Welcome to Hank’s Place
Here is a stone: petros, or Peter to you and me. In Jn 1:42 when Andrew brings his brother Simon to Jesus, Jesus says to him, “…you shall be called Peter — a stone.” Then in Matt 16:18 we find Jesus saying to him, “…you ARE Peter…,” but remarkably Jesus never calls him by that name! Perhaps he had to grow into it.
Listen to Mt 16:13-18: Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
Stones: Jesus calls Peter a small stone, Petros. Then He says upon this R O C K I will build my church — the word for rock is petra, a huge stone. At this time the Nabataeans were thriving in the city of Petra in Jordan, population over 20,000 people, carved from a single huge rock! What imagery for the church!
30 years later when Peter is writing his first letter, he refers to Jesus as a Living Stone, and those who believe as living stones being built up into a house for God. This moment was cast in stone for him!
Peter was given a revelation by the Father: he heard it. Then he spoke it. Could this be the spiritual rock Jesus was referring to: the Church triumphant, comprised of those who have received a revelation of Jesus Christ, who declare it and in so doing become part of the living stones of this Church that hell cannot overcome!
My wife states she grew up in a Christian home, did all the church and Sunday school stuff, was even a theology minor in college, but it was not until, as Paul says in Gal 1:16, that God was pleased to reveal the Son in her, that she truly saw Jesus for who He is. She spoke it out — and CAME ALIVE!
How about you, friend? May our God reveal Jesus to you today — make that confession: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, your Savior, and Come Alive!
NEW BLOG NOTIFICATION
Be notified when a new blog posts