Upon this rock I will build my church

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

What is this rock?

Thayer's Greek Lexicon differentiates between "Peter" ("petros"): "a detached but large fragment" and "rock" ("petra"): "the massive living rock."

Peter was like a “large fragment” off of a “massive living rock”.

Jesus spoke of relationship here. Peter would be a partner with Jesus in building the church. As the bride of Christ, all of Christ’s body has a part in building the church.

1Corinthians 3:5-11 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

What is this “massive living rock”?

1Corinthians 10:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

This Rock is Christ.

Exodus 17:3-6 KJV - And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

When the people of Israel thirsted for water, God gave them water out of the rock. God had told Moses he was to smite the rock. He told Moses to take “thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river.”

What was God talking about?

Before God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, God told Moses to go to Pharaoh. Moses told Pharaoh,

Exodus 7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

Exodus 7:20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

When God told Moses to take the rod that he had smote the river with, God was making a connection between when Moses would strike the rock to bring forth water and when Moses struck the river. Because this connection was made, when Moses struck the rock and the water came forth, there was the remembrance of a river of blood.

The rock in the wilderness that was smitten was a type of Christ’s death on the cross. Out of Christ’s side there came blood and water.

John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

The smitten rock that water came out of with the remembrance of blood is also a type of water baptism. When we are baptized in water for remission of sins by the name of Jesus called over us, there is the remembrance of Jesus’ blood in the water.

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The second time Moses smote the rock, Moses was to speak to the rock for the waters to come forth.

Numbers 20:2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron…

Numbers 20:7-11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

Unlike the first time that God brought water out of the rock, Moses was to speak to the rock instead of smite it.

Instead, Moses got angry, calling the quarreling people “rebels” and asking them, “must we fetch you water out of this rock?”

Instead of acting in faith, Moses responded with the works of the flesh. He responded with anger, and spoke like he and Aaron were going to bring the water out of the rock, instead of God. Then, to top it off, Moses “lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice.”

Why did Moses smite the rock a total of three times?

Because the number “three” represents “peace.” Jesus’ death on the cross brought peace (reconciliation) between God and man.

Colossians 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

The first time God brought water out of the rock, it represented Christ being smitten on the cross. The second time God brought water out of the rock, it represented Christ pouring out his Spirit.

The Holy Ghost is compared to water.

John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast [the feast of tabernacles, commemorating their forty years in the wilderness] Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

The key to the water to flow is, “He that believeth on me.”

Moses and Aaron did not believe the LORD.

Numbers 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Instead of believing the LORD with FAITH that He would bring forth water by their speaking, in anger Moses smote the rock twice.

This is a type of the gift of the Holy Ghost, for it is by BELIEVING (faith) AND SPEAKING that we receive the Holy Ghost. We do not do works for the Holy Ghost, it is a gift from Jesus. When he spoke of receiving his Spirit he said, “Which they that believe on him should receive.”

We receive his Spirit by faith and trust in God. It is by speaking words of praise and worship that God fills us with his Spirit. Through complete trust in him, we allow God to control our tongue and speak in a language we do not know.

Just as God told Moses to “speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water,” we are to do the same to receive the Holy Ghost.

It is because Moses did not believe and have faith that he could not enter into the Promised Land.

Only those of FAITH, BELIEVING God, could enter into the land, which God had given them. Joshua and Caleb, the faithful witnesses that spied out the land, would enter, while Moses would not. It is by faith, not works, that we receive the promise of the Holy Ghost.

Receiving the Holy Ghost is like entering into the Promised Land. It is our promise.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Thus, the rock is more than a revelation that Jesus is God incarnate: the rock represents the smiting of Christ, out of whom pours water, blood, and Spirit. (1John 5:8). It is by the water, blood, and Spirit that the gates of hell cannot prevail! And it is upon Christ – His blood, water, and Spirit - the gospel - that His church is built.