The CP Event

Matthew 16:13-19, When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to 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 also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The CP – Caesarea Philippi – event was huge in the life of Jesus (now talking of His death), huge in the lives of the twelve (soon to be apostles but Judas), huge for mankind and very, very huge for us (the church).  In those seven verses are packed a host of critical truths.

1. Caesarea Philippi was the abode of the fearful and disobedient tribe of Dan, the place of a golden calf erected by King Jeroboam for worship and the location of 14 pagan temples. It was a special place for kings like Caesarea and Herod Philip. It was given to pagan worship and vain politics.
2. Jesus took His men to CP to make two “political/religious” statements: “I am going to start a world-wide religion” (the church) and I am going to die – NOT be an earthly king YET! These announcements were made standing on the road in the face of worldly politics and man-made religions (Mark 8:17).
3. And just who was Jesus? He was not Moses (Deut. 18:15, John 6), nor Elijah (Mal. 4:5-6), not Jeremiah, not John the Baptist (Mark 6:14) and not an Old Testament prophet (none restored sight, Mark 8:22-25). So who was He? These people knew their Bible and yet they did not (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53)!
4. Who? God the Father revealed the truth: the truths about God, man, evil, nature and the future are fully known by God and declared in God’s revelation to man, the Bible (II Tim. 3:16, II Pet. 1:21).
5. Jesus, sinless son of Mary, is the Christ. Jesus is the One declared to come throughout the Old Testament and anointed by God to take the wrath due sinful men so to gather a people to God. Jesus rarely called Himself the Christ (just 3 times) as it would have caught Rome’s attention as the coming rescue for Israel and made it the more difficult to make the time and place appointment for death.  Some 86 times He called Himself the Son of Man. To Peter, the clarity of Jesus’ identity was now revealed.
6. Jesus was also the Son of the living God.  The “living God” – not the dead gods of all the religions represented by the 14 temples at Caesarea Philippi.  Jesus is God!  Creator, controller and sovereign of all!
7. No longer Simon, but Peter.  To name is to exercise authority over. You name your pet, your car or your house because they are yours!  Your parents named you as they had such authority.  It is now officially Peter – a rock!  No longer Simon, a listener, as just here he heard God whisper the truths about Jesus and then declared them, now “Peter” (petros) – a stone.  He is to be emboldened and hardened for Christ.
8. Jesus was going to build a church on “this rock” – this boulder compared to the pebble Jesus called “Peter”.  The bedrock stone upon which the church was to be built are these truths about Jesus:  1) Jesus is the one sent by God to bear the wrath for the sins of pride and rebellion that God might be able to adopt those who are repentant, submissive and desiring Jesus be their King – Master – Lord – Sovereign.  (He is the scapegoat of Lev. 16:8, 15, 21)  2) He submitted to death in order to be buried and to boldly defeat death and the grave (the other goat of Lev. 16 and I Cor. 15:20-22).
9. Gates of Hades – the realm of demons.  This new work (the church) will challenge the powers of darkness and the philosophy of darkness:  1) Is there objective truth? (Has God said?)  2) All will be accepted by God as He is love (not die).  3) Man can know good and evil!  These three philosophies were presented by Satan to Eve in Genesis 3.  The church will be engaged in spiritual warfare and taking the fight to man’s bents, loves and the world’s ways.  Also, the term Hades caused those hearing it to think of death.  Even the threat of death and martyrdom of believers would not defeat, nor stop, the church.
10. Keys to Peter and the twelve giving them great authority! They would be empowered to bind and loose – to declare what God willed both good and bad.  This Peter did in Acts 2 and onward.  Jesus was the great cornerstone and the apostles the foundation (Eph. 2:20).  This statement by Jesus did not make Peter the first pope nor the Catholic church able to issue edicts on par with Scripture.  This was a declaration that the apostles, the twelve who sat under His teachings and were witnesses of His resurrection, would be empowered to know, understand, and apply Christ’s teachings to the church.

   The Caesarea Philippi event was huge back then and it is yet today!