Near the middle of Jesus’ ministry in the book of Matthew, Jesus asks His disciples a question. He asks them who they think He is. What do they think is His identity, calling, and mission? Peter then gives His famous confession that Jesus is the Christ. In response to this, Jesus makes what is, for me, one of the most encouraging claims in the Bible. Jesus states that He “will build His church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Let’s dive into this statement and see why I find it so encouraging!
Victory Belongs to Jesus
Let’s start with the end of the statement: “…the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” This is the more straightforward encouragement to me because, in the most obvious way, this means that Jesus wins in the end. No matter how bleak things look at any given time, Jesus is claiming that no power of the enemy will be able to stand against the church He is inaugurating through His life, death, and resurrection. We can rest assured that in the end, God wins, not alone, but through His Church.
The Role of God’s Church
Now returning to the start, Jesus begins by saying, “I will build my church.” This is the phrase I keep coming back to for so many reasons. First of all, it reminds me that it’s not my responsibility to build the church. It’s not my responsibility to make the mission of God move forward. Jesus said right here that He is the one who will build the church. He is the one who will accomplish the mission of God.
Why do I find this important? Because more than anything else, these simple statements give me confidence. They give me confidence that no matter how imperfect I am, Jesus will accomplish His mission. The growth of the church as a movement fighting against the powers of darkness depends on Jesus, not on whether or not I can perform in every situation. That is not to say that we do not have a part to play in partnering with Jesus.
God’s Work is Guaranteed
Let’s not forget what leads up to these statements by Jesus. He had just asked His disciples who they said He was. It was after Peter confessed that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus doesn’t call us to perfect evangelism. Jesus calls us to witness what we have seen of Him, how He has transformed our lives. Then He will take care of the rest. This is true in the grocery line, the cockpit, the breakroom, and the jumpseat.
Just as Jesus says elsewhere to not worry about having the perfect words to say, because “it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Our call is to speak what God gives us, but Jesus guarantees the work. His work and His promise will prevail!
