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IV. Upon This Rock I Will Build

A. Son of David

With Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus’ establishment of His Church "on this rock" we reach one of the highest peaks of Matthew’s Gospel.

These are some of the most important verses in the New Testament. And, as we have said repeatedly in this course, to understand them fully requires a thorough grounding in the assumptions of Matthew’s Old Testament substructure.

In particular, this story depends on our recalling that God’s covenant with David is at the heart of Matthew’s Gospel.

We discussed the Davidic covenant background in our first lesson. But we now have to look at that covenant in greater detail.

Remember that we remarked on the first lines of Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus was identified as "the son of David, the son of Abraham."

At the start of salvation history, God promised to make Abraham the father of a host of nations, and promised further that kings would stem from Abraham’s line of descendants. He promised that He would be their God and that they would be His people for all time, and that all the nations of the world would find blessing through Abraham’s descendants (seeGenesis 17:4-8; 22:15-18).

God’s covenant with David, like His covenant with Moses, was made to ensure the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to Abraham (see Exodus 2:24; 6:5).

As the Davidic covenant was explained by the prophet Nathan and later in the Book of Psalms, God promised to establish David’s kingdom for all generations, as an eternal and everlasting dynasty.

He promised, too, that David’s heir would be His own son and a royal high priest, and that this son of David would build God’s "house" or temple (see 2 Samuel 7:8-16; 1 Chronicles 17:7-14; 2 Samuel 23:5; Psalm 89:4-29; 132:12).

The Davidic Kingdom was to be an international empire, a worldwide kingdom, stretching to the ends of the earth and embracing all nations and peoples (see Psalm 2:8; 72:8,11).

And in an echo of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants, the Scriptures tell us that by the Davidic King and Kingdom "shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed, all the nations" (see Psalm 72:17).

The covenant with David was to further God’s covenant plan by which all the world would be made children of Abraham, blessed and beloved sons and daughters of God (see 2 Kings 13:23; Psalm 102:45; Jeremiah 33:26; Luke 1:54-55,69,72).

B. The Messiah, the Son of God

Matthew presumes we understand all of this Old Testament background. Indeed, the key concepts and images in these verses - the Messiah, the Son of God, rock, building, gates of Hades, keys, and kingdom- are all drawn from Old Testament traditions surrounding the Davidic Kingdom.

Matthew wants us to see that Jesus is the long-awaited Son of David and Son of God, the Anointed One ("Messiah") come to lead the restoration of the ancient kingdom of Israel.

Matthew adds a further wrinkle that deepens our appreciation of the divine kingdom that Jesus is establishing:

He doesn’t record Jesus saying, "Who do people say that I am." Instead, Jesus asks what people’s opinions are about "the Son of Man" (see Matthew 16:13).

Jesus frequently refers to Himself as the "Son of Man" in Matthew’s Gospel and throughout the New Testament.

He associates the Son of Man with the power to forgive sins (see Matthew 9:6); to supersede the Sabbath laws (see Matthew 12:8); to offer Himself as a "ransom" for many (see Matthew 17:12,22; 20:18,28; 26:2); to rise from the dead (see Matthew 12:40; 17:9); and to reign in everlasting glory as Judge and King (see Matthew 13:41; 16:28; 19:28;24:30; 26:64).

In the context of Matthew’s Gospel it would appear that Jesus intends to evoke the prophecy of Daniel, who in a wild, night vision saw "one like a son of man" ushered into the heavenly court on the clouds of heaven.

There, as Daniel saw, the Son of Man "received dominion, glory and kingship - nations and peoples of every language serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away. His kingdom shall not be destroyed" (see Daniel 7:1-28).

Jesus is identifying Himself as this Son of Man, who appears in Daniel’s vision as the one through whom God would establish the everlasting kingdom He promised to David.

Jesus’ question prompts Peter’s great confession of faith: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Although others have called Him this (see Matthew 1:1,16-18; 2:4; 11:1-2), this marks the first time the Apostles have identified Jesus as the Messiah.

The word is Hebrew and means "Anointed One." The Greek word for Messiahis Christos or "Christ."

The word is originally associated with the anointing of kings (see 2 Samuel 2:4; 1 Kings 1:34), prophets (see Psalm 105:15) and priests (see Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 8:12).

The "anointing" itself was done with oil. But through the anointing the Spirit of God was believed to be given to the Anointed One, the Messiah (see 1 Samuel 10:1,6; 16:12-13).

And in the later Old Testament tradition, the Messiah was expected to be a single figure - a priest, prophet and king - who would fulfill God’s promises, restore the kingdom of David, and usher in a new and everlasting covenant (see Isaiah 9:7; 61:1-11; Matthew 21:9-11;Mark 12:35).

