Untitled Sermon (3)

The Institution And Confession Of The Church

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The church is the community of people who know Jesus intimately, proclaim Jesus confidently, and obey Jesus sacrificially.

In Jesus instituted what we know as the New Testament church. This is one of only two times in all the Gospels when Jesus explicitly referred to the "church" (see also ). We are, in a sense, going back to our roots as followers of Christ. One writer has called "the central or critical chapter in Matthew's account of [Jesus'] life, death and resurrection. . . . It is the high point in Jesus' teaching and the disciples' growth in spiritual understanding" (Boice, The Gospel of Matthew, 279, 301). Needless to say, this initial institution and confession of the church has huge implications for understanding who we are and what we are to do as members of our own local churches today.

begins on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in the region of Magadan, a Jewish territory (15:39). Jesus was returning from His journey into explicitly Gentile territory, having healed a Canaanite woman as well as many others with various needs (15:21-31). He then fed more than four thousand Gentiles with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish (15:32-38). At the end of chapter 15, Jesus got into a boat with His disciples and came back into Jewish territory, and as soon as He did, He was greeted by a group of Pharisees and Sadducees (16:1). It's as if they were waiting to pounce on Him again. In order to understand Jesus' exchange with these leaders, as well as His interaction with His own disciples, it will be helpful to identify this cast of characters. The Characters in

The first two groups on the scene in were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. These groups represented the Sanhedrin, a Jewish council that essentially ruled over various spheres of Jewish life.33 They had likely been sent as an official delegation to confront and question Jesus. Even though the Pharisees and Sadducees differed from one another in terms of their beliefs and practices, they were united in their opposition to Jesus.

The Pharisees were a conservative body of leaders who held to strict observance of the law and tradition. In chapter 15, we saw that the Pharisees had taken their traditions and teachings and elevated them to the place of God's Word (even trumping God's Word in some instances). The very name "Pharisees" means "separated ones," and they had basically set themselves apart by their rigid devotion to God's law and their own teachings, and in the process, they were guilty of basing their status before God on their own rigid obedience to the law and tradition. They were marked by self-righteousness: asserting themselves in the face of God.

The Sadducees, on the other hand, were a bit different. They were marked by self-indulgence: pleasing themselves apart from God. The Sadducees were predominantly from the wealthy class of Jewish people. Though they were more strict than the Pharisees in some ways, they were known for pursuing both political and social approval and power. They didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead, so they took the mind-set, "Hey, this life is all there is, so let's make the most of it," and they had the means to do so. Many of them made fortunes on temple concessions, money-changing, and ritual sacrifices.

While there's a lot to criticize about the Pharisees and Sadducees, we should be able to see in them a reflection of tendencies in our own hearts. On the one hand, the Sadducees loved to adjust the rules to fit their own preferences, priorities, and pursuits in this world. On the other hand, the Pharisees loved to keep the rules, and they were taking great pains to do everything right according to the law and their tradition. If we're honest, we can see ourselves in these two extremes. Some of us love to adjust (or even break) the rules in order to prioritize our own pursuits in this world, while others of us try our best to live nice, decent, moral, and even religious lives. Part of the point of this story in is that both of these approaches—self-righteousness and self-indulgence—entirely miss who Jesus is. They both oppose Him.

Despite the fact that the Pharisees and Sadducees were at odds with one another, often being antagonists of one another in Jewish leadership, here in the face of Jesus they stand together. A common opponent always transforms enemies into friends. So they tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven (v. 1), as if Jesus had not already given enough demonstrations of His divinity. At this point in the story, Jesus looked back at them and started talking about the weather. These men could discern the weather based on the color of the sky—a red sky in the evening meant fair weather, while a red sky in the morning meant bad weather (vv. 2-3)—but they couldn't interpret the signs of the times.

Jesus criticized these religious leaders because they were all focused on temporal matters. They could discern weather patterns, yet they were all blind to eternal realities. Amid their supposed knowledge of God and His ways, they were missing the signs God was performing right in front of them in the promised Christ, the Messiah. They paid so much attention to things like changing weather conditions that they were missing epoch-making changes in the history of redemption. Could they not see? God had broken into the world, coming as a man to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, quiet storms, and bring salvation. Christ's entire earthly ministry was evidence of the victory of God over sin, suffering, the Devil, and demons. Those who saw Jesus got a foretaste of a kingdom that will never be destroyed. All of this was being done right before their eyes, and the Pharisees and Sadducees were missing it.

