The House that Jesus Built
In today's Gospel lesson, we encounter a question Jesus asks his disciples. First, he asks what the word on the street is about him. Then he turns and asks the disciples what they think, and Peter gives us the biggest confession we have had so far in this Gospel. He declares that Jesus is the Son of God.
After this confession, Jesus says something intriguing. He is going to build his church upon this rock. The rock is Peter's confession that Jesus is the Son of God, so that all who confess this will be added to the house that Jesus builds.
This is so intriguing because Peter's confession and Jesus' response of building fulfill an old promise made to David. During the reign of King David, David wanted to build a house for God. At first he was given permission. Then he was told he would not build a house for God, but that he would have a son who would build it, and that son's throne would endure forever. God would be a father to him, and he would be a son to the Father (2 Sam 7:12-14).
This is the moment we see that promise fulfilled. It is a big moment. Peter's confession identifies Jesus as the Son of God, and Jesus replies that he will start building a house.
But he does not stop there. Jesus continues with how this house will be given a set of keys that Hades cannot prevail against. At first glance, we might be led to believe that Hades is another word for hell, and that all the attacks upon the church by hell and its minions will not be able to advance against it. That is the wrong image. Hades is not hell. Hades is the place of the dead.
The image Jesus is portraying is more like Disney's Robin Hood, where Robin Hood and Little John snatch the keys to the prison while the Sheriff of Nottingham is sleeping. They go in and begin to set all the prisoners free. That is what is at play here in what Jesus says about the house he is building. The Church will have the keys that the gates of Hades cannot prevail against. Those gates will no longer refuse the Church access. The Church now possesses the keys to set people free from death. Jesus, the confessed Son of God, is going to build a house and provide the keys to Hades to set the captives free, and they will fill his house and build it up.
Tell No One Yet
Then Jesus says something that seems a bit off to us. He tells his disciples not to repeat any of this. But why. Let me take you back to King David to clarify why Jesus says this.
King David was anointed king while King Saul was still on the throne (1 Sam 16:11-13). David did not parade his anointing around until the throne became available. He was the anointed king for years while people called him a shepherd, then an armor-bearer, then an outlaw. The anointing was real the whole time. It simply was not announced.
Here Jesus is yet to be enthroned as king until he accomplishes the Father's will. Caesar's name is still on the city they are standing in, and Rome still governs the region, and yet the Son of God has been anointed and soon will be king. He will be enthroned upon the cross. That is where the sign goes up over his head, naming him king, and that is where a Roman centurion who watched him die says out loud what Peter had been told to keep quiet. Truly this was the Son of God (Matt 27:54). Then he will go into death and take hold of the keys. The doors of bronze will be broken and the bars of iron cut in two (Ps 107:16), and he will begin building his house upon his forever throne.
Until then, they are not to parade around with this information, just like David didn't.
Promise And Purpose
In this Gospel lesson, we are confronted with promise and purpose at the same time. The promise of a son to build a forever house of God, a house that will hold all his people set free from the grip of death, is established and revealed to us. That promise provides the Church its purpose, which is to fill up the house with those set free from death and given eternal life.
May we wield the keys and storm the lives of the lost that death has hold of, and set them free, and welcome them into the house that Jesus built.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Bruce
