
Jesus has just listened to Peter’s confession. He has responded that he will build his powerful church on that rock. But, what is the rest of the story? Just how will Christ build his church? Matthew 16:21–23 tells you.
Understand that Jesus had to suffer, die, and be raised. The suffering of Jesus is how he builds his church. Although this is not the beginning of Jesus’ own awareness of his coming suffering and death, and Matthew has already hinted at its approach, it marks the start of Jesus’ intensive instruction of his disciples on the subject. Jesus says, “He must,” indicating the necessity of what he was about to do. This was not an option, not a possibility. Rather, he was about to fulfill what God had ordained and had prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures. Significantly, Jesus waited with this instruction until Peter had made his confession. Perhaps doing it earlier would have confused the disciples about his Messianic work. Peter has now made his confession, but his concept of what the Messiah would do needs to be drastically revised. Jesus is telling you how he will build his church. It’s construction will involve his own suffering, betrayal, and death. Jesus tells you the location of his suffering: Jerusalem, the place where God had caused his name to dwell, The place where the temple stood, the city of the Great King. Those inflicting the suffering would be the religious leaders, the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. (This combination of the three groups apparently refers to the Sanhedrin.) If there was any group that should have been ready for the coming Messiah, that should have welcomed him, it ought to have been the Sanhedrin. But they will reject him, and cause him to suffer. Ultimately he will be killed. The gates of Hades will not prevail against the church he is building, but he will enter the realm of the dead.
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