The Program of Christ

Transcript

GR 701
2/27/1985
The Program of Christ
Matthew 16:13-20
Gil Rugh

The study of the Book of Matthew is really a study of history. The disciples really did not understand the importance of the events they were experiencing. Those living in Jesus’ time struggled day by day with their problems and needs and did not realize the impact their period of history would have on the future. They would have never dreamed that two thousand years later we would be studying these very events.
It is true that this is inspired history and that the Spirit of God has directed the recording of these events so that they might be used for our benefit and enrichment. But we must also be reminded that, as believers, we too are the children of God living every day and making the history of the future. In Matthew 16, Jesus prophesied about building His Church and that is something which is being accomplished in our lives today. Sometimes we forget that we are in the middle of the program of Christ.
When we sit down in glory to reflect upon the things of this life, we will probably look back and realize that we did not understand what was so important in our lives. We may wish that we had arranged the details of our lives differently as, from that eternal perspective, we contemplate the significance of the days of our lives.
In Matthew 16:1-12, another conflict between Jesus and the leadership of the nation Israel is described. This conflict made the rejection of Christ by Israel more evident resulting in a change in the ministry of Christ. Later in Matthew 16 He talks for the first time about the Church. This is a glimpse of what Christ will do since the kingdom has been rejected by the Jews. He reveals that He will build His Church until He returns to the earth the second time to bring about the fulfillment of the promises concerning an earthly kingdom.
Matthew 16:13-20 has been very controversial. Battles have been fought over this passage and lines have been drawn, particularly between Roman Catholics and Protestants. The Roman Catholic interpretation of this passage is seen as providing support for the Church being built upon Peter and the succession of popes, which is supposedly traced back to Peter and the authority Christ gave Him in this passage. The Protestant interpretation of this passage disagrees with the Roman Catholic interpretation, but perhaps there is not as much difference in the two interpretations as has always seemed. Many Catholics and Protestants agree on what is in view here. It is my opinion that many Protestants have been guilty of totally missing what Christ meant in some of the statements by Christ relating to Peter. The details of this passage are very crucial, and it is important that it is understood and applied properly. Otherwise, one may be living in conflict with the Scripture.
In this passage Jesus focused on the basics of the program He was about to develop. He showed to the disciples that this program would be founded and centered upon Himself and who He is. He then gave a prophecy concerning the Church that was followed by a discussion of authority in the kingdom at the time the kingdom would be established.

In Matthew 16:13, Jesus has moved to a new region. He crossed the Sea of Galilee to get away from the Pharisees and Sadducees and went about thirty miles north of the Sea of Galilee to the town of Caesarea Philippi. There was another city called Caesarea which was a major city, but the area to which Jesus went in this account was a much smaller town and was called Caesarea Philippi to distinguish it from the major city. Caesarea Philippi was in the northern extremity of Israel’s territory and was populated by Gentiles. Jesus retired to this rather isolated area to spend some time with His disciples.

Jesus raised the issue by asking a question in Matthew 16:13: “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’” Jesus asked the disciples how the multitudes view Him, and He focused attention on His own personal identity. He used the title “Son of Man” which is a messianic title. As they responded to His question, there were a variety of answers, but one thing in particular characterized them all. In all of these responses there was recognition that there was something supernatural about Jesus Christ and His ministry. They recognized that His was not a normal teaching ministry. While there was recognition of the supernatural character of Christ, there was on the other hand an unwillingness to accept the fact that He was indeed the Messiah of Israel.
The responses of the people are given in Matthew 16:14: “And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” In Matthew 14:2 some people said Jesus Christ was John the Baptist. Herod thought that Jesus was John the Baptist raised to life again. Evidently others in Israel had the same feeling that John, that powerful prophet, had been resurrected to life.
Others said that Jesus was Elijah. The Old Testament prophesied in Malachi 4:5 that before the coming of the Messiah, Elijah would come. Jesus discussed this in Matthew 11:14 in connection with the ministry of John the Baptist. Some were saying that Christ was Elijah who would come before the great and terrible day of the Lord in anticipation of the kingdom.
