THE KEY TO HEAVEN (Matthew 16:13-20)
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 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. 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." Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
The keys to the kingdom of heaven that Peter received are the keys of Immanuel, which connect heaven and earth. Peter received these keys, and eventually, we will receive them too.
The disciple's perspective: Jesus, one of the prophets
Jesus' ministry was mainly divided into two areas: the region of Galilee and Jerusalem. The area where Jesus began his public life was in the northern region of Galilee in Israel. Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. Jesus performed many miracles, especially healing various sick people. Eventually, Jesus went up to Jerusalem, predicting that he would suffer greatly, die, and be resurrected. The main text takes place at the point where Jesus concludes his ministry in the region of Galilee. It also serves as a summary of Jesus' gospel ministry in the region of Galilee.
Jesus called his disciples and lived with them, preaching the gospel in the region of Galilee. The disciples saw many miracles, from water turning into wine at the wedding in Cana to Peter's mother-in-law being healed from a fever, and even Jesus’ walking on water. Not only the disciples but also those who experienced Jesus' miracles and those who saw them thought about Jesus in this way: "Could this man be John the Baptist, who has been resurrected?", "Could it be Elijah, who ascended to heaven in a chariot, has come down again?", "It might be Jeremiah, who prophesied with tears when our ancestors were taken captive to Babylon. The situation in Judea these days is similar to that of Jeremiah's time.", "If not Jeremiah, he must be one of the famous prophets we know."
Peter's Blessing: The Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus does not seem to be concerned about what people think of him. Instead, Jesus is more interested in how his disciples, who live with him daily, perceive him. Jesus asks Peter, "Who do you say I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." With this single response, Peter hits the jackpot, so to speak. "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah," Jesus says. "You are Peter, the rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.", "I will give you the keys to 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." Peter receives an enormous blessing. Peter simply answered the Lord's question without any hesitation, and he received a blessing that was pressed down, shaken together, and spilling over, as Jesus described in Lk 6:38.
The Meaning of the Keys to the Kingdom
It is said that a single word can repay a thousand-dollar debt, and Peter seems to be such a person. Peter received many blessings, among which the keys to the kingdom are an attractive blessing. It is said that when Peter ties a knot on earth, it is simultaneously tied in heaven. It is truly a great blessing for just one good answer. Let's think more about the keys to the kingdom that Peter received. What are the keys to the kingdom that Jesus gave to Peter? Matthew 18:18 further explains the effect of the keys to the kingdom.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
The keys to the kingdom that Peter received work simultaneously on earth and in heaven. What happens on earth affects heaven. How can the earth control heaven? What power and ability must exist for everything done on earth to be accomplished in heaven? Why did Jesus give such an amazing blessing to Peter?
However, the keys to the kingdom that Peter received are by no means magical keys. The keys to the kingdom that Peter received are not a goblin's club. It is not a key that produces gold with a simple command. If the keys to the kingdom were like a goblin's club, they would not be the keys to the kingdom. A goblin's club cannot be involved in the affairs of heaven. A goblin's club belongs strictly to the affairs of the earth. If the keys to the kingdom that Peter received were a goblin's club, it would mean that what is bound on earth cannot be bound in heaven.
When Adam lived in the Garden of Eden, he heard the sound of God's footsteps walking through the garden. After being driven out of the Garden of Eden, he could no longer hear the sound of God's footsteps. When Adam was in the Garden of Eden, he heard God's voice calling him clearly, but after being driven out, he could no longer hear the sound of his name being called. Adam's ears were closed. After Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden, the earth where he set foot and the heaven where God dwells were completely separated.
In the main text, Jesus calls Peter, saying, "Blessed are you, Simon." However, Peter hears the voice of Jesus calling his name. This may seem like a play on words. The voice of Jesus that Peter hears is not the voice of an ordinary human. How did Peter confess Jesus? "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 'I confess my teacher as such. You are the Christ. You are the Son of the living God, even at this very moment when I am confessing.' That's right. The Son of God is calling Peter's name. The meaning hidden in Jesus calling "Simon, son of Jonah" is that the voice of God, which could not be heard no matter how hard one listened, is now heard by human ears. It means that heaven and earth, which were separated by a million miles, finally meet. This is the meaning contained in the keys to the kingdom that Peter received. The effect of the keys to the kingdom is already evident when Jesus calls "Simon, son of Jonah." Knowing this meaning, Jesus says, "Blessed are you, Simon."
The meaning of verse 17 is this: 'You think I am the Son of God now? That's right. If you confess me as the Son of God, my calling your name is like God calling Adam in the old days. Since Adam, people have not been able to hear God calling their names, but now through your confession of faith, you can hear God calling your name within your confession. So, you are truly blessed!' Jesus expressed the restoration of the break between God and people as the 'keys to the kingdom.' The meaning of binding on earth and binding in heaven is that earth and heaven can meet. The meaning of binding on earth and binding in heaven is that when God calls each person's name, they can hear it. Jesus named this the keys to the kingdom. It is the keys to the kingdom that he bestows upon all those who make the same confession as Peter.
The efficacy of the keys to heaven: prayer
Jesus further explains his words that whatever is bound on earth will also be bound in heaven.
"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Mt 18:19)
It is prayer. Jesus tells us that when we pray, God listens. The keys to heaven are the power and strength of prayer. Our broken connection with God is restored through prayer. When we pray on earth, it resonates in heaven, a completely different world and time. This is not a mere miracle. God in heaven hears our prayers from earth. Jesus, knowing this fact precisely, does not just say, "if two people agree and ask," but emphasizes "if two people on earth agree and ask." We are just humans who cannot escape the earth. But we also have the keys to heaven, the blessing that Peter received. When we confess Jesus, the object of our prayers, as the Christ and the living Son of God, Jesus gives us the keys to heaven as well. There is no other way for the sound of the earth to reach heaven except through prayer.
That's why prayer is not easy. Laziness hinders prayer. Distractions hinder prayer. The weakness of the flesh hinders prayer. Yet the keys to heaven given by Jesus cannot be overcome by the powers of hell. Satan may prevent us from praying, but he cannot eliminate prayer itself. As Jesus said, the gates of hell will not prevail against the church built on the rock by the Lord. This is an immutable provision made by God. Prayer is an unchangeable and unalterable provision. Satan knows the great efficacy of prayer so well that he tries all kinds of schemes to stop us from praying. He discourages us, makes us too successful to become arrogant and stop praying. In any case, we must keep and use the keys to heaven, the channel of prayer opened by Jesus between God and us, while we live on this earth. Didn't Jesus say, "Do not stop praying!"? We must not stop binding on earth the joys and sorrows of our homes, churches, and our country, whether in joy or sorrow.
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." This means that the Lord will surely be with those who call upon his name and pray. Jesus did not merely teach the Lord's Prayer. He ended the prayer with "In Jesus' name, we pray." It was not an accident. Jesus' name is not a talisman or a spell. God being with us is Immanuel. Immanuel is the name of Jesus. The church is where two or three people call upon Jesus' name. When we pray together in Jesus' name, the Lord is actually with us. This is the core of the keys to heaven that Peter received on our behalf. There is no greater blessing than God being with us. Because there is no name more excellent than the name of Jesus.
During Advent, let us deeply contemplate why Jesus gave the keys to heaven to Peter. All we see and hear are precarious events and news. The earth and time we live in must be accompanied by God. When we hold the keys to heaven we have received and pray in the name of Jesus Christ, we hope to experience the unchanging love of God, stronger than death, watching over us with fiery eyes, as promised by the Lord.