Jesus never wasted words...

Jesus never wasted words. He spoke with authority and purpose. He said and did only what He heard the Father saying and doing. Simon had just said, "You are the Christ..". Jesus had asked, "Who do people say that I am?". Simon told Jesus Who He was. Jesus responds by telling Simon who he was. "You are Kepha and on this Kepha I will build MY church." Kepha is the Aramaic word Jesus used that means rock. He gave Simon a new name. He gave him a new office. He gave him a new purpose. He gave him the Keys. The disciples understood this Davidic Kingdom reference to keys and authority. They knew what Jesus was telling Simon. From that point on, the other disciples called him Kepha (Peter). Kepha had a new role among the twelve. Throughout the book of Acts we see Kepha in his new role that Jesus gave him. It did not mean he would not make mistakes or not sin. It meant that Jesus would guide and protect this office from wrong teaching, and that the gates of hell would never prevail over His Church He would build on Kepha. Jesus told Peter (Kepha) that He would pray for him because He knew there would be heresy, dissension, and false teachers. He knew the weeds must grow with the wheat. Just as Jesus had to renew Peter's (Kepha's) faith that morning by the Sea of Galilee before He ascended to the Father, so too does the Church need renewal from time to time. But for 2000 years, the office Jesus began that day in Caeserea Philippi with Kepha is still in place. The office of Peter ( Kepha) is the longest lasting institution in the world. Through much trouble it has come and will go, but hell has not prevailed, and will not prevail. It will be in place until Jesus comes again. Jesus never wasted words.

wkm