Some were saying that Jesus was Jeremiah. That may seem a little strange. Calling Him John the Baptist was understandable since John has just been on the scene, and the prophecy regarding Elijah provides support for that theory, but why would some say that Jeremiah had come back?
There was a belief among some of the Jews that Jeremiah would return to earth before the coming of the Lord. A group of books known as the apocryphal books were written between the time of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Those books are not inspired, and many of them are full of errors, historical inaccuracies and fanciful ideas. One of those books, 2 Maccabees, which is not very reliable, recorded a tradition among the Jews concerning Jeremiah which said that before the Babylonians captured Israel, Jeremiah took the ark and the altar of incense up on Mount Nebo and hid them in a cave. This tradition goes on to say that they will be hidden there until just before the Messiah comes when Jeremiah will come back and bring out the altar of incense in preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. Some of the Jews were following that tradition.
Others said that Jesus was one of the other prophets. Second Esdras, another apocryphal book, said that before the coming of the Messiah, God would send Jeremiah and Isaiah to the earth.
The significant point in all of this is that there was recognition of the supernatural character of Christ’s ministry and an acknowledgment that His was more than a normal, earthly ministry. But there was an unwillingness to accept that He was the Messiah of Israel.
That same unwillingness exists today. People will say all kinds of things about how great a man Christ was, what a great teacher He was and what a powerful influence He had. But most people are unwilling to come to grips personally with who He is and trust Him for salvation.
Jesus then asked His question of the disciples in Matthew 16:15. “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” He wanted to make His question personal. He knew what the multitudes said about Him, but He wanted to know what the disciples said about Him personally. By this question He was forcing the disciples to consider again their personal convictions. Had they been swayed by the attitude of the multitude?
As Jesus addressed this question to His disciples, Peter responded as the spokesman: “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matt. 16:16). I sometimes think that Protestant interpreters have been so concerned to play down the authority of Peter in this passage that they have missed the fact that this is one of the high points of Peter’s life and ministry. He was honored and exalted on this occasion by Christ in a way that very few people ever were in the gospels. It is important to recognize that honor.
Peter stepped out with a great testimony of faith. Keep in mind that Jesus and His disciples have just left the leaders of Israel who have rejected Him. They have retired to this rather insignificant spot in the northern part of Israel. In this intimate setting with His band of apostles, Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 15). Without hesitation Peter responds, “You are the Christ” (v. 16). The name “Christ” means the anointed one. Peter recognized that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, the one prophesied through the Old Testament. But he did not stop there. He went on saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). That goes beyond recognizing Him only as the Messiah and is a statement that Christ was God in the flesh.
The Old Testament had prophesied that the Messiah would be none other than God. Isaiah said His name would be “Mighty God, Eternal Father” (Isa. 9:6). Peter acknowledges that this is true. Such an acknowledgement takes great faith. This is a man who has been rejected and scorned by the nation. He has retired to the northern borders of Israel to get away from the persecution and rejection. Peter has heard all that the people have been saying about Christ. Peter knows they recognize His greatness but do not believe He is the Messiah, yet Peter is not influenced by it. He affirmed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16).
As a result of that acknowledgement, Jesus pronounced a great blessing on Peter. He was one who was spiritually blessed and one in whom God had performed a special work of revelation by giving him insight into the person of Christ. “And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’” (Matt. 16:17). Jesus addressed Peter with the word “Barjona”; “bar” means “son” and “Jona ” is the name. It simply means son of Jona. By this address, Jesus was emphasizing Peter’s human origins. He was saying that even though Peter is flesh and blood, this understanding which Peter has of who Christ is was not revealed to him by flesh and blood, but rather from His Father who is in heaven. That expression is used a number of times in the New Testament in contrast to deity. Christ indicated that Peter was one who was spiritually blessed because the Father had worked in his life to give him that spiritual perception. Jesus selected Peter out for special attention and demonstrated him to be unique. As is always the case, such insight, understanding and perception concerning the significance of the person and work of Christ was a result of the ministry of God in a person’s life.