The Pharisees and Sadducees began by asking Jesus for a sign in verse 1, and Jesus responded in verse 4 by saying that "no sign will be given to it [this evil and adulterous generation] except the sign of Jonah." sheds some light on the sign of Jonah, a reference to Jesus' resurrection. Just as Jonah was three days in a fish, so Jesus would be three days in the grave, and then He would rise again. But even this miraculous sign would not be enough for Jesus' opponents. His decisive victory in the resurrection would not be enough to convince these hard-hearted leaders who, in their self-righteousness and self-indulgence, were so focused on temporal matters that they had become blind to eternal realities. Don't miss the strong word of warning here. Self-indulgence and self-righteousness will blind you from seeing and knowing Jesus. Like a little bit of yeast that inevitably spreads, these heart-attitudes will slowly ruin your soul. So guard against a focus on this world—what you can obtain and achieve in the here and now—that blinds you to the world to come. Focus on what matters for all of eternity by fixing your eyes on Jesus Christ.

The focus shifts from the Pharisees and Sadducees to the disciples in verse 5. Clearly the disciples were slow to grasp Jesus' teaching, as evidenced in this exchange in verses 5-12. When they forgot to bring bread with them on their journey, Jesus told them to beware of the "yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (v. 6). They missed His point entirely, thinking He was speaking of literal yeast. "You of little faith!" was Jesus' reply (v. 8). The yeast He was referring to was the "teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (v. 12). Then Jesus asked them a series of questions concerning their failure to grasp what they had seen in His ministry (vv. 8-11). The two miraculous feedings had apparently made little difference for the faith of these hapless disciples.

When I read about the disciples, I am tempted to get a bit frustrated with them. They seem to be so clueless at times, particularly with all that Jesus was saying and doing in their presence. You would think they would eventually get it! But then I see myself, and I think, "How many times has the Lord in His mercy taught me the same truths again and again and again?" He has shown Himself so faithful to me in everything, and yet I sometimes doubt Him. Oh, how we should praise God for His mercy and patience with us, for His faithfulness when we are faithless! This contrast plays out in the next section in Jesus' interaction with Peter.

In verses 13-28 we read of Peter's confession of Christ, and we learn the implications of what it means to be a disciple. Unlike Pharisees and Sadducees, disciples of Jesus are not marked by self-righteousness or self-indulgence; they are marked by self-denial: crucifying themselves for the glory of God. And the lesson they would learn was that in following Jesus, they would leave behind temporal pursuits. Quite literally for most of these disciples, they would lose their lives in this world. But in the process, they would live for eternal pleasure. In losing their lives, they would actually find their lives. Indulging yourself or trying to earn the favor of God by following all the rules is a sure recipe for losing your life in this world. But if you want to know the favor of God and you want to experience the eternal pleasure of God, then deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. For this is what it means to be a disciple. This is what it means to be a part of the church.

The Church in

In verses 13-20 we see the first mention of the "church," and it comes from the mouth of Jesus, the Head of the church: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church." Notice the word "church" in verse 18—ekklesia in the original language. Jesus uses this word to refer to an assembly of Christ-followers. Based on these verses, we can identify three characteristics of the people who make up the church.

First, the church is the community of people who know Jesus intimately. The contrast in this text is clear, not only between the disciples and the Jewish leaders but between the disciples and just about everyone else. Jesus asked His disciples in verse 13, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The disciples listed several common answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets come back from the dead (or at the very least a new prophet like one of these prophets from old). No one, however, thought Jesus was the Messiah. He was a good man, or even a godly man, but certainly not God Himself.

Jesus then turned the same question on His disciples in verse 15: "Who do you say that I am?" The "you" here is plural and emphatic (Carson, Matthew, 365), so Jesus was basically confronting all of His disciples with this central question. In response, Peter, representing the other disciples, says in verse 16, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!" Peter's language is loaded with theological meaning, and this is the first time we see the disciples truly confess who Jesus is. Jesus responded by saying, "Simon son of Jonah,34 you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven" (v. 17). Not even Peter could have grasped the full significance of what he had uttered.

If everyone else had missed the fact that Jesus was the Messiah, how did Peter come to this realization? Not by "flesh and blood," Jesus said (v. 17), for a true understanding of Christ comes not from human invention. Instead, a true understanding of Christ comes only from divine revelation. Jesus tells Peter that this insight has been revealed by Jesus' Father (v. 17).

We must never forget that the grace of God is the only way that anyone can behold the beauty of Christ. Jesus says in , "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him." In and of ourselves, we are blind, just like the Pharisees and Sadducees. We love the darkness (). But God, in His mercy, has opened our eyes to see Jesus, to know who He is, to believe in Him, and to confess Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is the testimony of every Christian.

There were a lot of people in the first century who would have said they believed in Jesus. Some, for instance, believed He was Elijah, and others Jeremiah. Likewise there are a lot of people in the twenty-first century who would say they believe in Jesus. Approximately 85 percent of Americans say they believe Jesus was a true historical figure, and among that 85 percent, almost all of them (more than 9 out of 10 of them) believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead. But the more important question is, "Who exactly is the Jesus that you believe in?" This is the crux of the issue.

