In Matthew 16 Peter famously confesses Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Jesus says that this confession and understanding is the basis for the church. When we confess Jesus as Lord, Messiah, Promise fulfilled, that is the Life-Changing Life-Giving answer. Jesus is not just another prophet, preacher, or leader, and not just an inanimate Idol, but the Son of the Living God.

Jesus says that he is the Rock on which the church will be built, and that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. The gates of Hell cannot hold up when we release his powerful confession. He then talks about “keys to the Kingdom” – power to bind and loosen.

Now remember, we are on a freedom mission. Just as Jesus in John 3:17 says he didn’t come to condemn but to save, the world is already bound, and we have the keys. We base freedom or bondage on what is done with Jesus. Was God making Peter the “First Pope”, no I don’t think so. But it is agreed that he was talking here and in Matthew 18 about Christ empowering and the Church Recognizing Leaders as well, Leaders, with power to lead. Yet still I would bring us back to Jesus as the Key and what we do with him binds or releases.

Come back then to the Necessity of Nature, Nurture, and Nihilation. Yes, by nature, we are sinners and bound in that city of sin. But followers of Christ, we are on a mission of freedom and our leaders, as long as faithful to the call and the mission, do have power and authority from Christ. Remember also in Revelation 1 that Jesus walks among the “lampstands” that is the local churches, and he holds the “stars”, pastors, in his hand. He is leading, protecting, and correcting the church and their leaders – but I digress.

If our nature is sin, in Christ a New Nature arises. That new nature, then needs to be Nurtured as the Spirit calls us for the Father. John 6:44 tells us that no one comes unless the Father Draws and so the Spirit moves and draws and then within us something Christlike happens…

I am using the word, Nihilation – “to reduce to nothing”, to die to self. My point is that it is all about timing and purpose – Jesus, hero of heaven, laid aside his glory, and he tells his disciples there in v20, “tell no one that he was the Messiah” 

Why? Service is about purpose and timing. Service is about becoming nothing for something. Jesus said, “don’t tell anyone”, because he had another purpose, do die for our sins, not to be popular in that day.

v21 says From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem… suffer many things… be killed… and be raised on the third day.” Wait, what? That wasn’t on the advertising poster we saw. Peter tried to stop that… to which Jesus responded, “get behind me satan! You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”

Oh the battle between our 2 natures – Old and New, Flesh and Spirit. It’s a struggle of Nature, Nihilation, and Nurture.

We read Romans 8:5 Sunday – “those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit” – Nature, Nihilation, and Nurture.

The Spirit, Romans 8:6 says is Life and Peace, but the flesh is death.

Then in Matthew 16 Jesus goes to the most famous part, vv24-27 If anyone wants to follow after me let him deny himself (nihilation) whoever wants to save his life must lose it… what benefit to gain the whole world but lose his life? Then he must have blown their minds when he said, the Son of Man IS COMING with the angels in the glory of the Father, AND THEN he will reward according to what is done.

We get our Advents confused sometimes don’t we? How interesting there IS Jesus, Son of Man, The Messiah, already recognized as such by the disciples, but he had come as NOTHING… and said, “don’t tell anyone how big I am because I have some ‘nothing work’ to do. I’m going to be a suffering servant and die, but rise again… but don’t worry I am coming again later – with all the glory and the reward – and You Will be nothing with me for now, on a Freedom Mission – but GLORY is coming later – Just wait”

The Necessity of Nature, Nurture, and Nihilation – Now and Exaltation is Yet to Come