Keys to the Kingdom

Matthew
{16:13} When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea
Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say
that I the Son of man am?
{16:14} And they said, Some
[say that thou art] John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others,
Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
{16:15} He saith unto
them, But whom say ye that I am?
{16:16} And Simon
Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God.


Jesus talking with His disciples wanted to know who they thought He was and Simon spoke up first revealing that he didn't think Jesus was a prophet, he wasn't Eliah, or Jeremiah, or even John the Baptist- but He was the Son of God! The Christ!


How pleased Jesus was to hear those words. His disciple knew and believed the truth of who He was. He told Simon he was blessed because no man had revealed the truth to him but God Himself, the Heavenly Father revealed the Sonship of Jesus.


{16:17} 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.


Next Jesus points something very important out to Peter, emphasizing that Peter was himself just as if we were talking to a friend and wanted to make a pointed distinction- You are you and I am this...


Some don't believe that's true they'd rather believe that Jesus was telling Peter that he was extra special but in truth hadn't Jesus already told the disciples the greatest is the least? Jesus wasn't about to set up a pecking order it wasn't how He worked.


{16:18} And I say also unto thee, That thou art
Peter.


And upon this rock...


Who is the rock? What does the Bible tell us?


1 Cor. {10:4} And did all drink the
same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them: and that Rock was Christ


Ps. {89:26} He shall cry unto me, Thou [art] my father, my God, and the
rock of my salvation.


Ps. {78:35} And they remembered that God [was] their rock, and the high God
their redeemer


Ps. {62:7} In God [is] my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength,
[and] my refuge, [is] in God.


2 Sam. {23:3} The God of Israel
said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over
men [must be] just, ruling in the fear of God


2 Sam. {22:32} For who [is] God, save the LORD? and who
[is] a rock, save our God? {22:33} God [is] my strength
[and] power: and he maketh my way perfect.


2 Sam. {22:3} The God of my rock; in
him will I trust: [he is] my shield, and the horn of my
salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou
savest me from violence.


1 Sam. {2:2} [There is] none holy as the LORD: for
[there is] none beside thee: neither [is there] any rock like
our God.


Deut. {32:15} But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art
waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered [with
fatness;] then he forsook God [which] made him, and lightly
esteemed the Rock of his salvation.


Deut. {32:3} Because I will publish the name of the LORD:
ascribe ye greatness unto our God. {32:4} [He is] the Rock,
his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God
of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he.


Is there any doubt at all who the Rock is? It isn't Peter, he isn't the bringer of Salvation, he isn't perfect, he isn't God. Jesus was talking of Himself- the Rock of Salvation. Upon that Rock Jesus was going to build His Church- His people and the gates of hell, the gates of the grave, the gates of death would not be able to prevail again Jesus the One who defeated the grave and death.


{16:18}...I will build my church; and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it.


{16:19} And I will
give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.


Jesus would give unto manking the keys to the kingdom of heaven. He didn't hand over a set of keys to Peter, these were figurative keys- like I have the key to solving that riddle, does that mean I have a physical key or rather the knowledge which is the key to solve the puzzle? Just as having the keys of the kingdom is having the knowledge of heaven. Those keys are simple really- Jesus says whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven- meaning what? Meaning that the keys to heaven are the keys to salvation and those who understand, those who have the knowledge of salvation and are either freed by it or bound up by it. Freed in Christ or bound up in death.


It's true, salvation is offered to all but not all will accept it and those who don't accept the salvation offered will be bound by their decision, just as those who do accept salvation will be freed by their decision, free from death and given life everlasting in Christ who alone gives us that freedom. Whether bound or free here on earth it will be so in heaven as well. You can't be bound up in death not accepting salvation on earth and be saved in heaven- it doesn't work that way. Many believe it does work just like that. They believe that anyone and everyone upon death suddenly deserve to live on in heaven, that death itself absolves them of any and all sin. I'm not saying all believe that, there are those who aren't particularly fond of a person that might wish them to burn in hell, but even then they have the smallest doubt that maybe in that mysterious life that is supposed to exist after death the person somehow squeaked by and might just be in heaven. Of course we know through our exhaustive study on death that death is a sleep until Christ returns to raise the dead in Him to life. No one goes immediately to heaven or are burned up in a hell. Still upon a persons death people hope for one outcome or another for the dead person- may they rest in heaven or in hell, may they be saved or not saved. Salvation is something a person acquires before death not upon death or after death. Bound or loosed on earth, unsaved or saved on earth-- the same it will be in heaven. Truly the keys to heaven are in Christ through the salvation He offers to each of us, the keys are given to us to use or not use.


May God bless and keep us in Him through the love and mercy of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, the author of Salvation for all of us, the Rock, the One who gives us the keys to the kingdom in Him, through His righteousness.


Amen.