The Rock
Matthew 16:16-18
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Jesus makes the powerful statement that the church will be built, not on Peter himself, but on the ‘rock’ of revelation knowledge that He, Jesus, is the Christ – God’s anointed one. It is on this revelation that the church stands or falls. Peter received the revelation first.
The church’s stability is (and was) not based on Peter’s person, but on Jesus Christ’s. Let us never forget man’s frailty. In this way we will not be shaken by any leaders’ shortcomings. As we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus’ as our sure foundation,, we will build our lives and community on eternal things that remain.
The ‘rock’ of revelation knowledge given by God is what it’s about.