What Jesus said about ... (series)

 

What Jesus said about ... the Church.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then He ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13 onwards.

First, let us point at something very important here: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven."

What Jesus said here is that it was not Peter the human being who said what he said; it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter and confirming who Jesus is/was - the Son of the living God.

Often the Holy Spirit speaks through people to reveal truths that escape most of us. We should be on the alert and listen carefully.

Back to the topic. By "church" Jesus did not mean a building or temple. No doubt He may have been misunderstood by His listeners who often got the wrong message like they did when He said He would rebuild the temple in three days. John 2:19

By "church" He meant His people. You and I, and everyone who follows Jesus and lives according to His teachings and Commandments. We are the "church", not a building we may frequent. We, the followers of Christ, are the living "church" tasked to live according to His Way and to preach His Word throughout all nations. 

Originally, when the church started growing, just after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and followers of Jesus (Acts 2:1-31), it was a united movement led by the Spirit and taking its first faltering steps in a cynical unbelieving world. It met with great opposition and many of the followers of Jesus were persecuted and suffered death for their belief.

As time went by and the "church" got established and spread beyond its geographical origins it began to separate and split into factions and groups. (What's new?) And before long we had the Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox and this and that grouping each believing something different and bickering about their differences rather than rejoicing in what, (Who), unites them - Jesus the Son of the living God.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Jesus was not Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist or any other denomination which exists today. 

What do you think He feels when He looks down on us and sees what we have done to His church? 

Especially when He prayed that we may always be united with each other and with Him.

"I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one: I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me." John 17:21