One of the most difficult statements of Jesus is this one right here, but it helps to consider it’s parallel in Matthew 16.

“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. — Matthew 16:15-20

This binding and loosing is closely associated with the fact that Peter had been given “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Why was Peter going to get the keys? What are the keys? Well, Jesus is talking to Peter because Peter got the question right by affirming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. In other words, Peter was the first to fully affirm the true identity of Jesus.

Also, the keys most naturally refer to the means by which someone enters a restricted space. If heaven is a restricted space, then the keys most likely would refer to the permission or ability to control access to heaven.

Does this mean Jesus is going to give Peter the power to control access to heaven? Actually, yes.

See, we have already seen from Jesus’ interaction with the centurion that the only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who live by the full authority of Christ, and Peter has just joined that camp by affirming the full authority and identity of Jesus as the Christ. Therefore, Peter has discovered (or been given by the Father) the “key” to the kingdom of heaven—the affirmation of Jesus’ true identity.

With that key, he may enter heaven. But more profoundly, with that key, he may invite others, or (heaven forbid) prevent others from also entering. On top of it all, Jesus asserts that if Peter uses his key (presumably by proclaiming this truth of Jesus once he has been resurrected) some people will find freedom, and some people in rejecting the message will remain in bondage to sin. Some will be bound, some will be loosed, but it’s because of their response to the message—the key—not to something inherent to Peter.

Here’s what it means for you and me today. God has given us IMMENSE power. We have the power to determine who enters heaven and who is kept out. If you want to keep someone out of heaven, tell them many lies about the kingdom and the key to getting in. Or better yet, simply keep your mouth shut at all times and never let on that there is a key.

Of course, I’m being facetious, but the fact remains that we have been given immense power to affect by our actions here on earth, the eternal composition of heaven itself!

Christian unity in the name of Jesus has at its disposal the power of Jesus to bring freedom to many today and salvation in the age to come!

BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: Do you gather with other believers to pray with agreement about the salvation of those you know?

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