The Gates of Hell and the Kingdom of God
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Date: 2022-07-10
Audience: Grass Valley Corps ONLINE
Title: The Gates of Hell and the Kingdom of God
Text: Matthew 16:1-20
Proposition: Citizens of the Kingdom hold the keys to Hell
Purpose: Agents of the Kingdom help set captives free
Grace and peace
If you follow the Jordan River north, you’ll find three springs of free-flowing water which have been its source since ancient days. The most dramatic of these, in modern times, pours out of an underground channel just below the mouth of a cave which gapes low and wide from a mountain of rock 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.
That stream is called the Panis Fork. Its channel changed in the 1800s when an earthquake collapsed part of the cave entrance but for millennia prior to that the river had come directly from the cave – a shimmering ribbon passing from the hidden depths of the earth out onto the surface lands where its precious liquid turned a long stretch of desert into productive farmland.
Since water brought life, some of the peoples that inhabited those lands believed that this stream was a gift from their gods, and they told stories of how it tumbled freely from the underground winter home of those deities. Spring, they said, was when those great beings came out of their underworld realm to bring fertility to the land, if they could be coaxed out!
Many sacrifices were made and rituals performed to ensure that these gods were appeased and encouraged to return to the surface.
The people and tribes that controlled the territory changed hands from time to time, but the altars around the dark cavern remained.
In time, Israel took possession of the Promised Land. The tribe of Dan ended up around the Panis Fork and, like those who had come before them, they never removed the pagan places of worship. Their God had instructed them to, but somehow they never quite got around to it, and people continued to visit the shrines and those gods of darkness and fertility.
The time of the Judges came and went, and Israel’s cycle of sin and salvation continued, but these sacred places of other gods remained.
The early kings worked to unite the tribes of Israel into a single nation. David finished the task, more or less, and Solomon reigned over a united kingdom, but shortly after his death the Northern Tribes rebelled and separated themselves from the southern tribes, even though the Temple of the LORD was in Jerusalem in the south.
Appalled to find themselves cut off from their center of worship, many of the priests and Temple workers left the northern kingdom and moved south to Judah to be near their national God.
The rebel King of Israel responded by creating statues of calves and goats out of gold and placing them in various regions for people to worship. He said that they represented his people’s God, or that perhaps they represented other gods who had power in this area. The yawning cave in the rock above Panis, already an ancient shrine, was the main place he designated for these new idols to reside.
The prophet Amos would come to stand outside a worship gathering here, warning the people that the evil they committed in this place would lead to destruction. Which it did, but it was the destruction of the nation, not of this place.
Fast forward to the time of Alexander. The Greeks ruled the world, bringing their pantheon of gods with them. Hearing stories about this cave where the underworld touched the land of the living, they declared it to be a gateway to Hades, the realm which held souls of the deceased, a place only the gods could come and go from.
They erected a temple here for Pan, the half-goat, half-human god of fertility and debauchery, and his worshippers would come and perform rituals involving bestiality and child sacrifice and other acts we would call horrible and profane. Statues and icons of the satyr were erected here, and a town called Panis rose to service the needs of the followers of the goat.
The time of the Greeks came to an end, but the town remained outside the cave and the dark rituals there continued as well.
The Romans generally allowed worship practices of the lands they conquered to remain unchanged, so long as the defeated gods did not object to paying Imperial taxes. So Panis continued to stand around the dark, forbidding rock which poured waters of life from an angry mouth that was also a gateway to the land of death.
The greatest of Roman allies from the region, a Hasmonean named Herod, was given control of this territory along with the title “King of the Jews.” But he paid it no mind, being focused on solidifying Israel instead.
After the death of Herod the Great, Herod Philip tried to win the favor of Caesar by building Panis into a capitol city, naming it Caesarea Philippi. In the new city, he added a temple for people to worship. And the city became a crossroads for trade. But that little village near the Hell-mouth remained to service the shrine there.
The Jews had grown to hate this area. It had been part of the Promised Land once, but now it was ground soaked in pagan culture, the blood of children and goats, and other impure things. Even speaking of it was discouraged in polite company and to travel anywhere near the city was to become unclean. To go near the temples was worse, even shameful.
But there was a certain First Century rabbi who led his disciples to this northern city. It was about the third year after he had begun to travel throughout Israel, leading and teaching disciples who were expected to emulate their master and follow him everywhere.
In one biography of that rabbi, the book of Mark, we are told that 27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. [1]
Does this seem an odd place to make sure they understood who he was and what his purpose was? Mark downplays where they were, saying only that they were around Caesarea Philippi. He may have been trying to avoid arguments or shame by being vague. Matthew is less concerned with such niceties.
Matthew 16:13-14
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” [2]
The word “region” is an English understatement of the original Greek word which is better described as meaning a portion of the city. Church tradition claims Jesus led the Twelve Apostles and perhaps a few others to a hillside overlooking that unholy cave in the rock and then asked them the question. I wonder if he didn’t bring them right to the mouth, standing along the edge of the water, peering into the shadowy depths of the cavern.
If you were the Messiah, seeking to restore the world, does it seem fitting that this would be the place to start?
Jesus asked who the people think he is, and they suggest those few answers. Then he makes it personal.
Matthew 16:15-16
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”[3]
Except, this isn’t quite right. Oh, what Simon said is spot on. But he’s never actually called “Simon Peter.”
His name is Simon, and at the very beginning of their association Jesus gave him a nickname – Petros – the stone man.
Back then Simon had a reputation. He was headstrong, impulsive, prone to fly off the handle… He was more like a fish just tipped out of a net onto a deck, flopping wildly this way and that, than he was like a stone: Still, unmoving, waiting to be picked up and thrown at a target.
Was Jesus promising him that some desired change would come about or was he gently making fun of him?
In that first meeting, in John 1:42
42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called [Kay-fahs]Cephas” (which, when translated, is Petros). [4]
(Key-fahs) Cephas is a Syriac word which means rock or stone, just as petros is a Greek word meaning a stone. Simon, you will be called a stone.
That was then.
Here, in pagan lands, beside a cave which has been a pagan temple for thousands of years, Simon the Stone has just declared Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah.
And in Matthew 16:17-18 we hear that
17 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. 18 And I tell you that you are [Petros], and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.[5]
Simon, I tell you that you are petros, a stone. The word generally meant something that was small enough to be picked up. It could be moved. You are petros, and on this petra I will build…
Petra is Greek for Rock, as in an immovable mass or a solid hillside into which homes could be carved. A hillside like the one they stood beside; the one with the cave and the other niches carved into it in which the gods were said to live. The one steeped in centuries of evil and death, which was called the Gates of Hades.
Did I forget to mention that?
Gates don’t mean as much to us as they used to.
In a city, the gate was the most important structure. It was the weakest point of the wall, as it was made to open and close, and so the gate was often what invaders would attack as they tried to batter their way in.
Gates were also used on cells or paddocks to keep people or animals imprisoned, so they needed to be strong to keep in what would otherwise get out.
As the place where people would go in and out, gates became the place for markets to be set up and for the elders and other officials to meet. They were places of authority where rulings were made, judgments passed, and justice meted out.
This cave was thought to be the entrance to the realm of the dead, called Hades in Greek. Its mouth was a gate which the gods were said to pass in and out of, but from which no human soul could escape.
Death was final – no one could return from the underworld.
Here’s another Greek word to add to your vocabulary today: Gate - pule (poo-lay). It isn’t a word for a common door, but for an opening to a city, a prison, or a temple, something on that order. Puleis a literal, physical gateway between places. It is a metaphoric seat of power and authority. But this isn’t an either/or definition. It’s more of a both/all idea.
Jesus has just said that he’s going to build something that the very authority of death cannot overcome.
With apologies for leaning so heavily into the original language today, we need to examine what it is that Jesus said he is building. He only used this word twice, and this is the first place he chose.
On this rock I will build my ekklesia. An ekklesiawas a body of free citizens called together by a herald. Jesus says he will build/edify/embolden his free people here, on this rock, and that the authority of Hades cannot overcome them.
How can he say that? Dead is dead, right? But Jesus explains right away:
Matthew 16:19
19 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.”[6]
There are two concepts we need to understand to hear what Jesus is saying. The first is that Jesus isn’t using the phrase “God’s Kingdom”. This is an English translation of a much larger idea than we can capture in a single word. He’s saying that he will give his ekklesia the keys to God’s reign or authority or, if you must use a word with a meaning locked in place, the keys to God’s infinite realm.
Keys are permission to enter and exit. If someone gives you a key to their house, they are saying that you are welcome to come and go. A key to God’s realm gives you freedom to access everything in that realm.
Some people get hung up on this idea that there is a balance of good and evil in the universe – some sort of malevolent force or evil being who is a foil for the power of God. That somehow the Creator of Life has no access to the place of death.
But if that were true, we wouldn’t be talking about either a Creator or a God, just some limited being. Jesus is saying that isn’t true.
God’s keys open any gateway.
This is something he would demonstrate to be true not long after when, beaten, scourged, and nailed to a cross until he was dead, Jesus simply walked out of the grave, resurrected, whole, because there is no limit to God’s reign.
Keys are more than just access, though. The second concept we need to understand is that of binding and loosing.
