The gates of hell no longer have a hold on you!
Matthew 16:13-19
Easter Sunday 2015
Dr. Jim Bohrer
Gates are all around us. Some gates protect a garden, a yard, perhaps a store. Some gates have beware of dog. Those gates keep you out and hopefully keep the dog inside. And some gates keep you in. Some gates you don’t want to be behind. These gates keep you in, they trap you. There are people all around us who are trapped behind a gate today. They are trapped behind the gate of loneliness; the gate of depression; the gate of a broken family; the gate of alcoholism; the gate of sexual sin; the gate of bitterness; the gate of workaholism; I could go on.
Today we celebrate Easter, the day Satan’s grip was broken over you, the day the gate of death and hell were broken as Jesus rose from that grave. The day God declared Jesus to be Lord over death and Lord over life for the whole world to see and know. Because of THAT DAY, I can look to you and say there is no gate you are trapped behind that Jesus will not break through for you. There is nothing that Jesus cannot rescue you from and for the believer, there is no one you know that Jesus cant help.
How do I know that? Well, I want us to look at the last sermon Jesus preached before He revealed to the disciples God’s Master plan for Christ’s life, death and resurrection. If you read the two verses beyond what I have referred to in your notes, you will see that Matthew tells us that Jesus for the first time after this lesson teaches about His passion, suffering, and resurrection. So this lesson is really important. It’s the pep talk before they go to the big game. Mike Krzyzewski and Bo Ryan will give their most important pep talk of the season this Monday evening. This is the big game, the big dance. Well Jesus is getting ready for the Final battle with Satan and Sin. He wants the apostles and the church to be aggressive in their pursuit of those who are trapped behind gates that destroy lives in the here and now and in the here after.
Please stand in honor of our resurrected Lord Jesus. The word resurrection, anastasia, means “to stand.”
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”
And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven.”
REJOICE IN CHRIST’S POWER AND FREEDOM THIS EASTER!
I. Christ DEFIED darkness during His Life! (v. 13; John 10:10)
Jesus took the disciples to the Northern most part of Israel, to Philippi Caesaria, a place known for paganism and debauchery. Alexander the Great made this place famous in 330 BC. At the base of Mt. Hermon, a Spring that feeds the headwaters of the Jordan river. The pagans believe that the goat god Pan would emerge from the underworld from that cave. So Alexander dedicated a Temple to Pan there and carved places for statues into this huge rock. People would come from all over the world to worship there. The called this place the GATES OF HELL.
Caesarea-Phippi is a long way from Jerusalem. I believe Jesus traveled to this place to show the disciples that He was not afraid of any darkness. That the power He was giving to the disciples through His resurrection needed to be coupled with courage and boldness. He gave this lesson right in the midst of darkness. I like to believe, he took the disciples to an overlook of the Temple. I like to imagine He gave the message while the priests and priestess were carrying on in their worship. They could see the statues of the half man, half goat god. There would be two platforms. One would be a goat pen. There the goats would mate during their worship service. Then the goat dancers would come out on their stage and commit vile acts in hopes that Pan would grant them fertility, wealth, health and good crops.
It was at this very place by this rock Jesus gives His charge and call to disciples and the church. That there are people looking for power in all the wrong places. And make no mistake about it, there was power there. The forces of darkness had gathered there. Demons were worshipped. Satan can mimic the miraculous. Remember at the time of Exodus, Jannes and Jambres were able to mimic, but not overpower God’s man. We saw Jesus confront the demon possessed and the apostles will face demonic challenges. Jesus took them to the edge of darkness to give this lesson and I believe HE did so for powerful life lesson.
These people were trapped in darkness. They were dancing with demons. The gates of hell had a hold on them. Some wanted to be there. Perhaps the priests, perhaps the partiers enjoyed the fun at the moment. Some were trapped. Many times, like today temple prostitutes had been sold into slavery. Or had become trapped in an addiction and now had to feed that addiction. Others traveled there because they didn’t know any better. Others had become trapped in a false religion. All of them would learn the high cost of low living.
Jesus said in John 10:10
The thief comes only to rob still kill and destroy, but I have come to give you life and life abundantly. Life beyond the gates of hell. Life that truly quenches the thrist.
