What Foundation Is Jesus Building On?

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 What is the rock on which Jesus will build His church? Some say it’s Peter. Some say it’s faith. Some say it’s Jesus. When there is debate over how to understand a verse, a good question to ask is whether there are other Bible passages that shed light on this one, and there are. Some believe the answer is Peter, since Ephesians 2:20 teaches that the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” However, the writer immediately adds, “Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” Others teach that the answer is faith, and they point to 1 Peter 2:5, where believers are “like living stones… being built up as a spiritual house.” But this comes right after Peter describes Jesus as a living stone: “As you come to Him, a living stone” (1 Pet. 2:4). In support of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, “No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” All three answers probably went through Peter’s mind. If he were here today, he might say: My first thought was that Jesus was referring to me. But that would be a very shaky foundation! Then I thought, maybe He is referring to the faith I’d just confessed. But that didn’t sit right with me. Jesus does not rest on what our faith can do; our faith rests on Jesus and what He can do. Then it dawned on me: I’d just said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and then Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church.” Perhaps Jesus was referring to Himself. If the church is built on Jesus, it has a firm foundation. It is safe and secure. What are you building your life on? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk