Jesus the Messiah Declared War against Hell

Let me paint you a picture of one of the most dramatic scenes in all of the Bible

The Galilean carpenter Jesus stands on a massive outcropping of rock, 1,150 feet above sea level, dwarfed by the gigantic cliff which towered above it. Just a short distance away stands the brilliant, white-marble temple built to the worship of Caesar, hence the name of the place, Caesarea.

Nearby is the cavern where the Greeks said their god Pan was born, where many believed the “gates of hell” existed. 

Scattered around the hilly countryside are fourteen temples to Baal, the Canaanite god the Syrians worshipped. 

And nearby is one of the origins of the Jordan River, the holiest river to God’s own people, the Jews.

In the midst of such religious traditions and fervor, surrounded by every kind of god known to his culture, Jesus asks his ragtag band of peasant followers, “Who do you say that I am?” 

And one of them (Simon, nicknamed Peter, which means “rock”) declares, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Christ actually means messiah. Jesus’ last name isn’t Christ; it’s a title meaning “anointed” or “chosen one.”

And Jesus says, “On this rock I will build my church.” 

Which rock? Peter? 

No, the church does not stand on a man. 

Peter’s faith? 

No, the church does not stand on the faith of a man. 

Jesus pointed to himself, for Scripture is clear: “No one can lay any other foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). 

His church, the church, belongs to Jesus Christ. He founded us twenty centuries ago at Caesarea Philippi. 

The church is the idea and passion of Jesus and his answer to the problems of mankind. Jesus could have established any institution, begun any movement. He could have left behind any entity to carry on his work on earth. And he founded the church. For this singular purpose and future: “the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (v. 18). 

When he did this, he declared war on hell, in front of the gates into hell. The church exists to assault the gates of hell. Not to withstand the assault of hell upon us—to assault them. To take the gospel of God’s love into our fallen, dark, dying, decaying, immoral world, just like Jesus did in his life. 

In this story, Jesus is the rock that will stand forever. This foundation is sure. He as a person declared war on hell itself and raised an army in his life—an army of self-sacrificial love.

Pause and pray for strength in the spiritual war. 

Are you making Jesus your rock?

Are you actively following Jesus in this war—or do you forget you’re even in one?