The New Heavens & The New Church - Gospel of Matthew - Part 45
The New Heavens and the New Church
Matthew 16:13-20
Immanuel – 9/22/24
As I said in the beginning of this sermon series, there are five major thematic shifts in Matthew. Though there are these five shifts, Peter’s confession marks the most dramatic change. It is the thematic center of the Gospel of Matthew, and afterward everything changes.
Jesus’s ministry in Galilee is over. He still performs miracles, but they are far more infrequent. Jesus begins speaking about His death and resurrection; teaching His disciples what it really means to be the Messiah. There are far more confrontations between Jesus and the religious establishment; and Jesus’ anger burns against their self-righteous ways. With Peter’s confession, Jesus now sets His face like a flint towards Jerusalem, knowing full well what awaits Him there.
What you see on the chalkboards is a quote from Isaiah 50.
The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? -Isaiah 50:7-8
A rock of flint is exceptionally hard and can be used to start fires. Jesus has set His face like a flint towards Jerusalem. His resolve is hardened, like flint, to face the horrors of the cross. His life will set a fire, like with flint, that will ignite both fires of judgment and fires of refinement – the world will be set aflame.
All these transitions follow our passage today, where Peter confesses Jesus to be the Messiah and Son of God.
Purpose
1. Show you the powerful context behind today’s passage.
2. When we truly understand the identity of Jesus, He shows us our true identity.
3. How will the church overcome the gates of hell?
Read vs 13
Jesus has led the disciples into Gentile territory, away from the Jewish crowds that so frequently followed Him. But Jesus didn’t randomly pick Caesarea Philippi for seclusion. This particular Gentile area was steeped in pagan history and bursting with cosmic significance.
Caesarea Philippi was built at the foothills of Mount Hermon, the tallest mountain in all of Palestine. But this city was built upon the ruins of other cities, and those cities upon others. In fact, civilizations had been building cities in this area for millennia. Because breaking the cliffs that rose above the city, was a huge yawning cavern. The ancients believed that somewhere within the depths of the cave was the entrance to the underworld, the place of the undead. These pagan people referred to the cave as the “Gate of Hades”.
Not only did they believe they could access the underworld from Caesarea Philippi, but the Romans dedicated the city to Zeus. Before them, the Greeks worshipped Pan. But long before both Greeks and Romans, this was the most significant site for the Canaanite worship of Baal. Jeroboam, one of Israel’s evil kings, worshipped Baal here; and he built a nearby city so Israel could come and worship Baal too. Canaanite and reprobate Israelites would come to the gates of hell and worship Baal, their king of gods.
Back then this region was known as Bashan. If you know your Old Testament, then you know that the Jews associated Bashan with demonic territory. Of this, Dr. Michael Heiser writes:
For the disciples, Bashan was an evil, otherworldly domain. [They had] reasons to feel queasy about where they were standing. According to Jewish tradition, Mount Hermon was the location where the divine sons of God had descended from heaven—ultimately corrupting humankind via their offspring with human women (see Gen 6:1–4). These offspring were known as Nephilim, ancestors of the Anakim and the Rephaim (Num 13:30–33). In Jewish theology, the spirits of these giants were demons (1 Enoch 15:1–12).1
When Jesus led His disciples to Caesarea Philippi, once called Bashan, it was filled with cosmic significance. For according to their Jewish tradition, Jesus was leading them into the demonic heart of darkness, to stand before the gates of hell. The demonic significance of where Jesus had taken them would not have been lost on the disciples.
Do you remember the scene in Lord of the Rings when Frodo and Sam look upon the black gate of Mordor and it fills them with despair: imposing, impenetrable, crawling with enemies, spewing evil into the world. It was as if Jesus had taken these 12 Galilean Jews to the black gate of Mordor, to the gates of hell.
And standing before this ancient stronghold of darkness, Jesus asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? He was, of course, asking who people say He is.
