When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” [Matthew 16.13-19]
This particular event goes perfectly with what Jesus taught in the Model Prayer: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" following, "Your Kingdom come."
This starts with recognizing the Messiah. The Model Prayer reveals much of this as we are to pray "Our Father in heaven..." - something we can only pray by recognizing that Jesus the Messiah (by all prophecies and design) made it possible for us to call God "our Father."
By recognizing then that Jesus had given us direct relational access to the Father, we understand that we are now part of the family of God - and, as such, part of the 'family business' which is the Kingdom of God. It was no mistake that Jesus' Model Prayer went immediately to the matter of the Kingdom after establishing that we were to speak to "Our Father."
The Kingdom of God is something that would allow Jesus to suggest it was 'locked' requiring 'keys' to open it. Jesus said He would give those keys. Think about it - there is no restriction on family members having keys to the house and the business!
Subsequent to the Kingdom of God being unlocked, Jesus taught that earth and heaven could be synchronized by our own doing - by what we "forbid" or "permit." Even the most conservative interpretation of what Jesus said puts the responsibility of "binding and loosing" or "forbidding and permitting" things here on earth upon Jesus' followers - giving them all the authority of heaven!
Could the paragraph above apply to forgiveness as well?
How much power is available to members of the family?
Even so, it all starts with a confession of Jesus as Messiah - the Son of the living God! Each of us must reconcile for ourselves who Jesus is and what role we give Him in our life.
Father, my confession today is that Jesus is the Christ - Messiah - Your one and only Son!
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