There were 613 commands in the Law given through Moses. They covered all kinds of situations, but life is messy and sometimes choosing which ones needed to be applied and which could be ignored was difficult. The Rabbis, like the sages before them, each taught their own way of understanding how to follow the Law. This was called their yoke, because like the yoke which held oxen together and kept them going in the right direction, it held their followers together, moving in tandem.
The laws they said were important to obey or prioritize were said to be binding while the ones they taught could be ignored or considered less important were said to be loosed.
Jesus said that his ekklesia would be able to declare what was to be bound and what was to be loosed and God would back them up.
This meant they would have the authority to declare how God’s Law was to be followed.
Now, don’t take this idea too far! Just as a homeowner giving you a key doesn’t mean you can have a party which loots and destroys their house, the keys we are handed free us from the things of the world, but not from the command of the Creator. In essence, it’s like we’re on a cruise ship together and we can decide which of the restaurants to eat at and when, but God is still the captain and the ship is sailing where he directs it.
Which brings us back to Jesus and the handful of followers who stood around him beside the Gateway of Hades.
On this rock – the very unholy ground of one of the worst places on earth, somewhere their traditions taught made them unclean just by being near it – on THIS rock, Jesus said he would build the group of people who responded to his call into a force which could never be overcome by any power of hell.
Why here?
Because he wants them to know that the Gates of Hell don’t belong to the enemy. Nothing does. It is God’s, he has given them the keys, so they must set any captives free.
This is the task Jesus has given to those who would be his followers. There’s a thread we can see woven throughout Matthew’s narrative, beginning the very day Jesus called Simon and his brother.
Matthew 4:19
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”[7]
We aren’t called to passively sit by while people can be saved. We need to watch for opportunities to cast our nets and draw them in!
Not long after that, Jesus said,
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.[8]
We are to season the world and be a light to those who would otherwise be trapped in darkness. Brighten the lives of others so they can know the glory of God.
Later, when Jesus sent his followers out, he told them this:
Matthew 10:7-8
7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. [9]
God reigns! This is HIS world! You have the keys to set people free from the things which chain them up. Heal the sick! Raise the dead! Cleanse the unclean! Drive out demons, be they supernatural devils trying to steal souls or natural ones like addictions, like oppressors, like those who would use their power or position to rip and tear at others to try to bring them down. Freedom really is free when you accept it from the hand of Jesus. And you can use it to bring others to accept the same freedom.
There are other verses, other passages which say the same thing in different ways. YOU are part of the ekklesia, called by Jesus to bring freedom to the world.
But we can’t do it from inside our bubble. The modern church, even those of us in The Salvation Army, tend to hide in our Christian strongholds, ignoring, avoiding, or condemning the outside world from our “safe zone” of Christian Churches, Christian schools, Christian conferences, Christian radio, Christian movies, and Christian books.
We are supposed to be the ekklesia, holders of the keys to access anywhere in God’s Creation, but we would rather stay isolated from the world, hiding from the Gates of Hell, steering far enough clear so we don’t get dirty. As if we would be called unclean for being near them.
CT Studd, a British evangelist, once said, “Some wish to stay within the sound of church or chapel bells. I’d rather run a rescue shop a yard from the gates of hell.” Amen!
Instead of being separated from the world, we are told to be integrated in it! We are to confront the culture of evil with the truth of Jesus so we can break people free from the power of hell, just as Jesus broke through the power of death and set us free!
As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?” l
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [10]
We hold the keys to get out of our shells and into the world! We can certainly find ways to do that which are different from the ways we’ve done it before. We live in a time when our bodies staying home can’t keep us from going anywhere on the planet! We can reach out by mail, by phone, by radio, by television and cable, through podcasts, online videos, drive in and drive by learning, and even by waving and smiling from a distance!
The Enemy has tried to convince us that we need to stay in our caves, but Jesus has shown us that we have the power to get out, if we will use it. Not by doing what we’ve always done. Not by ignoring our health or the concerns of our neighbors, but by being willing to reach out in new ways, trying new things, and finding new methods of sharing the good news that Jesus has come and he has shown us that we can be free from the cave of death we are all trapped in until we learn the truth!
The Gates of Hell don’t belong to the enemy! They belong to God and it’s our job to redeem them and free any captives held there.
If you’re with me, let me hear an amen!
Close in prayer.
[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Mk 8:27–30). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 16:13–14). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[3] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 16:15–16). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[4] The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 1:42). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[5] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 16:17–18). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[6] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 16:19). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[7] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 4:19). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[8] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 5:13–16). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[9] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 10:7–8). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[10] The New International Version. (2011). (1 Co 15:55–57). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.