who do you say
that i am? at Caesarea Philippi
During
each Holy Land Pilgrimage our Lakes Church Lead Pastor Dr. Aaron D. Burgner shared
with us that Caesarea Philippi was a center of pagan worship. Jesus
took His disciples here to ask them: “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered
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 tell
you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the
gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:16-18) Jesus
refers back to Peter’s statement about His identity, connecting it to life of
the church. Since Jesus is the Messiah and the church is built on Him, it will
outlast everything. Jesus is the foundation of the church. In stone masonry,
the cornerstone is the most important piece. If it’s removed, everything
collapses. But since Jesus is the cornerstone, nothing is a threat to the
church. No matter what evils you encounter today, they cannot stop His kingdom!
Jesus
led the disciples to the mountains of Caesarea Philippi and the pagan temple of
Pan where the "gates of hell" spewed steam from the rocky cliffs.
From this strategic location, Jesus declared the foundation of His church and
described its formation as a battle, with the gates of hell opposing the
gospel's advance. Every person must declare an allegiance to Christ or the
gates of hell. Will you remain loyal to the "Son of the living God"
or be seduced by the pleasures of the world? An understanding of the physical
scenery provides a greater appreciation of why the temple was called "the
gates of hell." Rivers flowing out of the temple caves and mist from
waterfalls created an eerie presence.
When
Jesus declared that the gates of hell could not prevail against His church, He
and the disciples may have been looking at the pagan temple and listening to
the roar of waterfalls. Imagine the impact of this moment as the King of
kings stood in the presence of evil and proclaimed His superiority over the
forces of darkness. While the instruction was addressed to Peter, we make the
obvious application that all who follow Christ are called to build upon the
foundation of who Christ is and what He gave His life to establish. The
inability of the "gates of hell" to prevail against Christ's church
illustrates additional significance and the superiority of this incredible
mission to which followers have been called. Standing in the immediate
proximity of the "gates of hell" elevates the call to greater heights
than the disciples had considered. They were no longer working to continue the
Jewish tradition, but now they were expected to charge into enemy territory and
rescue those who lived in darkness.
Perhaps
that is why Jesus asked the disciples to define their faith in him on a
personal level rather than rely on what others had to say about him. Jesus
challenged them to base their definition of who he was on the reality of what
they had seen, heard, and experienced about him. Today, many stand in public
platforms and attempt to define Jesus as a good man, a teacher, or a prophet
while asserting that he could not possibly be the Messiah. Yet we who have
experienced the depths of his grace and love can offer firsthand knowledge that
he is real, that he has transformed our lives, and that his presence can bring
light to a dark world. Have you experienced the reality of who Christ is? Then
you can confidently share the truth with others because you know him
personally!
LORD,
thank you for giving me a faith in you that is real and personal. There are so
many who don’t know you and need to hear the truth. Help me to share my faith
in such a way that others will be drawn to you and will accept you as their
Savior. In Jesus' mighty name we pray, amen.
Look
Up—meditate on Matthew 16:16-18…pray to see what it reveals about the
character of God.
Look
In—as you meditate on Matthew 16:16-18…pray to see how you might apply
it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your
discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."
Look
Out—as you meditate on Matthew 16:16-18…pray to see how you might
apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on
every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.
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