David Bahn – Reflections

Covenant and Kingdom are two themes that run through Scripture and help us understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. God has established his covenant with us through the blood of Jesus Christ. God has called us his children. God is our heavenly Father. We have been saved. That is our identity. We live that out in faithful obedience.

But God is not only Father, he is King. He rules over all. His reign extends through Jesus who has given authority (“keys” in this case) to his servants. Out of that authority comes power. Power which will prevail over the strongholds of evil.

Jesus alludes to both covenant and kingdom in these words. “You are Peter,” he says, “and on this rock I will build my church.” That’s covenant: God’s promise to bless us by giving us a clear identity. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” he tells Peter and the disciples. They have the authority to bind and loose.

Matthew 16:13-20

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

This covenant and kingdom is seen in the lives of those who profess Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. They understand that God has established his covenant (a commitment on his part to be our God and Father by grace). They realize that they are God’s children. They tell others of this gift and invite them into a relationship of faith with him. They also live under him in his kingdom and serve him.

A final thought. Someone once said that Matthew 16:20 is the verse that Lutherans are best at obeying: “Don’t tell anyone…” I’m not totally certain about that, but I do know that it’s OK to tell others that Jesus is the Christ. That’s how you and I were brought into the covenant relationship with the Father. Let’s live under him in his kingdom and work to see his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.