He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:15-18)
When Jesus was in Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples a telling question: “Who do you say that I am?” How they answered that question determined what they truly believed. Was Jesus a good teacher? Was He the Messiah? Or was He just someone who fed them and took care of them?
Peter stepped up and spoke what God had placed on his heart. He said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter’s confession didn’t come from his intellect. Jesus explained that it could only come from supernatural revelation.
Jesus said that this revelation would become the foundation for the Church. Peter wasn’t the rock on which Jesus would build His church; the revelation, the supernatural understanding of Who Jesus is, would build His church.
We must never have the mindset that we already know everything about Scripture or a concept from God’s Word. The Word is alive, and we can always get greater revelation or supernatural understanding. We are called to receive like children, being open, humble, and receptive to what God is saying.
Jesus promised that the gates of hell cannot stand when we have supernatural understanding. Notice that Jesus didn’t say “the battering rams of hell” or the “swords of hell” or any other type of weaponry would come against the church. Why? Because hell isn’t advancing; it’s trying to defend. The kingdom of God is advancing. The church isn’t passive. With supernatural revelation, we destroy any influence that the kingdom of darkness tries to claim.
Practical Application
Don’t treat a sermon or a Scripture with the mindset, “I’ve heard this before.” Always be on the edge of your seat, expecting God to reveal something powerful and more significant than you’ve known before. Keep a mindset of anticipation.
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