Read it: Matthew 16:13-19 (on this rock I will build my church)
Live it: I have the privilege of writing the opening devotional for May 2025 Binge the Bible. The assigned passage contains the first mention of the church in the New Testament.
Jesus and his disciples are moving about throughout Israel teaching about the Kingdom of God, healing the sick, exercising power over nature (calming storms on the Sea of Galilee and commanding demons to be cast out of people). On the day in question, they were in the region of Caesarea Philippi, and Jesus asked a very important question of his disciples: “Who do people say I am?” The disciples answered with a variety of answers stating the people thought Jesus was one of the prophets of old who had been resurrected from the dead.
Then, Jess turned the question around and asked them who they thought he was. Peter, the one who almost always had an answer, or at least something to say, said, “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God.” Jesus commended him for his knowledge and explained that this was knowledge directly from God, and that statement would be the foundation of the church that would come into being through the future ministry of the disciples. He declared that the church would be powerful and would never fall into the hands of Satan.
Praise God for the victory!
Pastor Rod