St. Peter is undeniably an important character in the New Testament. He gives off what the kids today call “main character energy.” Throughout the gospels, Peter boldly and often brashly pushes his way into the spotlight with Jesus. Consider, for instance, his attempted stroll on the water with Jesus, which ultimately ended with Jesus pulling Peter’s scared and soggy behind out of the surf, or his failed attempt to cleave the head off a temple guard who had come to arrest Jesus, resulting in Jesus reattaching the man’s ear to his head. As the gospels give way to the book of Acts, Peter continues as one of two featured figures, splitting the spotlight with the Apostle Paul.
One can understand how many have come to the conclusion that Peter was the rock about which Jesus was speaking. But again, the stories of Peter provided throughout the gospels hardly paint a picture of stability.
It is often suggested that Peter’s primacy in Acts, as well as in church history as a whole, stems from another instance when Peter’s boldness actually worked out for him. In Matthew 16:13-16, Jesus asks his disciples to consider the fundamental question of the Christian faith. It reads, “He asked His disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ He asked. ‘Who do you say I am?” Of course, it is Peter who speaks. Verse 16 reads, “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” In this instance, Peter gets it right and Jesus gives Peter his flowers. Verses 17-18 read, “Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” This was certainly a banner moment for Peter and a foundational moment for the church, but important questions must be asked. Is Jesus promoting Peter and declaring his importance and centrality for the establishment of the church? Or, is the spotlight meant to shine elsewhere? What is the rock upon which the church and the faith stands?
Jesus gives a clever play on words that is lost in English. In the Greek, it says, “…you are Petros and on this petra I will build my church.” One can understand how many have come to the conclusion that Peter was the rock about which Jesus was speaking. But again, the stories of Peter provided throughout the gospels hardly paint a picture of stability. One need only to look a few verses down the page to see the truth of it. One minute Jesus is praising Peter’s faith, the next Jesus is calling him Satan. Often, the only thing hard about Peter was his head.
While Peter did mature and play a crucial part in the spread of the gospel and the establishment of the church, he was not the rock about which Jesus was speaking. Peter was just another rock in the wall; the stone upon which Jesus would build was the object of Peter’s confession. It’s found in the answer to the question, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter’s answer points to the rock solid foundation of the Christian faith: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
Jesus is the rock upon which the church and our very lives are to be built. It is the confession that Jesus is our Savior and Lord that puts us on the pathway to eternal life and assures us of the strength to live according to His example now and in His physical presence later.
Jesus is the rock upon which the church and our very lives are to be built. It is the confession that Jesus is our Savior and Lord that puts us on the pathway to eternal life and assures us of the strength to live according to His example now and in His physical presence later. Jesus is the rock of our salvation, the chief cornerstone upon which the people of God, the church, is established and preserved. It’s not through the strength of our own will, the depth of our own wisdom, or the quality and grandeur of any man or woman’s character that carries the church. It is Christ alone upon which our faith and our very lives must be built if they are to stand through all the tests of time. When we recognize that He is the main character and use our lives to point the spotlight at Him, the church stands firm and is empowered to overcome the forces of evil in our world.