Read vs 14
Of the prophets that are listed, perhaps the most unexpected is Jeremiah. But the Jews regarded Jeremiah as “the Weeping Prophet”. His people constantly opposed him, the religious leaders persecuted him, and Jeremiah accurately prophesied about the total destruction of the temple. More than the people realized, it was incredibly appropriate to compare Jeremiah and Jesus.
Nonetheless Jeremiah was still just a prophet. Even if the Jews thought Jesus was one of the great prophets – which was a profound honor – it still fell short of His true identity. Yes, Jesus was a prophet; and He was so much more. If anyone would know this, it should be the disciples.
Remember what Jesus told the disciples back in chapter 11.
“To you it has been granted the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” -Matthew 13:11
Yes, if anyone should know who Jesus truly is, it is the disciples.
Read vs 15-16
The Confession
We have already seen Peter speak for the rest of the disciples. He has become their leader: first among equals. Here he speaks again for his friends. And yet, based on how Jesus responds specifically to Peter, it would seem that Peter came to his conclusion before the rest, or somehow had a more robust understanding than the other eleven.
Either way, what Peter proclaims is the most comprehensive understanding of Jesus’ identity in the entire Gospel of Matthew.
The Christ. It is the Greek name for the Hebrew Messiah. Certainly, this is not the first time Peter has thought of Jesus as the Messiah – it is why he is following Jesus. But Peter’s understanding of what Messiah means is far more comprehensive than what it once was. (Though, as we will in next week’s passage, Peter’s understanding is still deficient.) None-the-less, Peter understood that Jesus was the prophesied man that would deliver Israel, the hope of the nations, and the one to bring the kingdom of God unto the earth.
Son of God. Son of God was also a title associated with the Messiah; but in the context of Matthew, “Son of God” carries divine connotations. Additionally, in the shadow of Mount Hermon, where Jewish tradition dictated that the fallen sons of God (demons) descended to corrupt the earth, Jesus’ divine sonship was juxtaposed against the fallen ones. He was the unfallen, uncorrupted, perfect Son of God. And His victory over the demonic was decisively greater, as He cast out demons everywhere He went. He was there to bind Satan. He was the greater Son of God: The Son that was with God and was God!
And Peter doesn’t just say that Jesus was the Son of God, but the Son of the living God. The word “living” is added in, and is intentional. Obviously, God is living; it was the fundamental belief among all Jews. But to add “living” in as Peter did, was to emphasize that God is present and involved. He is the personal and dynamic God who actively weaves all things together for His good purposes.
This was Peter’s confession about Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then bursts into a moving affirmation, and it must have been very emotional.
Read vs 17
Again, I am reminded again of what Jesus said in Matthew 13.
“Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” -Matthew 13:16-17
This is why Peter, son of Jonah (Bar-Jonah), is so blessed. He sees, truly sees, who Jesus is! But it is not because Peter was able to figure it out. It’s not because he was able to collect all the pieces and solve the puzzle. It is because the active and living God the Father has revealed it to Him. For only those that the Father has chosen will see the true identity of the Son of God! Heaven has broken into Peter’s heart, and what comes out of his mouth proves that he is cleansed from the sins which would drag him down into the cavernous depths of hell.
Read vs 18
See what is implied? Jesus has accepted Peter’s confession as true, implicitly communicating that He is indeed Israel’s Messiah and the Son of God. Then, as Peter rightly identified Jesus, so does Jesus rightly identify Peter. More precisely, because Peter has acknowledged Jesus’ true identity, Jesus gives Peter his true identity.
Take note of this, this is true for all time: only when we acknowledge Jesus’ identity, do we discover our true identity.
We live in an age that is all about discovering your authentic self. And society would tell us that the best way to discover your authentic self is to look within, follow your heart, love yourself. But this is thinly veiled demonic deception. The Bible tells us that our hearts are desperately sick, who can understand them?!
The way to discover your authentic self is not to spend time getting to know yourself, it is to spend time getting to know Jesus. You want to know who you are, then what does your Creator say about you? He loves you; He formed you, He knows you, and He has a purpose for you. He has a name just for you.
