On This Rock
Built on Christ, the True Cornerstone
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 16:18 NKJV - "And 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.”
OBSERVATION:
What is the foundation upon which the Church was built? The Catholic Church holds that it was built on Peter, believing and teaching that he was the first Pope (Holy Father) of the Church. They cite Peter's statement and Jesus' recognition of it, with Jesus saying that Peter would be the “rock” on which the church would be established. This understanding is partially correct.
To clarify further, we should look back to when Jesus changed Peter's name from Simon.
Matthew 4:18 NKJV - And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
John 1:42 NKJV - And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
The name Simon means shifting sand or unstable sand. It can also refer to a pebble or small stone. Peter (Roman) or Cephas (Hebrew) means a rock or stone.
Observe how Jesus' statement about Peter progresses. It starts with a question to all the disciples.
Matthew 16:13-15 NKJV - 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?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter's answer was this.
Matthew 16:16 NKJV - Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Matthew 16:17-18 NKJV - Jesus 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. And 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.”
Jesus was saying, "Simon, you are unstable at times, even shifting." But one day, you will be a rock. You will build the foundation of the Church on this ROCK (I believe pointing to Himself).
Peter would affirm this in the letter he wrote.
1 Peter 2:6-7 NKJV - Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone."
The chief cornerstone was the foundation stone. It was what everything was built upon. Even the first “Pope” understood who the foundation was. Even the first “Pope” tried to block the statement of who Jesus was and what His mission was about.
Matthew 16:16 NKJV - Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Matthew 16:21-23 NKJV - From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
APPLICATION:
Matthew 16:18 NKJV - "And 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.”
OBSERVATION:
What is the foundation upon which the Church was built? The Catholic Church holds that it was built on Peter, believing and teaching that he was the first Pope (Holy Father) of the Church. They cite Peter's statement and Jesus' recognition of it, with Jesus saying that Peter would be the “rock” on which the church would be established. This understanding is partially correct.
To clarify further, we should look back to when Jesus changed Peter's name from Simon.
Matthew 4:18 NKJV - And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
John 1:42 NKJV - And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
The name Simon means shifting sand or unstable sand. It can also refer to a pebble or small stone. Peter (Roman) or Cephas (Hebrew) means a rock or stone.
Observe how Jesus' statement about Peter progresses. It starts with a question to all the disciples.
Matthew 16:13-15 NKJV - 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?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter's answer was this.
Matthew 16:16 NKJV - Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Matthew 16:17-18 NKJV - Jesus 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. And 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.”
Jesus was saying, "Simon, you are unstable at times, even shifting." But one day, you will be a rock. You will build the foundation of the Church on this ROCK (I believe pointing to Himself).
Peter would affirm this in the letter he wrote.
1 Peter 2:6-7 NKJV - Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone."
The chief cornerstone was the foundation stone. It was what everything was built upon. Even the first “Pope” understood who the foundation was. Even the first “Pope” tried to block the statement of who Jesus was and what His mission was about.
Matthew 16:16 NKJV - Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Matthew 16:21-23 NKJV - From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
APPLICATION:
Peter, by His own testimony, did not see himself as the rock on which the church was founded. He wrote that we are living stones, but Jesus is the cornerstone. We could say that Peter was the “first believer”; that he was the “first rock” among “many rocks.” - David Guzik.
1 Peter 2:4-5: Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Be a rock today! Let the testimony of what Jesus did on the cross and His resurrection speak powerfully, and the gates of hell will not stand against it.
PRAYER:
Jesus, may I remain stable and unmoving, built upon You, Jesus, THE ROCK—my solid foundation and source of life. The church has been built on You, of which we are a part. May we be those rocks among rocks that draw many to the Chief Cornerstone.
Be a rock today! Let the testimony of what Jesus did on the cross and His resurrection speak powerfully, and the gates of hell will not stand against it.
PRAYER:
Jesus, may I remain stable and unmoving, built upon You, Jesus, THE ROCK—my solid foundation and source of life. The church has been built on You, of which we are a part. May we be those rocks among rocks that draw many to the Chief Cornerstone.
Our stability comes from standing firmly on Jesus, the Rock who never shifts.
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