Daily Devotions
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Note to readers: This is an alternate reading from the Three Year Lectionary, and may not match up with the readings your church uses this Sunday.
Matthew 16:13-19 – Now … Jesus … asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And 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. And 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. I 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.”
Peter is the first to recognize and say out loud exactly who Jesus is: The Messiah promised by God from the beginning, the Son of God come in human flesh. And so he is the first to hear Jesus’ wonderful promise to those who believe in Him, the promise of the forgiveness of sins—as Jesus says it later, when the rest of His disciples have had a chance to catch up: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (John 20:22b-23).
Because that is what Jesus’ church is: the community of people who know that Jesus is who He says He is, our Savior sent from the Father, to suffer and die and rise again, so that everyone who trusts in Him may be forgiven and live forever in joy and peace with God. We have been carrying that message throughout God’s world for 2,000 years now—not just telling people about the forgiveness Jesus provides, but actually giving it to them, because Jesus has given us that privilege and that responsibility.
And hell itself cannot stop us! Look at what Jesus says here, “the gates of hell.” You know that gates cannot walk. They stay in one place and they do one job—keeping outsiders out, and insiders in. If Jesus’ church is in a fight with the gates of hell, it must be because we are standing outside, and we want those gates open. We want all our fellow suffering human beings to be free from the power of evil and be free and happy with us, in Jesus.
Now we can’t make this happen in our own power. But Jesus can do it, working through us, because His Holy Spirit gives us the words of life. He helps us talk about Jesus in ways others can understand and believe. He helps us to love people through our actions so that they listen to the Good News. There is real hope for them, because Jesus Himself wants them free. And those gates of hell? They haven’t got a chance.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, set free those who suffer under the power of evil, and use me however You like in Your love. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you know any non-Christians? Who would they say Jesus is? How is that different from what you know is true?
- How can you love your non-Christian friends and family better?
- The power (and wisdom!) doesn’t belong to you but to Jesus. How does that help you when you’re thinking about sharing your faith?
Today's Readings:
1 Kings 8-9Acts 8:1-25