This concept is not new. Jesus referred to it in Matthew 11: “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him’” (Matt. 11:25-27). The principle stated here is that those who understand about Christ are able to understand because the Father has revealed this to them, and those who understand the Father are able to understand Him because the Son has revealed the Father. In 1 Corinthians 2:10 Paul writes, “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” The only way to know about God is to have God reveal Himself. Either God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit has to give the revelation.
This is true today. You may read and study the Bible, but apart from the ministry of God in your life, you cannot grasp the importance and significance of what you read. It does not matter how intelligent you are or what abilities you have in grasping and assimilating material, because apart from the revealing work of God in your life, you cannot understand this message because it is supernatural. That is why your ability to understand things in other areas is not related to your spiritual understanding. Understanding spiritual truth is a matter of revelation. Christ told Peter that he has been the recipient of revelation. God revealed this truth to him because Peter had believed in Christ, and God had given him the recognition of who Christ really is.
These things should give us an appreciation for Peter. In this passage he is honored by Christ, and later he will be exalted as well. But before Matthew 16 concludes, Peter will have bottomed out. That is probably one thing which helps many of us to identify with Peter: he is either very high or very low.
Peter’s recognition of great spiritual truth leads Christ to make a prophecy at this point. This prophecy forms the heart of the discussion of this passage of which Peter is the focal point. Jesus prophesies in Matthew 16:18, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
There is a play on words in this verse between the words “Peter” and “rock.” The Greek word for Peter is petros, meaning a stone or a rock. The word “rock” is petra, which means a mass of rock in distinction from an individual stone or pebble.
Rather than belittling Peter in this statement, Christ was saying that Peter has fulfilled the name He gave to him. This is a commendation of Peter. When Peter came to Christ, He changed his name to Cephas, which is Aramaic for petros, meaning a stone. In this passage the firm, stable, unshakable character of Peter is evidenced. In spite of the fact that the nation has rejected Christ and people have all kinds of ideas about Him which are not good, Peter remained unshaken. He saw Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel.
There are three basic interpretations of this passage. The first interpretation, the one popularly held by the Roman Catholic Church, is that Peter is the rock, and Jesus is saying that Peter is the rock upon which He is going to build His Church. The second interpretation is that Christ is referring to Himself. This interpretation says that Peter is the stone, but the Church will be built upon the mass of rock which refers to Christ. The third common interpretation says that this refers to the confession Peter has just made. He has acknowledged that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, so upon the rock of that testimony the Church will be constructed.
It seems to me that the first interpretation is not possible. Because of the change of words, there is no good reason to believe that Peter is in view. If Christ is talking about Peter, there is no reason to change the reference from a stone or pebble to a mass of rock.
It is interesting that a large number of Roman Catholic scholars reject the common interpretation of the Catholic Church and hold instead that the rock referred to here is Christ, not Peter. Augustine, the great Catholic theologian, believed that this reference could not be to Peter, but was to Christ Himself. Jerome, whose Latin Vulgate was the standard for all the rest of the translations for the Roman Catholic Church, believed that the rock had to be Christ and could not be Peter. Other well-known scholars hold this position, but I have mentioned these two because their names are familiar. You should be aware that a large number of Roman Catholic scholars disagree with the common interpretation of Peter as the rock in this passage. Many of the early church fathers, Tertillian and others, held that the rock refers to Christ.
My preference is a blending of the second and third interpretations. I believe the immediate reference is to the testimony Peter has just given. Since He refers to “this rock,” it would seem the easiest reference to “this” would be to the testimony Peter has just given, the testimony of who Jesus Christ is. Therefore, I think the second and third interpretations blend together so that one includes the other. I would say that the rock is the testimony Peter has given concerning Christ. Christ Himself and faith in Him is the foundation on which the Church will be built.
Christ is referred to various times in the New Testament as the rock as seen in the following three examples. Paul wrote in Romans 9 about Israel failing to believe in Christ. They did not come to righteousness in Him. “Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, „ Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed’” (vv. 32,33). Jesus Christ is referred to as a stone, so such an interpretation would fit with Matthew 16 in light of this.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2 about the building of the Church, “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (vv. 20-22). The apostles and prophets are the foundation in the sense of giving the revelation concerning Jesus Christ. Through them the word concerning Christ is revealed so that truth concerning Christ and Christ Himself go together. Christ is the foundation stone, and the truth concerning Him enables people to recognize who He is and believe in Him.
