Matthew 16:17-21: a reflection

17Jesus 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. 18I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” 20Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ. 21From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.

When Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus makes a great promise about the church he will build. On this rock I will build my assembly, he says, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Notice whose work the building is: I will build my church. The church is Christ's own, and he himself is the one who builds it; it is his work, not merely ours. And he promises that the gates of Hades, the powers of death and darkness, will not prevail against it. However the church may be assailed, it will not be overcome, because Christ himself builds it and secures it. The church's security rests not on its own strength but on Christ, who builds it and against whom the gates of Hades cannot prevail. What Christ builds, no power of death or darkness can finally overcome.

Notice the promise and its ground: Christ builds his church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. The building of the church is Christ's own work; he says, I will build my church. It is his, and he secures it. And the promise is that it will not be overcome; the gates of Hades, all the powers of death and darkness arrayed against it, will not prevail. This security does not rest on the church's own strength or faithfulness, which often falter; it rests on Christ, who builds it and against whom no power can finally stand. However the church is assailed through the ages, it endures, because Christ himself builds and keeps it. What Christ builds, the gates of Hades cannot overcome. The church's endurance is not a testament to its own strength but to Christ's, who founded it and secures it against every assault. His building stands.

That is worth resting in, for Christ builds his church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. We can fear for the church, seeing it assailed, weak, faltering, and wonder whether it will endure; but Christ himself said, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Its endurance rests not on its own strength but on Christ, who builds and secures it. What Christ builds, no power of death or darkness can finally overcome. When you fear for the church amid all that assails it, remember that Christ builds it, and the gates of Hades will not prevail. Rest in the promise that Christ builds his church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it, as he said to Peter; for the church is Christ's own work, built and secured by him, and its endurance rests not on its own faltering strength but on Christ, against whom no power of death or darkness can finally stand, so that what he builds will not be overcome however it is assailed.

Lord Jesus, when Peter confesses that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, you make a great promise about the church you will build. On this rock I will build my assembly, you say, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Let me notice whose work the building is: I will build my church. The church is your own, and you yourself are the one who builds it; it is your work, not merely ours. And you promise that the gates of Hades, the powers of death and darkness, will not prevail against it. However the church may be assailed, it will not be overcome, because you yourself build it and secure it. Show me the promise and its ground: you build your church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. The building of the church is your own work; you say, I will build my church. It is yours, and you secure it. And the promise is that it will not be overcome; the powers of death and darkness arrayed against it will not prevail. This security does not rest on the church's own strength or faithfulness, which often falter; it rests on you, against whom no power can finally stand. However the church is assailed through the ages, it endures, because you build and keep it. Let me rest in that, for you build your church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I can fear for the church, seeing it assailed, weak, faltering, and wonder whether it will endure; but you said, I will build my church. Its endurance rests not on its own strength but on you. When I fear for the church amid all that assails it, help me remember that you build it, Lord, and the gates of Hades will not prevail, so that what you build will not be overcome.