Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Matthew 16:17-20
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. 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. 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.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. (ESV)
by Leota Stevens
This confession by Peter must have thrilled the heart of Jesus! Peter was listening with his spirit to the voice of God. Peter believed what was revealed to him about Jesus, and he confessed that belief in the presence of others. That faith-filled confession, not the man, is the bedrock of the church. The church grows as individuals come to the same conclusion that Peter came to and are willing to share that understanding with other people.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
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