Perhaps the most helpful passage is in 1 Peter, written by the one Christ was addressing in Matthew 16. “And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:4,5). Though the word translated “stone” in these verses is not necessarily the same word as in other passages, the idea is the same. Christ is the corner stone, and we who are believers are stones in the building.
This is very similar to what Christ said to Peter. Peter was identified as a stone, but Christ said He would build the Church on a mass of rock. Each believer is an individual stone in the picture Peter draws as he continues. “For this is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,’ and, ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’” (1 Pet. 2:6-8). This picture fits what Christ has said in Matthew 16 where He is building His Church upon Himself as the rock, and we are the stones or the smaller individual rocks that are used in the construction of the building upon the mass of rock, Jesus Christ.
Peter’s interpretation of this in 1 Peter is very significant. He did not interpret that he was the rock upon which the Church was being built. Instead, that rock is Christ and Peter and other believers are stones in the building that is being constructed. Christ told Peter that He would build His Church and that Peter as a stone portrays the characteristic of firmness and truthfulness. Peter is one of the parts that will go into the Church that Jesus is building upon Himself.
Matthew 16:18 is the first reference Christ makes to the Church. This is also the first insight into what Christ will do now that the kingdom has been rejected. This passage indicates that the kingdom will be set aside for a time while Christ builds His Church.
The Church is mentioned twice in Matthew’s Gospel, once in Matthew 16:18 and once in Matthew 18:17. The other gospel writers make no mention of the Church. In this first mention, Christ does not develop anything about the Church. Paul’s writings tell that the full development of the Church is a doctrine revealed to him, but Christ provides some insight as to what the program will be even though the disciples do not understand it.
It is significant to note that Christ’s Church is built upon recognition and belief in Him as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. As a result of His being the Messiah, His work on the cross and subsequent resurrection is significant. But to be part of His Church you must believe in Him personally. A group of people gathered in a building does not make the Church of Jesus Christ. To be part of the Church, you must have personally recognized and believed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. If you have believed in Him, you are built upon Him as a living stone in that building. Many people talk about belonging to a “church”. The word church as used by some has developed a broader meaning. But when Christ talks about His Church, it is limited to those who have believed in Him and in His finished work.
The Church will be an institution of power as indicated in the last phrase of Matthew 16:18: “And the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The King James Version translates this phrase “the gates of hell.” From this translation it has been mistakenly interpreted as a reference to all of Satan’s activity not being able to overpower the Church. Even though that concept is true, I do not believe that is what this passage is saying. Understanding the verse is helped if the phrase is translated accurately, “the gates of Hades.” A Jew of Jesus’ time would have understood this expression as a reference to physical death since Hades was viewed as the place where one went at death. This is a phrase commonly used in the Old Testament.
Isaiah records an example of such usage. In Isaiah 38 Hezekiah, who was spared from death by the miraculous intervention of God, recorded his experience and told of his thoughts when he was expecting to die. “I said, ‘In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years’” (Isa. 38:10). “The gates of Sheol” is the Old Testament equivalent of the New Testament “the gates of Hades.” Hezekiah, a middle-aged man, thought he was going to die and expressed concern about entering the gates of Sheol, a reference to passing through physical death. Other Old Testament usage includes Job 38:17, Psalm 9:13, and Psalm 107:18.
When Jesus refers to the gates of Hades not overpowering the Church, He is talking about His own death which will occur shortly at Jerusalem. He is saying that even physical death will not be able to keep Him from building His Church. Interestingly enough, in Matthew 16:21 Jesus begins to tell the disciples that He is going to Jerusalem to suffer, to be killed and to be raised the third day. So the point is that even physical death by execution will not prevent Christ from building His Church. He will conquer death through His resurrection from the dead.
It is also true by application that believers share in Christ’s victory so that physical death does not ultimately overpower us. Death is an enemy that has been conquered, and we will conquer it with our glorified bodies as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus said in John 14:19, “Because I live, you will live also.” We have the assurance that physical death will not overpower us as true members of His Church. The immediate reference in Matthew 16 is to His own death and resurrection, but as members of His Church, even physical death cannot destroy what God is doing as Christ builds His Church. Thus the prime reason to refer to the gates of Hades not prevailing against the Church is that the death of Christ Himself will not be able to keep Him from building His Church. He provides the victory in His resurrection.
Jesus continues to address Peter as He gives insight regarding the establishing of the Church in Matthew 16:19: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” This is a reference to the delegation of authority in the kingdom. In Matthew 13 the expression, “the kingdom of heaven,” is used only as a reference to the kingdom Jesus Christ will establish on the earth and over which He will rule and reign. That kingdom must be what is in view here.
The idea that Peter was being given the keys of the Church is totally foreign to the use of this expression. It is important to be careful in interpreting this passage to remember that the kingdom of heaven is not the Church. By this statement Jesus was telling the disciples that even the establishment of the Church will not cancel out His plans for a coming earthly kingdom. He was also telling them that Peter will have a significant part in that kingdom.
The foundation for all of this is who Jesus Christ is and what He will accomplish. Upon Himself the Church will be built, and He will establish a kingdom in which Peter will have authority. As He carries them back to the subject of the kingdom, this is a reminder that the establishment of the Church does not nullify the promises concerning an earthly kingdom. It is significant that the first time Christ talks about the Church, He immediately follows it up with a promise concerning a position in a coming earthly kingdom.
That kingdom is the ultimate glorious destiny of the Church. As members of the bride of Christ, believers in the Church that is being built are a part of the fulfillment of that prophecy today. The Church is being built as people believe in Jesus Christ. We as believers should not lose sight of the significant part we play in the plan of God. We are being used to fulfill this prophecy as the power of God is worked out through our lives. The Church that is being built will ultimately reside in that glorious kingdom that Jesus Christ will establish.
So what was Christ talking about when He told Peter that He would give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven? Keys are a sign of authority. A trusted steward would be given keys by his master indicating his authority. He could open the storehouse and give out what was needed. That is true even today. If someone is entrusted with responsibility for a certain area, he is given a key which gives him authority in that realm. If you work in a business where supplies are kept, it is likely that only certain individuals have the key for the supply area. Those individuals have authority there.

That is the idea behind Christ’s statement to Peter. The keys of the kingdom indicate his authority. Jesus in Revelation 1:18 uses the same concept: “And I have the keys of death and of Hades.” This indicates His authority in the realm of death and in the realm of your destiny after death. Authority is what is being conveyed by the reference to the keys.
Christ also refers to “the key of David” in Revelation 3:7. This speaks of His authority in the house of David and in the kingdom that He will establish. So Peter is given authority here, but Peter’s authority will be in the kingdom, not in the Church, interestingly enough.
This authority is also promised to the other disciples in Matthew 19, “Then Peter said to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel’” (vv. 27, 28). They are promised authority in the kingdom. Jesus did not tell the twelve that He was going to make them the popes and bishops in the Church. He could have done that, but that is not what He said. The authority of the apostles was significant in the founding of the Church. We study the writings of the apostles in the New Testament as the authority for the Church. But the particular authority referred to in Matthew 19 will occur “when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne” (v. 28), a reference to the throne of glory that will characterize Him when He rules and reigns on the earth. These men will have authority over the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus has simply selected Peter as the subject in Matthew 16 to describe the honor he will enjoy in that kingdom.
One of the major problems in biblical interpretation is the failure to study the context of a passage. That is why I prefer to study the books of the Bible verse by verse. Now that the context of this passage has been established as being Peter’s authority in the kingdom, the next section falls together quite simply.
Jesus continued to address Peter in Matthew 16:19: “And whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Does the context have anything to do with forgiving sins in the Church? It does not. It has to do with the authority Peter will have in the kingdom. That authority is delegated when He tells Peter that he is given the keys. This is not just an honorary position, but in the kingdom Peter will be exercising true authority.
It is important to distinguish the difference between an honorary position and a position of authority. A person can be commissioned as an honorary admiral in the Nebraska Navy. One appointed to such an honorary position does not get on an aircraft carrier and float around Nebraska! The position is an honor given, not authority which can be exercised. But the authority Peter is given will be exercised.