Who you say Jesus is will determine everything about how you follow Him. If you think Jesus was a good teacher, then you will follow Him like you would a good teacher. If you think Jesus merely had some good ideas, then you will listen to what He says every once in while. If you think Jesus was a good example, then you will try to follow His example.

However, if you believe that Jesus was and is the promised Messiah who came to the earth to save us from our sins, to conquer sin and death, and to reign and rule over all as Lord, then that changes everything about how you live. The church is made up of people who believe in that Jesus and know Him intimately. Do you know Jesus intimately?

As those who know Jesus intimately, the church is also the community of people who proclaim Jesus confidently. Based on Peter's identification of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God, Jesus responds, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it" (). This one verse has caused all kinds of questions and controversies in the history of the church. Everyone wants to understand the church's foundation. So what is the rock that the church is built on? Is it Peter? Jesus? The apostles? The gospel? Yes. Let me explain.

Sometimes this issue is confusing because different metaphors are used in other parts of the New Testament to describe the church. For example, Paul calls Jesus "the foundation" (), the "rock" (), and the "cornerstone" (). However, in the apostles and prophets are referred to as the foundation of the church, and in Paul describes himself as a "skilled master builder" in relationship to the church. These various metaphors are used to make different points. Given this variety, we need to understand in light of its context, knowing that other New Testament writers are using different metaphors to make different points. So what's the point that Jesus is making here?

The name Peter means "rock," so there's a bit of a play on words here. In essence, Jesus is saying, "I tell you, you are rock and on this rock I will build my church." Jesus acknowledges, then, some kind of foundation in Peter. By God's grace alone, Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. It's immediately after this confession that Jesus spoke of the church that He is building upon Peter and his confession of faith. Therefore, based on the immediate context, this is how we should understand the rock of the church: the people of God proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

Peter is the first apostle who makes this declaration of Christ's identity, and he is the apostle upon whom much of the church's foundation would be built beginning in . As a result of Peter's initial proclamation of the gospel in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, around three thousand people were saved (). Right after this, the early church devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching of the Word and thousands more came to Christ in the days ahead (). Jesus was building His church, and Peter continued to play a central role in this mission throughout the first 12 chapters of Acts. But Peter was not alone, for Paul says in that the church is built on the foundation of all the apostles. (By the way, Peter was not perfect, either; see how he is called "Satan" just a few verses later!) And beyond Peter, Martin Luther declared, "All who agree with the confession of Peter (in ) are Peters themselves setting a sure foundation" (as cited in MacArthur, , 29). This is not to take away from the uniqueness of Peter, but it is to remind us that as we proclaim the gospel, we too are building upon the foundational confession made by Peter approximately two thousand years ago.

As the church proclaims the gospel of Christ, Jesus says that the "forces of Hades will not overpower it" (v. 18). The "forces of Hades," also translated as the "gates of hell" (ESV), is a Jewish idiom for the powers of death. Death cannot stop this Messiah, for like Jonah, Jesus would rise from the dead in victory over the grave. And it's not only Jesus who won't be stopped; death will not stop His messengers. J. C. Ryle said,

Nothing can altogether overthrow and destroy [the church]. Its members may be persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned, beaten, beheaded, burned. But the true Church is never altogether extinguished: it rises again from its afflictions; it lives on through fire and water. When crushed in one land, it springs up in another. The Pharaohs, the Herods, the Neros . . . have laboured in vain to put down this Church. They slay their thousands, and then pass away and go to their own place. The true Church outlives them all, and sees them buried each in his turn. [The Church] is an anvil that has broken many a hammer in this world, and will break many a hammer still. [The Church] is a bush which is often burning, and yet is not consumed. (Ryle, Principles for Churchmen, 118)

Death cannot stop this Messiah or His messengers, and we know this because Christ gives His authority to the church. is another verse that has sparked debate and discussion: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven." Based on these verses, all kinds of errant ideas and practices have come about. People walk around claiming to bind this or that object or demon, all the while claiming the authority of Jesus. Once again we must consider the context of Jesus' instructions.

When Peter or the other apostles, or any follower of Christ for that matter, proclaims the gospel, it is done under Jesus' authority—His authority to save sinners and to judge sinners. Jesus' authority to save means that we can say to any person in the world, "If you turn from your sin and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, you will be free from sin forever." That's a guarantee based on the authority of Christ and His Word. At the same time, we can also say to any person in this world, "If you do not turn from your sin and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, you are bound to your sin and its payment for all eternity in hell." Authority has been entrusted to us as the church to proclaim this message. We tell people whether or not they are going to heaven or to hell, whether or not they are in the kingdom of heaven or not, all based on the authority of God's Word.