Jesus said, “To the one who conquers…I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
-Revelation 2:17
Jesus has a name for you, and a purpose. He has created you for something awesome, and God will use your life to bring His name glory! You want to be significant? The God of the universe knows you by a unique name, has a plan for your life, and had imprinted upon your heart a magnificent identity.
But these things are only true when a person comes to understand the true identity of Jesus. Again, that’s not something that anyone can figure out on their own. It is a revelation that must be given by God the Father. He chooses, He pursues, He reveals, He calls you by name, and through Jesus we find our true identity. And if today you do not know if these things are true for you, then Jesus said; seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matt. 6:33)
It's what happened to Peter. At birth, his parents gave him the name Simon. Back when Jesus first called Simon to follow Him, Jesus gave him the name Cephas (John 1:42). In Greek, the name Cephas is Peter. The name means rock. But only after Peter has confessed Jesus’ true identity does Jesus tell Peter what his name really means: “On this rock I will build my church.”
Jesus has just affirmed that Simon is named “rock”, and then says that He will build His church upon this rock. There are volumes to say about this statement, and much controversy that follows it.
I believe that both the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church get this verse very wrong. They think Jesus is giving Peter the chief place among the apostles. (If that were true, why do James and John think the chief place is vacant when they ask to sit at Jesus’ right hand in chapter 18).
The Pope is supposed to be the spiritual descendant of Peter, and he wields tremendous power. The Orthodox church has a bishop that they also believe has spiritually descended from Peter. What they do is make the church become dependent upon a mere, corruptible man…as long as the church exists. That is not what Christ is doing. For it is the man who testifies Jesus’ true identity that Jesus will build His church upon, but just in its initial stages.
Think of how this works in the book of Acts.
Acts 2: At Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit falls and 3,000 Jews come to faith in Jesus, who was preaching? Peter.
Acts 8: When God gave the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans, who was there proclaiming the gospel and praying for them? Peter.
Acts 10: When God again expanded His kingdom and the Holy Spirit fell upon Gentiles, who was the one proclaiming the name of Jesus to them? Peter.
Then, not too long after this, Peter virtually drops out of the narrative of Acts. Through the giving of the Holy Spirit, God had used the preaching of Peter to expand His kingdom to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. Jesus was just beginning to build His kingdom from every tribe, tongue, and nation; and it was upon Peter’s preaching – upon Peter’s continued confession of the identity of Jesus – that this church would be built.
And “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Broken Gates
The purpose of gates are two-fold: to keep people in or to keep people out. The lost are imprisoned by their sins, bound to eternal separation from God, careening towards the doom of hell. But the gates of hell will not prevail against the church! The church wields the power of the gospel, proclaiming truth and freedom and life in Christ! And God uses the proclamation of the church to rip the lost from hells clutches and deliver them into the kingdom of light!
As Paul writes: I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
-Romans 1:16
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and as we, church, faithfully proclaim the gospel, the lost are rescued from the clutches of hell! The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church!
In the context of our passage, the gates of hell also represent the stronghold of Satan, the fortress of the demonic. But such strongholds cannot withstand the courageous church, armed with the gospel of Jesus Christ, unashamedly proclaiming that “Jesus Christ is Lord!” And every soul that hears and believes is another stronghold demolished. Addicts experience freedom, the unlovable are loved, the shamed find favor, the unclean are cleansed, those lost to the darkness are brought into His marvelous light!
Just as Jesus said to Paul, “I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
-Acts 26:17-18
What was true for Paul is true for the church: As the church faithfully proclaims the gospel, the strongholds of Satan are torn down.
Fear not little flock, if God is for us, who can be against us! We saw a little taste of this yesterday as 14 of us walked the streets of Corn Hill, a place that many would consider a stronghold of darkness. People received prayer, some heard the gospel; all of them had seeds planted, and the kingdom of God came near.
Read vs 19
Sadly, the modern charismatic world has widely misunderstood this verse, and it has to do with blessings. They incorrectly believe that God’s blessings are hindered by the Devil, and so they must “bind” Satan in order to “loose” God’s blessings. But if this were real, then God would be weak – so weak that Satan can stop His blessings and God needs people to help Him out. That is not how God’s blessings work and that is not what Jesus is talking about.
