it at different times. But there’s ton of evidence that he was either not there (a ton of biblical evidence that I don’t have time to go through) that he was either not there or there for a very short period of time.
Number 3. Doctoral disputes were not resolved by Peter’s supremacy.
Let me give you one example. One of the biggest doctrinal disputes the early church experienced is described in Acts 15. Peter did speak into that. Paul spoke into that. Barnabas spoke into that. They all contributed. It was a beautiful partnership. But James was the one who issued the final decision in Acts 15:19. He says it is “my judgment.” And he issued the decision. Where’s the pope?
Number 4. The church fathers did not recognize a supreme infallible papacy.
For example, Cyprian of Carthage wrote a treatise in 251 on the unity of the church. He quotes this verse, Matthew 16:18, and then explains how the church’s unity flows from Peter to the other apostles. He writes this, and you can read this today in the Ante-Nicene Fathers.
“Assuredly, the rest of the apostles were also the same as Peter, endowed with a like [what word is that?] partnership [not papacy, partnership] both of honor and power. But the beginning proceeds from unity.”
So it proceeds from Peter to the apostles, to the church. Augustine, preaching in the early 400s, asks,
“Did Peter receive the keys and Paul not receive them? Did Peter receive them, and John and James and the other apostles not receive them? What was given to Peter was given to the whole church.”
And that’s Augustine preaching in the early 400s. The history against the infallibility of the papacy is so strong that Johann Dollinger, who was the premier Roman Catholic German historian in the 19th century, was so against this decision that was made in 1870, same period, that he was excommunicated by his own church for not supporting it. And he wrote this.
“We are still waiting the explanation how it is that until 1830 years had passed, the church did not formulate into an article of faith, a doctrine which the pope calls the very foundation principle of Catholic faith and doctrine?”
And there he’s specifically referring to infallibility. There are indications of supremacy that come a few hundred years earlier and succession before that, but no indication of papal infallibility. And their premier historian is excommunicated rather than acknowledging the facts.
I could talk about a lot more reasons, like one of the big arguments for the papacy is unity. All Christians, if they had one leader, would be unified. That’s what we’re told. The problem is, it’s actually a means of disunity because while the Roman Church anathematizes anyone who doesn’t look to the Pope, the Eastern Orthodox Church much earlier, anathematized anyone who does look to the Pope. So you’ve got some serious anathemas going on. And the Protestants are saying, hey guys, you’re missing the point. This is not an administrative thing Jesus is setting up.
Well, what is it? There are three options. The rock is Peter.
The rock is Peter’s confession, or the rock is Christ. And we could spend several hours debating those three. I do think Gavin Ortlund is onto something when he argues, “The rock is Peter in his confessing Christ.” I just love the way that is spoken because as Protestants sometime out of an overreaction to the Pope, we can go so far to be blind to the fact that Jesus pointed to Peter and said something very specific to him. So it is Peter, but it’s Peter confessing Christ because Christ is the Rock. That’s clear in Scripture. And Peter and the other apostles become part of this foundation as they confess Christ. So Jesus is not setting up some big universal administration but communicating the foundation that the apostolic confession of Christ is to the church. And we build on that when our eyes are opened and we confess as Peter did. That’s the rock.
Second, the gates. Verse 18,
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
This is another example of the significance of the setting in Caesarea Philippi. When Jesus refers to the gates of hell he could be looking at the caves where the pagan worshipers at that time viewed those caves which you can still see today as the gates to the underworld. And so Jesus is saying the gates of literally it’s Hades, the gates of death, darkness shall not prevail against my church.
And we’re going to see next week in the next passage Jesus is going to apply this specifically to himself. When he gives his life to die, and the gates of hell are not able to bar him from rising from the dead. That death itself has no authority. And so it is with us when we are in Christ. No darkness, no death, no demonic power can hold us back from life through Jesus. That is authority.
John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha at her brother’s funeral,
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, [Just like Jesus, we may die. But that’s not the end.] yet shall he live.”
The gates of death and hell have no authority, no binding authority on us.
Finally, the keys, verse 19.
“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,”
And there’s an interesting construction there. It’s like whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in on earth. Whatever you bind will have been bound is the way it should be translated.
“and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
Have you ever lost your keys — I’m sorry, locked your keys in your car? I see a few nods. Imagine yourself, it’s a hot day. You’re standing in the parking lot of Walmart looking at your keys through the window. You see them right there. What are you feeling? A little frustrated. Yeah. You’re trying to think of someone to blame. But it’s really hard because they’re your keys. And you left them in there. So you’re frustrated. You’re looking at your ice cream melting. You’re trying to call somebody. You can’t go where you want to go. Can’t get done what you want to get done. Keys are a blessing. They open what is locked. They loose what is bound.
So what is Jesus talking about here? These keys. One of the best ways I think is to flip it and look at it. If Jesus is talking about a good use of keys, what is a bad use? Look at Luke 11:52.
“Jesus says to them, woe to [you scribes] you lawyers!
He’s talking about theological lawyers.
“For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves and you hindered those who were entering.” (Luke 11:52)
So you were entrusted with knowledge that was like a key that would open doors to life. And not only did you not go through them, but you prevented other people. Jesus is saying the opposite. The church is empowered by Jesus to bind and loose on earth what has been bound and loosed in heaven. And we’re going to see similar language in a few months when we get to chapter 18 and it’s applied to church discipline. But here in this context, in the context of the great confession and of the authority over the gates of hell, it seems what he’s saying here is, I’m giving you the keys to unlock the way to life.
Over the years, I have been stood at the bedside of a number of people who knew they were dying. And it is a humbling experience. I know many of you have stood by your loved ones and it’s such a vision of what really matters. But there have been several times where I’ve stood with someone who had no idea what was happening next. No idea where they were going to go. And they were terrified. And I had the privilege of simply quoting the promises and pleading with them to look to Jesus and then the Spirit opening their eyes. And life and hope come as they repent and believe. And in that moment … And then Lord takes them. And in the moment, it will take your breath away. The privilege, the responsibility, like we can’t make that happen, right? Flesh and blood is the only thing, flesh and blood can’t open eyes. The Spirit of God is the one who can open anyone’s eyes at any time. But it is a humbling, sobering reality that when God entrusts you, when he opens your eyes and entrust this key to life to you.
Now there are people who take that and misuse that. We’re not talking about that. Paul universalizes this, not with key language, but language similar. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17 to show that this isn’t just for priests or pastors.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God.”
Flesh and blood can’t do this.
“who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him [Jesus] to be sin [for us] who knew no sin, [He knew no sin] so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
What a privilege. Look at verse 20, because this sounds so strange in light of that.
“Then he [Jesus] strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.” (Matthew 16:20)
So I’m giving you the keys. Don’t use them. Yet. Why? Why was Jesus slowing them down? He’s going to empower them later with the Holy Spirit to go and tell, but not yet. Quick reason. Think of the NASA scientists. People in our day do the same thing. People in Jesus’s day, they want to hear of a messiah and then form that messiah in their own image. We want a political leader who will crush Rome. We want to rise up and kill our enemies. And Jesus is saying, slow down. How about we change your heart first? How about we deal with your biggest problem before you go out and slay your enemies?
And this is why he was slowing them down, because there was messianic fever in that day to try to foment rebellion that never deals with our greatest problem, our own hearts. And so Jesus is going to first go to the cross before he takes the crown. He’s going to go down before he goes up.
Now, many of us, we don’t want the down. We want the up. And humanly speaking, that’s understandable. But the Holy Spirit opens our eyes when we realize, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” You came to give your life. Not to duct tape my problems with some kind of military solution, but to change me from the inside out.
And so it is fitting for us to end this time in the Word by responding with what we call the Lord’s Supper, because not long after this, as we’re going to see next week, they’re going go to Jerusalem, and Jesus is going to give his life, which looks like defeat. But he is paying for our sin, defeating sin and death so that we could experience true life.
So, if your faith is in Jesus, if your eyes have been opened to the Christ, the Son of the living God. We hope that in a few moments, as people pass out a little piece of bread and a cup, you can enjoy this time together, reminding us of what is truly most important as Jesus gives his body and blood for you, for us.
And if you are not a believer, just pass the plate by, but use this time to say, Father, open my eyes. Open my eyes that I might see what I can’t see right now. Let’s pray.
Thank you, Jesus, that you were resolved to go to the cross. That you knew we needed something way more than we thought we needed. And thank you for giving us this regular practice to remind us. To thoughtfully and thankfully receive this miniature meal. To keep before us the miracle that you have opened our eyes to who you really are.
There are so many opinions of who you are, Jesus, yet one reality. Upon which you build your church. Thank you that you are doing it in this place, in this moment. Quiet our hearts before you. Open our eyes. Spirit of God, no matter where we’ve come from, I know some probably came in this morning not knowing who you really are. Others have lots of doubts and questions. Others have walked with you for a long time. Lord, turn all of our eyes on Jesus. Open our eyes to who you are. There’s no sermon that can do that. There’s not growing up in a Christian home that can that. There’s no video that can do that. That’s a miracle that only your Spirit can do. Do it today. We pray. In Jesus’s name.
