Lesson #36

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #36
THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS (MAT 16:15-19)

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 31:3

• THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS (MAT 16:15-19)
• THIS IS A VERY CONTROVERSIAL PARABLE. THEREFORE, WE WILL CONSIDER ONLY WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.

• READ MAT 16:13-20 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• READ 1PET 2:6-8
• READ 1COR 10:4
• THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE INDICATES THAT RUMORS WERE RUNNING RAMPANT, AND THAT PEOPLE WERE SPECULATING WHO JESUS WAS. JESUS THEN ASKS HIS DISCIPLES WHO THEY THINK HE IS.
• THEREFORE, THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS WAS SPOKEN TO THE DISCIPLES.
• MAT 16:17 INDICATES THAT IT IS GOD WHO REVEALS JESUS CHRIST TO EACH OF US PERSONALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY. IT IS THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THAT.
• READ LUK 10:22
• READ JOH 15:26
• WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD, “ROCK”?
• IN VERSE 18 OF THE PARABLE, JESUS CHANGES PETER’S NAME.
• PETER’S NAME WAS SIMON, BUT JESUS CHANGES IT TO PETER.
• NAMES IN BIBLE TIMES WERE VERY IMPORTANT. THEY REPRESENTED A PERSON’S WHOLE CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY. THEY WERE ALSO LIKE A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.
• SIMON’S CHARACTER WAS ONE OF IMPULSIVENESS AND WITHOUT STABILITY. JESUS WANTED HIS FAITH TO GROW AND FOR HIM TO BECOME MORE STABLE, LIKE A ROCK.
• THE NAME, PETER, IS “PETROS” WHICH MEANS = A SMALL ROCK.
• THEREFORE, THIS PARABLE IS A PLAY ON WORDS. JESUS DID NOT USE THE WORD, PETROS, IN THE PARABLE. IF HE HAD DONE SO, IT WOULD INDICATE THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE BUILT ON PETER. INSTEAD, JESUS USED THE WORD, “PETRA”, WHICH MEANS = THE ESSENTIAL ROCK OR FOUNDATION ROCK.
• WHAT, THEN, IS THE MEANING OF JESUS’ STATEMENT THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE BUILT ON THE ROCK?
• ACCORDING TO 1PET 2:6-8 AND 1COR 10:4, JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROCK, THAT FOUNDATION STONE, THAT IS SPOKEN OF THROUGH THE WHOLE BIBLE.
• THEREFORE, JESUS WAS SAYING THAT HE WOULD BUILD HIS CHURCH ON PETER’S TESTIMONY OF WHO JESUS CHRIST WAS.
• PETER SAID THAT JESUS WAS THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD, WHICH WAS REVEALED TO HIM BY FAITH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• IT IS JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD, THAT IS THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
• READ 1COR 2:9-11
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE PHRASE, “THE GATES OF HELL”? (18)
• THE GATE OF A CITY WAS THE PLACE OF IMPORTANCE. IT WAS WHERE THE GOVERNMENT COUNCILS MET. IT WAS WHERE A JUDICIAL COURT WAS HELD. IT WAS WHERE ALL FINANCIAL BUSINESS WAS CONDUCTED. IT WAS THE LOCATION OF THE CITY’S MARKET PLACE. IT WAS THE LOCATION OF TAX COLLECTING. EVERYTHING LEGAL, POLITICAL, AND FINANCIAL OCCURRED AT THE GATE OF A CITY.
• THEREFORE, JESUS MEANT THAT THE POWERS OF HELL, SATANIC AUTHORITY, AND EVIL INFLUENCE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DESTROY THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.
• WHAT DO THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM REPRESENT?
• THE KEYS REPRESENT ACCESS AND AUTHORITY. CHIRST IS GIVING HIS DISCIPLES ACCESS AND AUTHORITY TO THE BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM.
• IT IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE CHURCH ON THE OFFENSIVE, ATTACKING THE VERY IMPORTANT CENTERS OF SATAN’S POWER AND AUTHORITY.
• WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT THE KEYS WERE GIVEN TO PETER?
• CHRIST GAVE PETER ACTUAL AUTHORITY TO PERMIT ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• CHRIST GAVE PETER THE LEADERSHIP AMONG THE DISCIPLES TO ENSURE THAT THE GROUP OF DISCIPLES WOULD CONTINUE AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE SAVED AND BROUGHT INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• PETER, AS HEAD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, HAD THE PRIVILEGE AND AUTHORITY TO PERMIT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
• CHRIST GAVE PETER AND THE OTHER DISCIPLES SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY OF BINDING AND LOOSING OVER DEMONIC SPIRITS THAT WOULD ATTACK THE CHURCH.
• SUBSEQUENTLY, THEN ALL BELIEVERS AFTER PETER GET THAT SAME SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY.
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE TERMS, “BINDING AND LOOSING”?
• READ MAT 6:9-10
• THIS PHRASE IS A LEGAL PHRASE THAT REFERS TO DECLARING THE TERMS OF A LEGAL CONTRACT. THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CALL FORTH UPON THE EARTH WHAT GOD WILLS. THEREFORE, HE IS BINDING SATAN AND HIS DEMONS TO GOD’S COVENANT CONTRACT.
• BINDING:
• BINDING REFERS TO THE ACT OF TYING AN EARTHLY SITUATION TO GOD’S HEAVENLY WILL. IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS DECLARING THAT GOD’S WILL PREVAIL ON EARTH IN A SPECIFIC SITUATION.
• LOOSING:
• LOOSING REFERS TO TAKING THE AUTHORITY TO UNTIE OR LOOSE GOD’S COVENANT PROVISION AND GOD’S RULERSHIP IN THE SITUATION.
• THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS:
• PETER IS A LITTLE STONE, AND UPON THE BIG ROCK OF PETER’S TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, GOD WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH. THE AUTHORITY OF THE GATES OF HELL, CONTROLLED BY SATAN, WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE TRUE CHURCH. JESUS CHRIST WILL GIVE TO PETER, AND TO ALL BELIEVERS THE SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND POWER TO BIND AND LOOSE IN ORDER THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH WOULD EXPAND.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED (MAT 17:19-21)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS (MAT 16:15-19)
• IS THERE A TOUGH SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE FOR WHICH YOU HAVE PRAYED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND HAVE SEEN NO RESULTS?
• COMMIT TO USE YOUR AUTHORITY OF BINDING AND LOOSING IN PRAYER THIS WEEK CONCERNING THIS DIFFICULT SITUATION.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED (MAT 17:19-21)
• READ MAT 17:14-21 FOR CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• READ HEB 11:1-40
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE STATEMENT, “FAITH AS A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED”?
• WRITE YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF WHAT YOU THINK FAITH IS.

• FOR CLASS DISCUSSION, THINK ABOUT:
• WHAT IS FAITH?

• WHAT FAITH IS NOT?

• FROM WHERE DOES FAITH COME?

• HOW DOES FAITH GROW?

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAITH AND MENTAL ASSERTION?

• HOW CAN YOU TELL TRUE FAITH FROM BLIND DETERMINATION?

• MEMORY VERSE: HEB 11:6