Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 326

November 22;      Matthew 16:18;      16/260;      ‘The Church is Built on Jesus’

Matthew 16:18 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.

There has been much confusion over the meaning of this verse.  Religion teaches and many have thought Jesus was saying, “I will build My church on Peter.”  Peter’s name means a stone.  The ‘rock’ the Lord Jesus was talking about was not Peter, but the statement Peter made. “You are the Christ…”  The Lord could never build His church on Peter, or any other man.  Peter denied the Lord Jesus three times and years later, he is confronted by Paul for being preferential to the Jews.  Once Peter was Spirit filled, he became a mighty man of God, but he was still a man and we are all fallible.  Jesus is Lord, He never fails and on this truth, “You are the Christ,” He builds His Church and nothing can stop this.  The Lord Jesus earned the right to be the Head of the Church, when He willingly allowed Himself to be mocked, humiliated, beaten and crucified.  Jesus never sinned, but on the cross, He bore the sins of humanity and our sicknesses as well.  Jesus redeemed us from the curse that Adam, by his sin brought on humanity.  Poverty, sickness and death, both spiritual and physical, Jesus took upon Himself and paid the price for them.  Once the Lord Jesus took the curse and our punishment upon Himself, He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Head of the Church, and we, as Christians are His body.  The Bible says every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  God the Father gave Peter this revelation of who Jesus was.  If you are a Christian, you are part of His Church.  No better place to be.