THE KING’S BUSINESS
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to put it into words or action (cf. John 21: 7). “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” cried Peter. That confession had been made before (John 1:49; Matt. ^ 14:33, cf. John 6:69 A. V., R. V.) but the confession is now made with clearer con ception of its import. The confession here made is of the utmost practical importance (1 John 4:15; 5:1-5). It contains the most fundamental truth of the Gospel (Acts 9: A. 20). Our obtaining eternal life depends upon our believing it (John 20:31). Its denial is the supreme lie (1 John 2:22). Peter did not then realize all that his words ment. Do we realize all they mean? Sunday, March 7. Matt. 16:17-20. Our Lord was pleased with Peters’ con fession of Him, and He is similarly pleased when we confess Him in a like manner to day (Matt. 10:32, 33). This confession made weak Simon son of Jonah, Petros (i. e., a piece of rock). Our Lord said that this great truth to which Peter here gives utterance had not been taught him by man but directly revealed to him by the Heavenly Father. No one really knows Jesus as the Son of God unless God does reveal it to him (1 Cor. 2:14; 12:3). But God reveals it to anyone who wishes to know and do the truth (John 7:17; 16:13-15). The prac tical proof that we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God is found in 1 John 5 :5. Our Lord went on to say that upon this rock (Greek Petra), faith in which made Simon a Petros, (i. e., piece of fock) He would build His Church. Jesus Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone of the Church (Eph. 2:20; 1 Cor. 3 :11; Isa. 28:16), and all built upon Him become themselves living stones (1 Peter 2:5, 6 R. V.) through faith in Him, t h e R ock . The Gates of Hades should not prevail against the Church built upon Christ and faith in Him as the Son of God. Members of that Church may fall asleep but Hades will have no power over them; they will depart to be with Christ (Phil. 1:23) and others will arise to carry. on their work until Christ comes
Friday, March 5. Matt. 16:1-12.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, though ut terly diverse from one another in some re spects were alike in their unwillingness to believe on our Lord unless He would give some sign such as they themselves dictated. It was not enough that He had done the very works that their own Scriptures fore told the Messiah would do, made the dumb to speak and the lame to walk, and the blind to see: it was not enough that He spake words that were evidently God’s own words; there must be some “sign from heaven,” He must call down fire or do something of that kind. They thought that their demand for a sign arose from their thoughtful care for an exact and convinc ing proof. It really arose from their wicked and unbelieving hearts (.4 ). A sign should be given, but not such a sign as they de manded. That sign would be the all-con clusive one of His own resurrection from the dead. But when that sign was given they no more believed than they, did be fore. Plenty of signs had already been given to convince anyone who really loved the truth and wished to obey it. Saturday, March 6. Matt. 16:13-16. Jesus had been praying in seclusion (Luke 9:18). The time had come to tell the dis ciples of His approaching death, but as a preparation for this sad information, they must be brought to a distinct apprehension of His Deity. So He put to them the ques tion of verse 13, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” What men think and say of Christ is an all-important matter. But Jesus followed up His first question with one more personal, “But ye. Whom say ye that I am?” It is more important for each of us, whom we think and say Jesus is than whom men think .and say that He is. Our Lord wished them to put their conviction about Him into a confession with the mouth (Rom. 10:10). Peter answered for the company as usual. He was no quicker to see the truth than the rest but quicker
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