Matthew 16:13-20, Peter’s Confession

The cave dedicated to the god Pan, at Banias in Israel, 

in "the region of Caesarea Philippi.

Again, we see Jesus in a Gentile region.  Caesarea Philippi was at the base of Mt. Hermon, in northern Israel, in the Roman region of Gaulanitis ( “the Golan” today). The city was long associated with the worship of the god “Pan,” a “goat” god associated with victory in battle, desolate places and music.  In older times the :god of choice” was “Baal-Hermon” (Judges 3:3; 1 Chron. 5:23).  The NT name acknowledges that it was a city named in honor of Caesar Augustus by Phillip the Tetrarch who ruled the area, being distinguished from Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast.

The background is important in understanding our passage.  Many have come to believe that the gates of hell/hades refer to a cave in the area (see photo), in front of which was a temple to Pan, part of a complex of temples, bathhouses and other aspects of cultic worship.  The geography is a powerful part of the event.  The Gentile area is more preparation for The Twelve, helping to loosen up their biases in anticipation of the future Church, the family of Jews and Gentiles together.  The pagan emphasis provides a tremendous backdrop for the contrast between the Christ, the Son of the living God and all the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12).

The question Jesus asks of His disciples is, to this day, the most powerful spiritual question one can ask: Who do you say that I am?  If you do not, from the heart, give a correct answer to this question, they you are not a Christian (1 John 4:1-3; 5:1-5; 2 John 1:7-11).  Andrew and Nathaniel had made similar confessions earlier in Jesus’ ministry (John 1:41,49).  The point here is not that this is the first time someone had made such a confession.  The point, rather, is that this confession is what sets apart the followers of Christ from all others.  Others had other ideas about Jesus, that He was John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah.  But Jesus’ followers, and thus those who will inhabit His Church, will be those to whom God has revealed the truth.  Paul spoke of the time when God revealed Christ to Him (Gal. 1:15-16).  Can you speak of that in your own life?  As Jesus told Peter, to know Him in that way is to be blessed by God.  Certainly, this revelation and confession of Christ is the rock upon which Jesus will build His Church.

Jesus pronouncement, I will build My Church, is also profound.  This tells us what Jesus’ plan was and is for the age in which we live.  This is the reason for the command from Christ to go and make disciples in all nations (Mt. 28:19-20).  This is the reason believers today have been given spiritual gifts; it is for the building up of the Church that Christ is building (Rom. 12:3-8).  This was the reason Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven (the term “you” is singular in Greek; Jesus was addressing Peter).  Peter used those keys at every key moment in the early Church, as Jews first joined in (Ac. 2:14,38-39), then Samaritans (Ac. 8:14), and finally with the Gentiles (Ac. 10:34-35). 

The result of the use of the keys means that, in heaven, there will be representatives from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Rev. 7:8).  The gates of Hades will not prevail against it.