Treasure in Earthen Vessels

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” ¹⁴So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:13-18

What does this phrase mean? To who is it addressed? Is it relevant to my relationship with God?

This expression is unique, it is contained in the Gospel according to Matthew and it appears addressed and conferred to the apostle Peter, in reciprocity to the answer that the apostle presented to the question, who do men say is the Son of Man?

It is clear in the story the intention of the question of Jesus. He intends to discover among his disciples the level of revelation that they have acquired over the course of almost three full years that they have walked with him.

The exclamation of Jesus, –Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah; for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but my Father who is in heaven, is the satisfaction on the part of Jesus that the knowledge they have acquired is not only the result of a normal learning process but moreover, the spiritual development of those who recognize in Jesus the work of the Father for the reconciliation of man.

The expression –You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, is the recognition, and submission, of the Lordship of Christ. In response to this, Jesus offers to build on this rock of conviction the spiritual edifice – his church – from where the person who represents it can attain Salvation and Eternal Life. As it is written,

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 1^st. Corinthians 6:19

The Lordship of Christ is the central theme of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and of the existence of the church. There is no Kingdom without the recognition of the Lordship of Christ. In the same way, there is no church without preaching about the Lordship of Christ.

Recognizing the Lordship of Christ is necessary, it is imperative, depends on it that the gates of hell do not prevail against the church.

It is not only a question of admitting His divinity; it is also a question of accepting His Lordship. The Lordship of Christ is the central theme of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and of the existence of the church. There is no Kingdom without the recognition of the Lordship of Christ. In the same way, there is no church without preaching about the Lordship of Christ.

Recognizing the Lordship of Christ is necessary, imperative, depend on it that the gates of hell do not prevail against the church.

Life in Christ is not only a matter of recognizing the divinity of Jesus, it depends more on the willingness to submit to His Lordship.

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! James 2:19

The point that the Old Testament prophets denounced of the people who invoked Baal, Ashtoreth, or Ashera, just as they invoked and offered Jehovah, was not because they doubted the greatness of Jehovah-God, but because they were not willing to submit to His Lordship. Recognizing the divinity of Jesus is not the central theme of the Gospel, but that man should choose to submit to His Lordship.

Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament who today claims, requires, demands, and preaches, submission to His Lordship as a requirement to establish the kingdom because otherwise, man cannot attain Salvation and Eternal Life, as it is written:

And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Luke 3:9

To not understand the continuity of the prophetic message is not only to fall into the errors of the past, but more, to lose the privilege of receiving the Revelation of the Father:

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21

On this rock I will build my church. The rock is the Revelation of the Father. The kingdom of Heaven is established upon the Revelation of the Lordship of Christ. The church is established upon a Revelation of the Lordship of Christ.

Coming to this point in my writing strikes me because immediately comes to my spirit the failure which many preachers have incurred, in not preaching about the need to recognize and submit to the Lordship of Christ. The multitude of people who live confessing the deity of Jesus: –Jesus is the son of God; but who have not been able to live under His Lordship.

All those multitudes have not received the Revelation, and although it is the Father’s design, it has been largely due to the absence of correct teaching on the part of those whom God commissioned to be pastors; they have not been concerned with preaching to us the need to submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ.

Upon this rock I will build my church. The rock is a word of faith. It is the word of conviction that arises and rises among many other voices that cry out for confusion. How many voices circulated in the regions about who was Jesus, they themselves quoted that same day: Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

Why go against what everybody says? What was it that made Peter dare to opine a different definition? It wasn’t his natural impulsivity that made him jump out of his chair to give his opinion, it was his faith. That’s why on that night of betrayal, Jesus prayed to the Father that faith would not be lacking when Peter was shaken by Satan.

Upon whom shall the church of the Lord be built? The church of the Lord shall be built upon those who not only recognize Jesus as God but are also willing to submit to their Lordship.

Pastor Pedro Montoya

Tel Cell. (407) 764-2699

Twitter: @pastormontoya