We are familiar with the scripture in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus says to Peter “I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” This was the first mention of the Church in scripture as it was a mystery revealed by Christ which is further described as “the Church which is His Body” in Ephesians 1:22. It was a progressive revelation of a powerful new truth previously not known by the prophets or religious leaders. I believe that it is important for us as believers to grasp the purpose of Jesus’ called out ones and to fully understand the power and glory that He manifested upon this earth as the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world.
God impressed upon me during this past week to trace the steps of Jesus and His disciples leading up to this statement and the events that followed. In Matthew 16: 13-16 we see Jesus and His disciples on the coast of Caesarea Philippi which is a city located in the northern part of what had been called Bashan (“Place of the Serpent”), at the foot of Mount Hermon (“Forbidden Place”), the highest mountain in Palestine. In Jesus’ day Caesarea Philippi was also called Panias, having been dedicated to the worship of the god Pan. The remains of sacrifices offered to gods can still be seen upon Mount Hermon today along with the United Nations most important base strategically located at its top! This is also where the apostate King Jeroboam built an idolatrous worship center (1 Kings 12) and the city adopted the worship of Baal practiced by the Canaanites since the days of Joshua. (Joshua 11: 17; Judges 3:3) This is the territory where the tribe of Dan went into idolatry. In Old Testament times, the whole region of Bashan was associated with giants and evil spirits. Deuteronomy 3:13 says “All Bashan used to be called the land/earth of the Rephaim.” The Old Testament also has the Rephaim in the underworld/hell. Job 26: 5-6 (ESV) says: “The dead Rephaim tremble under the waters and their inhabitants. Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.” Sheol is the place of the dead and Abaddon is the angel of the bottomless pit. (Rev. 9:11) The scene takes place geographically at a place considered in the Old Testament times as the opening to the underworld, the domain of Baal, the lord of the dead, and at the mountain where the plot of the fallen angels was hatched. (Genesis 6: 1-4) It is well known to scholars that Baal is the Old Testament counterpart to the devil. An opening into a rock—a cave—is literally called the “Gates of Hell” and can be seen today in this location. The grotto was a temple to Pan, an ancient cave where worshipers would bring sacrifices to the goat god.
Jesus had posed the question to His disciples “Whom do men say that I am?” They offered various answers suggesting one of the prophets. Then He specifically asked them “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered and said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In verses 17-18 we read: “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The reference to the rock is the place where they are standing at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus in Mt. 21: 43-44 foretold the Church when He said: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you (the religious Jews) and given to a nation bringing forth fruits—a nation built on Christ the Foundation Stone. He is the “living stone” spoken of in 1 Peter 2: 4—chosen by God. Jesus came here to call his disciples to challenge the gates of hell and seeing the "living water" rush from the foot of the rock provides a picture of Jesus, the Son of the living God, whose community will be built on the solid rock of God's saving truth. In 1 Peter 2: 9 the Church is pictured as a chosen generation built by Christ, the Rock.
Jesus says the “gates of hell” will not prevail against the Church. We often think of this phrase as though God’s people are in a posture of having to bravely fend off Satan and his demons. However, gates are defensive structures, not offensive weapons. The kingdom of God is the aggressor. Jesus goes to ground zero in biblical demonic geography to announce that they will not hold up against the Church. Hell has no claim on those who align themselves with Jesus. He reversed the curse of death and His own will rise on account of Him at the Rapture! (I Cor. 15: 51-57)
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all agree that the next event in the ministry of Jesus after Peter’s confession was the Transfiguration which are found in Matthew 16: 13-20, Mark 8: 27-30 and Luke 9: 18-36. We are told that Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain by themselves and He was transfigured before them. The highest mountain closest to Caesarea Philippi is Mount Hermon. In all three Gospels, the transfiguration occurs shortly after Peter’s confession, and both Matthew and Mark specify a “high mountain”. The imagery is striking. Jesus picks Mount Hermon to reveal to Peter, James and John exactly who He is—the embodied glory-essence of God, the Divine Name made visible by incarnation. The meaning is just as transparent: “I’m putting the hostile powers of the unseen world on notice. I’ve come to earth to take back what is mine. The kingdom of God is at hand!” According to 1 John 3:8, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus has the power and authority over Satan's realm, and He put an end to the devil's schemes at the cross. Satan's works include morally entice us to sin, physically inflicts disease and seeks to destroy those who bear the image of God, intellectually seduces us into error, and spiritually blinds the mind of unbelievers lest they see and believe the Gospel. By conquering death, Jesus freed us from the slavery of the fear of death. Isaiah 25:1 and 8 reveals that plans formed long ago would swallow up death for all time!
Paul in Ephesians 4:8 reiterates the principle set forth in Psalm 68: 18 when he says: “Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” Paul identities that Jesus is Yahweh in Psalm 68: “You have ascended on high; you have led away captives. You have received gifts from among humankind.” Jesus conquers demonic Bashan/Hermon and puts the powers of darkness “to an open shame by triumphing over them.” (Colossians 2: 15) Paul wanted to make the point that after Jesus conquered His demonic enemies, He distributed the benefits of the conquest to His believers. Those benefits are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. (Ephesians 4:11) When Jesus chose to go to Mount Hermon to be transfigured, He was claiming it for the Kingdom of God. This declaration of war was the linchpin event that provoked His death and for reversing the human predicament and ensuring the defeat of the powers of darkness! The spiritual corruption of humanity would be healed by the atonement of the cross. Jesus’ resurrection meant that no member of the kingdom of God would share living space with the evil entities of the underworld in the Abyss, the realm of the dead. The enemy is defeated by the blood of the Lamb! Revelation 17:14 assures us that there is victory in the Lamb who overcomes all evil for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they that are with Him are called chosen and faithful.
Jesus commanded Peter, James and John to tell no one about the glimpse of His glory that they had witnessed on the mountain which would not be fully revealed until He rose from the dead according to John 7:39—as the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified. We know that Jesus gave His disciples the promise of the Spirit in Acts 1: 1-5 and 8. They witnessed His glory as He went up into heaven and heard the words from two men in white apparel declare: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” We know the amazing fulfilment of the promise of His Spirit descending from heaven according to Acts 2: 1-21 and forming the Church. They could not stop speaking about what they had seen and heard and spread the Gospel of Jesus. That is the call that we as the Church 2000 years later must continue! They refused to be stopped by the enemy who said: “You can’t do God’s will; you can’t open your mouth and share; you can’t overcome; you can’t defeat that sin; you can’t live victoriously.” The enemy’s strategy is the same today but it’s all a bluff! If we believe the lies, we won’t live free, we’ll stay in bondage. The enemy has no power unless we let him. Let us be like the disciples and tell the enemy “I’m obeying God! You’re a liar, and all the more we are going to follow God.” We must fight the bluff in the power and the Name of Jesus who has won the victory over the forces of evil! We can’t be stopped, because He that’s within us is far greater than he that’s in the world! Jesus is getting His Bride ready for His return! Paul gives the model walk of the believer as we wait upon the Lord’s return in 1 Thess. 5: 1-11: Watch and be sober-minded; put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of hope. Edify and comfort one another as He completes the Church—a Church without spot and wrinkle and rest in Christ that we are not appointed to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ!