17 “And Jesus 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. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.” (Matthew 16:17–20 (ESV)
Following Peter’s confession of Christ (Matt.16:13-16), Jesus pronounced an oracle of weal, or blessing, upon His disciple. Simon received not only a unique commissioning from the Lord, but also a significant name change. It was then Jesus gave Peter, and the other disciples, four promises.
First, Jesus promised He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. To prevail (κατισχύσουσιν; katischysousin) means to dominate and overpower. Dr. Wendall G. Johnston, the second president of Detroit Bible College renamed William Tyndale College, preached this text in chapel one year. He remarked that while Jesus promised the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, Jesus didn’t mean that Satan wouldn’t try. I have always remembered that observation.
“Gates of Hell, by metonymy represents Satan and his legions as it were storming out of hell gates in order to attack and destroy the church. What we have here is an oft-repeated promise to the victory of Christ’s church over the forces of evil,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen. (See John 16:33; Romans 16:20; Ephesians 6:1-13; Revelation 12:13-16; 17:14; 20:7-10).
“Jesus promised that He would always cause His people to triumph over the devil and his army. The promise is given to Christian soldiers.”
“When Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, Peter clearly affirmed that Jesus is Israel’s Messiah, the One of whom the prophets foretold throughout the Old Testament. Peter also grasps the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and the one in whom all of Israel’s hopes are fulfilled. While Jesus responds to Peter’s confession of faith with words of blessing: “blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,” Jesus goes on to extend His blessing to His people. This can be seen in the fact that Jesus promises that the “gates of hell” (the power of Satan) will not prevail against His church,” explains Dr. Kim Riddlebarger, pastor of Christ Reformed Church, Anaheim, CA.
How great to know Jesus prevails over the world, the flesh and the devil. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 