As Job rightly said to God: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. -Job 42:2
If God has purposed to bless someone, Satan cannot delay it, diminish it, nor block it! When God makes a promise, it will inextricably come to pass! The Charismatic “word of faith” movement is a false teaching!
But to know what Jesus is talking about, we need to understand a 1st century Jewish idiom. In Jesus’ day, binding and loosing had a very specific meaning; and it had to do with conduct. To “bind” meant to forbid or to impose an obligation. Conversely, to “loose” meant to permit or to remove an obligation.
Again, the book of Acts illustrates how this principle functioned.
Acts 5: Peter confronts Ananias and Sapphira for their deceit and greed, they fall down dead as they are effectively cast from the church.
Acts 8: Simon the Magician tries to buy the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter condemns this behavior and calls Simon to repent or lose everything. Simon does repent and is added to the church.
Acts 10 and 11: through Peter, the church declares that eating foods that were formerly unclean, were clean; and the Gentiles are added to the church.
Acts15: Peter oversees the Jerusalem Council that rule on what is permitted or prohibited (bound & loosed) in the church.
But Jesus didn’t just give the power of binding and loosing to Peter. It was given to the rest of the disciples and all of the church in Matthew 18. There Jesus teaches about church discipline, and what the church allows and doesn’t allow. Jesus then says,
“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” -Matthew 18:18
In other words, Christ has given His church the authority to make judgments on things that are Christlike and not Christlike. And observing these behaviors, the Church has the authority to bring people in for their Christlikeness or cast them out for their godlessness.
You might say, “Wait, isn’t that so arbitrary? Can’t people just make that up?” For two reasons they cannot. First, the true Bride-of-Christ-church would never abuse her God-given authority. Second, because what the church declares as right and wrong, as those who are in or out, has already been declared in the heavenly places.
Let me highlight how the Legacy Standard Bible translates Matthew 16:19. I think it is very enlightening.
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” -Matthew 16:19 (Legacy Standard Bible)
Every single commentary I read said this is the correct way to translate the verse. It totally changes the dynamic. What the church binds are the very things that heaven binds. What the church looses are the very things that are loosed in heaven. Catch this, it is so important: We are not the ones making things happen in heaven. We – the church – are the ones who see the things of heaven and bring them to bear on earth. Through our binding and loosing, the spiritual realities of heaven are invading our physical reality on earth. Let me put it another way. Jesus has ordained that through the activity of the church, the kingdom of heaven will advance upon earth.
Then, after declaring this to the disciples, Jesus tells His disciples to hide His identity.
Read vs 20
Even after Peter accurately identifies Jesus, he still doesn’t quite understand what Jesus’ identity means. We will see that demonstrated in the very next passage. Peter still conceives of the Messiah as a militaristic figure. And if Peter doesn’t fully get it, this leader of the disciples, how much less will the public understand Jesus’ identity? Better to keep it secret until He can accomplish His mission of humility and self-sacrifice. For only after His death and resurrection will the true nature of the Messiah be understood.
But through the pages of this book we have seen Jesus’ death and resurrection. We have seen Him purchase our freedom in His own blood, crush the head of the enemy, and kill death. We have seen the Risen Son of God ascend to the right hand of the Father where He reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords.
If you confess these things with your mouth, and believe them in your heart, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)! And when you know the true identity of Jesus the King, He will reveal your true identity to you: son or daughter of the living God, chosen and precious, a new creation, sent out as an ambassador of Jesus Christ, proclaiming how all people everywhere can be reconciled unto God.
And the gates of hell shall not prevail against us, church!
Be wise to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. -Romans 16:19-20
Church – you overcomers, let us go from here in courageous, Satan crushing, Gospel proclamation. And, as we do, Jesus will see that the kingdom of heaven advances upon earth!
1Heiser, M. (2018, April 10) What Did Jesus Mean by “Gates of Hell”? Logos. https://www.logos.com/grow/jesus-mean-gates-hell/?msockid=13832abc28ea67ea1ad338d9299466c5