Likewise the title "Son of God" refers to the Messiah expected by Israel, who was to be a son of God and the King of Israel (see John 1:49; 2 Samuel 7:13; Psalm 2:7; Psalm 89:26-27).

Peter, then, is here identifying Jesus as the fulfillment of all Israel’s hopes for the new Davidic Messiah.

And indeed, Matthew has been preparing us for this confession all along in his Gospel. He has shown us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, the place from which the Messiah was to come (see Matthew 2:5-6). He has shown Jesus being anointed with the Holy Spirit and being declared God’s beloved Son (see Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 2:15;4:3,6; 8:29; 14:33; Acts 10:38).

C. The Rock of Abraham

With Peter’s confession, Jesus for the first time acknowledges that He is the Davidic Messiah.

He blesses Peter, saying that this insight into His Messianic identity must have been revealed to him by the "heavenly Father."

Then Jesus gives Peter a new name (his name had been Simon; see Matthew 4:18) and a new God-given role in salvation history - to be "the rock" upon which the Church of Jesus will be built.

Again, there is a crucial Old Testament background to all this. Some scholars see a special connection being made here between Jesus and Abraham, one that highlights Peter’s new role in salvation history.

Indeed, we are witnessing the birth of the new people of God. At the first birth of the people of God, Abram was blessed (see Genesis 14:19), given the new name of Abraham (seeGenesis 17:1-8), and promised victory over the "gates" of his enemies (see Genesis 22:17).

In the later Old Testament tradition, Abraham was referred to as "the rock" from which the people of Israel were hewn (see Isaiah 51:1-2; Matthew 3:9).

Peter (from the Greek Petros for "rock" or "stone") was not a common name in biblical times. If, as many scholars believe, Jesus spoke His words to Peter in Aramaic, He would have used the word, Kepha, which means "large rock" (for New Testament instances where Peter is called Cephas: John 1:42; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 15:5; Galatians 1:18; 2:9).

The name change is symbolic. Peter is to be the foundation stone of the new people of God.

While this imagery may be found in this passage, we believe that it is far more likely that Matthew wants to stress Peter’s role as "the foundation stone" of the new "house of God" - not a temple of brick and mortar but a spiritual temple.

Jesus has already referred to the foundation stone in Matthew’s Gospel (see Matthew 7:24). And we see ave here - in the use of the words "rock" and "build" - an evocation of the Old Testament notion of the Temple and of the people of God as a "temple" and a "house."

Jesus is describing His Church as a spiritual temple. The Greek verb for "build" (oikodomeo) is used only here and in two other places in Matthew - both referring to Jesus’ claim that He will rebuild the Temple (see Matthew 26:61; 27:40).

Now the Temple has a rich and influential symbolism in the Israelite tradition. It was the site of the presence of God in the midst of His chosen people.

The Temple was first built by Solomon (see 1 Kings 6; 8:10-13), partially fulfilling God’s promise to David - that David’s son would build "a house for My name" (see 2 Samuel 7:13).

The Temple was the house of prayer, the place of pilgrimage and the center of worship for the people of God. It was destroyed by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C. (see 2 Kings 25:9; Jeremiah 52:13).

In the ensuing centuries after the Davidic Kingdom crumbled and during which the people were scattered in exile, the prophets foretold the day when the people of God would be restored and "rebuilt" (see Amos 9:11,14; Jeremiah 12:16; 18:9; 31:4: 33:7; 42:10).

This prophecy was partially fulfilled when the Temple was rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity (see Ezra 1:2-4; 5:1-2; 6:3-5; Isaiah 44:24,28; 45:1-3,13; Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah 1:16).

This is the Old Testament background to Jesus’ blessing of Peter. Jesus is the new son of David (see Revelation 22:16) and He has come to build the new and eternal Temple, to restore the everlasting Kingdom of God, which he calls "My Church."

The word for "Church" - ekklesia - is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to translate the Hebrew word, "qahal," which referred to "assembly" or "congregation" of Israelites in the years after the Exodus (see Deuteronomy 4:10, 9:10; 18:16; 31:30).

Matthew is the only Gospel writer to use the word "Church" (see Matthew 16:18; 18:18).

The term, however, is widespread in the book of Acts and the New Testament epistles, referring to both the local church and the universal church (see, for example, Acts 9:31;12:5; Romans 16:23; 1 Corinthians 4:17; Ephesians 1:22; 5:23-32; Revelation 22:16).

And the Church, throughout the New Testament is conceived in the way that Jesus envisions it here - as the new temple of God, the spiritual edifice of the people of God.

Whereas under the Old Covenant God dwelled in a tabernacle in the Jerusalem Temple, under the New Covenant He will be embodied in a new spiritual temple, the Church (see 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 14:4-5,12; Ephesians 2:19-20).

The Temple of the Old Covenant was built upon a great stone (see 1 Kings 5:17; Ezra 3:10).