This truth is directly related to Jesus' upcoming discussion on church discipline (). Being a part ofhe church is not simply like joining a club; it is an extremely important confession with eternal ramifications. And these ramifications are not only for being a part of the church, but also for what we do as a church—we speak with the authority of Christ. The urgency and priority of evangelism is one important implication that flows from these truths.

Unfortunately, this passage has been used and abused throughout church history, particularly in its exaltation of Peter and a supposed succession of leaders after him. Given this history, people are naturally led to wonder, Is Peter the first pope? The Catholic Church teaches the following:

The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church, and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head. This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 881)

Catholicism claims that Peter was given a special authority that is now passed down to a succession of church leaders, specifically bishops, under the primacy of the Pope. While this text absolutely acknowledges Peter's instrumental role in his initial confession and foundation of the church, we must disagree here with the Catholic church's teaching. This text is not about a supreme pope; it's about a sovereign Savior. Jesus said, "I will build My church" (v. 18). Jesus is the architect of the church. Peter's authority is completely tied to Jesus' authority as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus alone is pre-eminent in this text, and His Word alone is supreme.

A second error flowing from these verses needs to be addressed: this text is not about a necessary pope; it's about a non-negotiable declaration. It's the church's proclamation of Christ that is primary. Wherever the gospel of Christ is proclaimed, the church will be built, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Finally, this text is not about an infallible pope; it's about an invincible mission. The pope does not speak new revelation that carries with it the weight of Christ's authority, as the Catholic church teaches. Rather, the church proclaims old revelation, the revelation of God saving sinners through Christ. Only with this message do we have Christ's authority to call people to be saved. This is why we referred to the church earlier as a community that proclaims Jesus confidently.

Following this controversial and foundational passage in verses 13-20, the tone in the narrative shifts dramatically in verses 21-23. The disciples learn that Jesus would suffer necessarily. The Lord Jesus gave these men a detailed prediction of His sufferings, death, and resurrection, things that "must" happen (v. 21). And just when we begin to think that Peter is getting it, he steps up and rebukes Jesus. Clearly, Peter was not infallible! He goes from rock to stumbling block, which is the literal meaning of that word "offense" in verse 23 (Carson, Matthew, 377). "Get behind Me, Satan!" may seem like strong language, but recall from that a similar temptation was aimed at Jesus in the desert. Satan tried to seduce God's Son to gain His rightful rule and authority apart from God's plan of suffering and death. However, Jesus knew in and He knows here in this passage that He must go to the cross to fulfill the Father's will.

In light of the path that Jesus took, the path of obedience that accomplished for us our salvation, the question becomes, "Will we follow Him?" He suffered once for all necessarily; we now suffer willingly (vv. 24-28). This is what it means to follow Jesus and be a part of His church. You die to yourself by putting aside self-righteousness, self-indulgence, and everything that belongs to you—your desires, your ambitions, your thoughts, your dreams, and your possessions.

At the same time, you take up your cross (v. 24). For the early disciples, the language of taking up your cross would have immediately brought to mind images of crucifixion. Anyone carrying his cross was a dead man walking. Your life as you once knew it was over.

As we die to ourselves and take up our cross, we cannot forget the end of verse 24. We are not simply leaving behind sin and self, we are committing to follow Jesus. This echoes Jesus initial invitation in to "Follow Me." Pursue Me, Jesus says. Walk in My footsteps, according to My Word, adhering to My ways, trusting in My power, living for My praise. You hear echoes of this in Paul's language: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (). Though it may sound foolish to the world, this is how we find life: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it" (v. 25).

Oh, the great reversal! Live for yourself and you will die. Die to yourself and you will live. And as you live, eagerly expect the King to come. Verse 27 tells us that the Son of Man is going to come and reward people according to what they have done, and since this coming is imminent, we must be prepared for it. The last verse in is yet one more controversial point in this passage. Jesus said that some of those who were there with Him would live to see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Though more could be said on this difficult verse, the coming of Christ's kingdom could refer to a number of different aspects of that kingdom. The context here, however, seems to refer to the spread of the gospel in the early church through the power of the Son of Man. Some of these disciples, after Jesus' death and resurrection, would be a part of the manifestation of Christ's kingly reign expanding throughout the Roman empire, as hosts of people were ushered into the kingdom. Disciples of Jesus not only expect the King, but in this sense they also eternally experience the kingdom to come.

should cause each of us to ask the following questions: Have you died to yourself? Have you taken up your cross? Are you following Jesus? Have you found your life in Him? Are you eagerly proclaiming the good news of the kingdom as you eagerly await the return of the King? This is what it means to be a disciple. This is what it means to be a part of Christ's church.