Its in this place that Jesus says after Peter, the little rock declares Jesus is the Christ, Jesus points to that rock face and says where people look for hell to come out of it, when Peter, when you and I declare the power of Jesus, we can stand of the rubble of this rock that people think is all powerful and we will not build a pagan temple at the base, but we will redeem a people out of the rubble and ruins and build a church for heaven. Now imagine Jesus who could preach to 5000 preaching on that overlook. I wonder if the goat dancers heard him. I wonder if the music stopped and they looked up at Jesus and the disciples. You know if there were good quiet church folks there, they would say, “Now preacher you are getting a little loud. Can we go back and lets not disturb these people. Jesus shouts, I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT OVER COME IT! He is saying its precisely these people who are sowing their wild oats. These people with all their problems that I want you Peter to preach to. Its these people that I want as part of my family. Peter tell them! Don’t just stay in Jerusalem. Don’t just stay within the four walls of the church. Get the message out and lets build the church on these people.
II. Peter DEFINED Christ’s uniqueness as Deity in his confession. (vs. 14-17; 1 John 1:1-3)
Listen, people don’t need a good teacher and Jesus was the best teacher. People don’t need a better philosophy and Jesus is the best philosopher. They don’t simply need a healer and Jesus was certainly the most incredible healer ever. They need God. People came close. They recognized Jesus had power. But, I want to remind you, other people performed miracles. Other people spoke powerfully. Other people had power. But only Jesus did miracles, lived the perfect life and taught that He is God Almighty. He coupled the miracles with His teaching and claims and these disicples were eyewitnesses of this fact. Jesus is the One and only. Other philosophies tried to teach people a good way, only Jesus is the WAY; other religions tried to get a hold of the truth, only Jesus is the Truth. Other religions talk about the after life. Only Jesus came back to life.
The only explanation for the church existing on its own, apart from being a small sect of Judaism. The only explanation for its rapid spread despite the threats of death and martyrdom is the resurrection. Listen other religions, governments spread for a time by the threat of death. Only Christianity spread by disciples going to gates of hell and laying down their lives. With the death of the 21 Coptic Christians, the murder of 150 Christians in Kenya there is no brighter contrast between the witness of the power and promise of the Christ and the murderous nature of the devil.
That is why the apostle John recounts in I john 1:1-3
III. Jesus DEFEATED the power of death in His Resurrection (vs. 18-19; Acts 4:10-13)
The temple of Pan has fallen. The cave and the rock has sunken some more. The Roman Empire has come and gone and the church continues. Today Christ offers the power of His resurrection to free you from the punishment of hell, the lies of Satan. Today Jesus stands resurrected and says there is power for living. There is no addiction he cannot free you from. There is no abusive relationship He cannot break you away from. There is no sin He cannot or will not forgive.
Listen the Devil could not stop Him, the Grave could not Hold Him and the World could not buy Him!
He is God’s remedy for the RUINED.
Jesus is the justification for the judged.
Jesus offers redemption for the rebel.
He is the solution for your sin.
He is the triumph for your trouble.
And He is the Blessing when you are burden.
But what about that gate that holds you.
Have you ever seen an elephant tied to a tent stake in the ground? I have. I’ve wondered how does that work. Just look at that stake and look at that elephant. All she has to do is just tug a little bit and she would be free. But no she will stay tied to that stake stuck, why?
Well trainers have this process. When an elephant is young and still wants its momma. The trainer will take that baby elephant and chain it to a big tree. That elephant will cry and try to get to its mother. But the more it pulls the more that chain digs into its ankle. After time the baby elephant just gives up. After that the elephant is convinced that whenever something is tied around her ankle, she is trapped she can’t go anywhere. When she was young, she really could not break free. But now it’s just a weak rope. But her spirit is broke. She is trapped by a wrong belief.
Listen, there is a gate here on the stage. It only has power over me if I stay behind it. But look at how simple it is to walk past it. It’s the same with Jesus.
Jesus says, Believe and you will be loosed. The lock has been loosed. The devil doesn’t have a hold of you because He cannot hold me. The Cross is barren, the grave is empty and Heaven’s gates are opened to you. The grave no longer has a hold of Jesus and when you grab a hold of Jesus, the Devil no longer has a hold of you.
This easter, you can say in Jesus, “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty I’m free at last! My sins are forgiven, my Savior lives and I am free in Him.