Two words in Matthew 16:19, “bind” and “loose,” are significant. One commentator wrote: “The two words are technical expressions, the meaning of which was well understood. To ‘bind ’ is to forbid, to ‘loose’ is to permit.” This is the common way these words were used in biblical times. When something was bound, it meant you were forbidden to do it. When something was loosed, it meant you were given permission to do it.
This passage says that Peter will be exercising authority in the kingdom, forbidding some things to be done and permitting other things to be done. That is simply the exercising of authority. When you have authority, then you rule. You say that some things are acceptable and others are not.
The phrases, “shall have been bound” and “shall have been loosed,” are future paraphrastic perfect tenses. This indicates that Peter is not exercising independent, autonomous authority. He is exercising authority as the representative of heaven. When he forbids something, it is what heaven has already forbidden; when he permits something, it is what heaven has already permitted. Heaven will focus on the Son of Man on His glorious throne. So Peter will be exercising authority in the kingdom as Christ’s representative by forbidding and permitting those things which have been forbidden or permitted by the King Himself, Jesus Christ.
This is a great honor for Peter. The other apostles will rule and reign in the kingdom, but Peter is selected for special responsibility. Jesus did not individually inform the other apostles of specific responsibilities, but He selected Peter
and told him that he would be honored in the kingdom by exercising authority as His representative. But that authority will be in the kingdom. This passage gives a more complete picture of the total program of God in Jesus Christ. It is founded upon the person and work of Christ as the Son of the living God. It encompasses the building of the Church during this period of time when the King is absent from the earth. It will culminate in His return to rule in glory when Peter and others with Him will share in that glorious reign.
Jesus concludes in Matthew 16:20 with a word of warning: “Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.” Isn’t that a strange command? The disciples had had a glorious time of recognition that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. They had heard Him tell of the glorious future events in which they would share. But then He tells them not to tell anyone. This is really a serious matter because it indicates that the time has passed for Israel to accept Him as their Messiah. It is now too late for them to change their minds. The offer of the kingdom has been withdrawn. He has stated clearly, “I will build My church” (v. 18). There is now no possibility that the kingdom will be established on this occasion. Peter will rule with authority in the kingdom after Christ builds His Church, so the disciples are forbidden to tell Israel.
They are no longer to go out as they were commanded in Matthew 10 and announce, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 10:7). To do so would be to cast their pearls before swine. The nation Israel has rejected Christ as their king. That rejection has now been accepted and Christ has developed His program for the Church. The Church will occupy the time from Acts 2 to the time of the Rapture immediately preceding the Seventieth Week of Daniel when God will resume His program with Israel in preparing them for the return in glory of Jesus Christ.
It is essential to recognize that all of this revolves around a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You may be able to report what others say about Christ or what your church says about Him, but who do you say that Jesus Christ is? Have you believed in Him as the Son of God who died to pay the penalty for your sins? That is basic to everything else, because on the basis of faith in that truth, Jesus Christ is now building His Church. Those who believe in Him are part of that glorious Church.
Believers are part of the fulfilling of this tremendous prophecy of Christ as part of the Church which is being built that death cannot overcome or conquer. Believers are destined to be the bride of Christ in His very presence. Not only that, but He is in the process now of building that Church. Believers will rule and reign with Him in glory too. Revelation 20 says that not only will Peter and the apostles reign, but those who have believed in Christ will rule and reign with Him during that earthly kingdom.
In 1 Corinthians 6:3 Paul indicates that during that time the saints will judge the angels. The word “judge” is used in the context of having authority or ruling over. When we rule and reign with Jesus Christ in His kingdom, even the angels will be under our authority and will follow our instructions. That is an awesome thought when you think of the glorious destiny that believers have. It should impact the way we live our lives every moment of every day. The Church is founded upon who Jesus Christ is and what He has done. We are indeed part of the work that God is doing in building the Church of Jesus Christ, and we are destined to have authority with Him in the kingdom that He will establish on this earth when He rules and reigns on His glorious throne.