Further, the foundation stone of the temple was believed to be seated at the center of the world. It was believed also to seal a long shaft leading down to the realm of the dead or the "abyss" (see this tradition expressed in Revelation 9:1-2; 20:1-3). This seems to be the Old Covenant background for Jesus’ remarks about "the gates of the netherworld" not prevailing against the Church.

"The netherworld" translates the Greek Hades, which is the abode of the dead, also known as Sheol or the Pit (see Psalms 9:13,17; Wisdom 16:13; Isaiah 38:10; Jonah 2:2).

By New Testament times, Hades was regarded as the dwelling of not all the dead, but only of the ungodly dead, who were evil forces that threatened to deceive and destroy the people of God (see Revelation 6:8; 20:1-3).

As the rock of the Old Temple kept the gates of the netherworld closed, protecting the people of God, Peter, too, as the rock of the new Temple, will protect the new people of God from the demons and the evil spirits (see Revelation 9:1-11; 11:7; 17:8).

In fact, Matthew may intend us to hear echoes of Isaiah’s prophecy (see Isaiah 28:15-19) - that those who make "a covenant with death" will be swept away by the waters of an avenging flood, while those who put their faith in "a precious cornerstone" laid at Zion (the site of the Temple) will be saved.

The prophecy, which evokes God’s promises to David (see Isaiah 7:13-16; 9:1-6) describes the cornerstone as being "a stone that has been tested….a sure foundation."

Perhaps that is how we are to regard Peter - whose faith has been tested by his witnessing of the miracles and teaching of Jesus, by his brief experience of walking on the water - and rewarded by God with this blessing.

There is one more possible Old Testament image in this passage that we would like to point out: Notice that Jesus calls Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah" (see Matthew 16:17). Peter’s father is actually named "John" (see John 1:42). So what is Jesus up to?

Some believe that Jesus is here "adopting" Peter as His spiritual son. Remember, Jesus has already identified Himself as a new Jonah (see Matthew 12:39-41). And later, in the curious story of the payment of the Temple tax (see Matthew 17:24-27), Jesus again seems to imply that Peter is His "son."

Jesus asks Peter whether "the kings of the earth" collect taxes "from their subjects or from foreigners." The word that the New American Bible translates as "subjects" is the Greek word for "sons." Jesus then proceeds to send Peter fishing to find a coin worth twice the Temple tax - to be used to pay the tax for both He and Peter. He again is underscoring the close bond He has established with Peter.

D. The Key to the Kingdom

The final blessings that Jesus gives to Peter are the "keys to the kingdom of heaven" and the powers to "bind and loose."

This image seems to evoke a passage from Isaiah (see Isaiah 22:15-24) in which he prophesies God’s transfer of "the key of the House of David" from a corrupt "master of the palace" named Shebna, to a righteous servant, Eliakin. Of Eliakin, the prophet says:

He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the House of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder - when he opens, no one shall shut; when he shuts, no one shall open.

In Davidic Kingdom, the king appointed a prime minister to handle the day-to-day affairs of the Kingdom. He was variously called the royal "vizier," the "major-domo," the "superintendent" or "master of the palace." He is considered to be "a father to the inhabitants" of the Kingdom (see 1 Kings 4:1-6; 16:9; 18:3; 2 Kings 15:5; 18:18,37; 19:2;Isaiah 22:22).

Peter is here being appointed prime minister of the restored Kingdom of David, the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus proclaimed, the Church He called His own. The "keys" are a symbol of the King’s power, authority, and control.

We see this in the Book of Revelation (see Revelation 22:16; 3:7; 1:8), where Jesus describes Himself as: (a) "the offspring of David"; (b) "the Holy One, the True, Who holds the key of David, Who opens and no one shall close, Who closes and no on shall open"; and (c) as the One holding "the keys death and the netherworld."

The reference to "binding" and "loosing" is a familiar allusion the powers of the rabbis to declare what is permitted and what is not permitted. As prime minister of the Kingdom of Heaven, Peter is the chief rabbi, with the ultimate teaching authority, the ability to declare what will be allowed and what will not.

This understanding is reinforced by Jesus’ later condemnation of the teachers of Israel, the Pharisees and scribes (see Matthew 23:13). Jesus rebukes them for using their teaching to "lock the Kingdom of Heaven" and prevent "entrance to those trying to enter."

Jesus here is indicating that the authority of the Pharisees and scribes is passing to Peter (see also Matthew 21:43). Peter will govern Christ’s Church, the restored Kingdom. It is no longer only an earthly and temporal kingdom but a heavenly and eternal one. Through the power of the keys, Peter will have authority to bind and loose, to open the gates of salvation for all men and women on earth.

This is the deep Old Testament substructure, the rich biblical foundation of Catholic teaching on the ministry and authority of Peter, a ministry and authority that continues today in the Papacy.

Continue to Section 5