Daily Devotions – Simon “The Rock” Peter

Daily Devotions – Simon “The Rock” Peter

 

Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:

 

Matthew 16:15-19 (NIV)

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

 

Jesus elects a man named Simon to play an integral role in the formation of the Christian church and gives him a new name, Peter, which is a Greek word for “rock”. What makes Simon-Peter qualified for this role is not his superior intellect or charismatic leadership skills, but his “rock” of a confession that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of the Living God”. Like Peter, your calling to follow Jesus is not dependent upon your goodness, your abilities, or your innate skills and giftedness; and that is really good news! Your salvation, your freedom, and your ultimate destiny is safe in the hands of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.