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.
There is some debate as to what Jesus meant exactly when He told this to Peter. Was Jesus going to build His church on the statement Peter made (“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”)? Was Jesus going to build His church on Peter himself? Or was Jesus going to build His church on Peter declaring that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God (both combined)?*
No matter which, this fact remains: Jesus builds the church. This church, that Jesus builds, moves forward and takes ground in a way that the gates of hell cannot prevent.
It begs these questions: are we trying to build the church? If Jesus builds the church, then what are we building? This thing that we are building, do we think that it will prevail against the gates of hell? What happens when it doesn’t?
These questions inspire me to say, “Lord, build Your church! Show me what You would have me do!”
Jesus is asking us all to do something each and every day. Each step that we take with Him is a step of obedience in a long journey of discipleship. This obedience is partnering with Him as HE builds HIS church.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to surrender to Him your effort to build whatever it is that you’re building. Perhaps God is asking you to partner with Him in building His church through some act or acts of obedience. Maybe God is asking you to remember who He is: the Christ, the Son of the living God. Remembering that helps bring a lot into perspective.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!
*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 418–427, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 16:13–18) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).