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 flesh and blood, 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.” (Matthew 16:16–18)
Truths are often dimmed by a brighter, newer revelation. It might come as a surprise, then, that the concept of the “church” was not new to man or God when Jesus pronounced His famous prophecy to Peter. In saying, “…I will build MY church,” Jesus was laying claim to what began as a divine promise two thousand years earlier. On that clear desert night, the Lord led Abraham out of his tent and planted a vivid vision in his mind’s eye: “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5).
Jesus declared to the Jewish religious leaders, “The Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form” (John 5:37). This fundamental truth is confirmed when Jesus revealed to the woman at the well, “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). Who, then, assured Abraham his offspring would match the stars? Who sat down, rested under the tree, and ate cakes with Abraham before going down to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Who met Joshua on the road near Jericho, and who was the fourth man in the Babylonian furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Whose voice spoke to Moses from the burning bush?
In all of these cases, it could only have been God’s Son—the pre-incarnate Christ Jesus. He is the One who taught His disciples, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). He has always been the visible and audible representation of the Father, serving as the divine liaison between heaven and mankind. Eusebius, the first Christian historian, confirms that this understanding was common knowledge among the early New Covenant church.
The Greek word used by Jesus for church was ekklesia—meaning the “called-out ones.” It was such a concise word that when the ancient Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek, the translators consistently chose it to render qahal, the assembly of God’s people. The Son of God, the pre-incarnate Christ Jesus, called Abraham out of a pagan world and has been shepherding His sheep ever since. His continuous leadership moves directly through what Stephen identified as the “church in the wilderness” under Moses (Acts 7:38), right through His earthly ministry, and on up to this very moment as you read this devotional.
Abraham’s story, along with the rest of Genesis, was preserved through a rich oral tradition stretching all the way back to Adam and Eve. While that might sound shocking to modern ears, how else would we know the tragic story of Cain and Abel unless their parents and subsequent children faithfully passed it down through the generations? This transmission is a communal characteristic inherent to a congregation or tribe, and it provides a vivid picture of the Old Covenant church (qahal) at work.
Jesus faithfully shepherded His sheep throughout the Old Testament era. At times, He acted as a severe shepherd to preserve the purity of His assembly. For instance, He prevented an entire rebellious generation from entering the Promised Land, and He commanded Moses to lift up the bronze serpent on a pole to expose and eliminate non-believers from the congregation. It was during this wilderness era that the Ten Commandments were delivered—the very first official church document to govern God’s people—written by the very hand of the Son of God.
God chose to dwell among this wilderness congregation. A physical structure could, of course, never truly contain Him; however, He allowed the localized wilderness tabernacle to represent His presence under the Old Covenant. Because He is perfectly holy, He was inaccessible to the masses; only the high priest could step behind the heavy veil on behalf of the larger congregation. God later permitted Solomon to build Him a permanent dwelling place in the temple.
We know that God is changeless (Malachi 3:6), but He is sovereign, and His interaction with mankind has shifted through progressive revelation. The Old Covenant has been laid aside and a New Covenant established. Jesus’ birth, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection altogether represent that magnificent turning point in history where the physical veil of the temple was torn in two, transforming everything into what Jesus specifically claimed as “My church” going forward. Christ’s crucifixion was the ultimate, worldwide house-cleaning—a definitive line by which believers are called out from the world and clothed in His flawless righteousness.
Through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, we are now one with God. The Father and the Son literally tabernacle within us. While the eternal Kingdom of God remains unchanged, its gates are now open wide to all who believe. We are instructed to live actively in this world, but not be of it, for we are new creations transformed to be kingdom dwellers to the degree we choose to yield to Him.
We often affectionately look at a physical structure and call it “the church,” but the breathtaking reality is that we collectively are Christ’s church. We are the soma—the living body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–27)—with every individual uniquely equipped with God-given talents to serve as a vital part of the whole. This body cannot function effectively unless we work in perfect harmony, dedicated solely to God’s will.
That harmony is maintained through corporate fellowship. Gathering together is how we learn, teach, share, and study God’s Word to mature. Throughout history, Christ’s church has suffered assaults by the evil one, prompting creative ways to anchor believers in biblical truths. For instance, medieval hymns and creeds became absolute necessities because Satan was actively exploiting a lack of knowledge within the congregation. In an era when most people could not read and copies of the Scriptures were scarce, these sung and spoken creeds became the primary guardrails of the faith, reinforcing the basic truths of the New Covenant.
Fellowship remains the sacred anvil upon which iron sharpens iron, refining our faith and keeping us accountable. Yet, the ultimate power of Christ’s church is not meant to be contained inside the safety of the assembly. It belongs out in the field where we corporately contribute to the ongoing harvest, fulfilling the Great Commission mandate to make disciples of all nations.
Father, keep us mindful of the fact that we collectively are the living body of Christ—His ekklesia on earth. Thank You for tabernacling within our hearts by Your Holy Spirit. Place a hedge around us to preserve our harmony. Help us actively advance the Gospel and fulfill Your Great Commission, for Your name’s sake and Your eternal glory. Amen.
