GIBC (27 Apr 2025)
There was 1 issue that was very important to Jesus. I dare say it is still very important to him now as the great high priest. In fact, Jesus spoke about it most when he was on earth: the “**Kingdom of God” or “**Kingdom of Heaven” appears over 80 times in the NT and this is found mainly in the Synoptic Gospels; 35 times in Matthew - Matthew uses “Kingdom of Heaven;”14 times in Mark and 32 times in Luke. So, I want to talk about the “kingdom” and secondly, the keys to the kingdom. This is close to the heart of what Yahweh wants for his church. As there are so many references to choose from, I had to be selective so I chose the Caesaria Philippi incident when Jesus asks Peter the great question. This is one of the most significant conversations that is recorded in the bible. A few clarifications: first of all, “kingdom” is not something political or geographical. 20 years ago, a movie: “Kingdom of Heaven” was released. It was a great movie but what was depicted was the opposite of kingdom. What was depicted as kingdom was shedding blood, political expansion, greed, conquest, wars etc; all the very opposite of the kingdom of God.
2.1. A Golden Moment: Bear in mind this conversation between Jesus and Peter and the metaphor of the keys as one of those golden moments that speaks to us today, both individually and communally. Notice the link between 1. Christ the Son of Man and him as the Son of the living God (16:16); and 2. The Rock of the church, (16:18); and 3. Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven/God (16:19).
2.2. Christ the Son (16:16): Jesus refers to himself mostly as the Son of Man. This fulfills the words that were given to David in the Psalms (Ps 8:4). But there is another prophecy that was given to David (2 Sam 7:12-14).
” When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.”
Now extend this to the realization that the creator God is willing for his Son to shed blood for us. The relationship between Yahweh and humans becomes sealed when that happens: when blood is shed and we respond in faith; a covenant is formed, the new covenant. On earth he was fully human, still Son of God, but without the powers of deity. This means he understands everything you and I go through: struggles, temptations, and frailties. He is the 2nd Adam: the perfect representation of humanity.
3.1. Who is the Rock (16:18): some scholars believe that Peter is the rock on which the church is built. The Catholics hold this view. Some say Christ is the rock or what Peter declared is the rock. I think we need to go into the whole counsel of scripture. The church is built on more than a human being. Paul uses the motif of construction, which speaks to us as what we are doing is building lives and buildings need a foundation.
“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Paul writes to the Ephesians and reminds them that they are the household of God:
“Built on the foundation of the prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Eph 2:20)
Peter echoes the same word that Jesus is the cornerstone(1 Pet 2:6). So, the apostolic witness of Jesus is the foundation of the church.
3.2. Gates of Hell (16:18): What comes across in the apostolic witness to Jesus is something that is rock hard and solid as that is needed for the missional church.
If it is built on straw than it won’t be able to do the work it is called to, which will be resisted by a formidable foe. Jesus uses: “gates of hell?” and then he speaks of keys to the kingdom. Gates keep strangers out. So, when Jesus talks about the gates of hell, he means the church must rescue people who are in darkness now and are going to eternal darkness. When a church forgets about the commission to rescue then these churches become aimless; they cease to be effective. The simple atrophy. They become the man who buries his talents.
These churches are in terminal decline. I repeat, we have a conferment of authority to rescue people out of the kingdom of darkness and Jesus promises that those gates of resistance will crumble when the church is doing its job .
4.1. What is kingdom? Jesus wants to give his people a very clear understanding about how they are to live to recover the broken image of God so he speaks much about kingdom, which is about the God’s wisdom in their lives.