Rock and Vine

THE ROCK AND THE VINE

The Rock--Mt.16.13-20

    Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?"
    His disciples reported that people were saying that He was John the Baptist, some saying Jeremiah, and others saying He was one of the prophets.
    He asked His disciples who they thought He was.
    Simon Peter answered saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
    Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
    Context: They are talking about who people say Jesus is. Peter gives the revelation that He, Jesus, is the Son of the living God, and Jesus calls Simon Barjona by his name Peter (Jn.1.42), to illustrate a profound truth that Peter will never forget.
    Jesus calls him "Peter", the Greek word meaning "a small rock." Then Jesus says, upon this "rock" I will build my church. The word "rock" in the Greek is an entirely different word. This word means "mass of rock" or "huge rock".
    The conversation is about who people are saying who Jesus is. Jesus is teaching Peter that the triumphant church is built on the massive rock, Jesus, the Son of the Living God. But he is also showing Peter that he, Peter, is rock, too, who is of the same substance as Jesus Himself. He went on to say that Peter, representative of all believers, who are also living stones, is given the keys to the kingdom so that whatever they would bind or loose on earth, would be bound or loosed in heaven.
    The lesson is this: Believers are of the exact same substance as Jesus. His eternal God-life is actually living in us. Those who have this revelation and operate in it, cannot be stopped by the powers of hell, nor can the powers of hell have dominion over them.
    Peter never forgot that lesson. When he wrote a letter to the scattered believers years later, he referred to Jesus as the living stone and he referred to the believers, "you also as living stones." The revelation of the Rock was still fresh in Peter's mind (1Pet.2.4-8).
    We are of the same substance as Jesus, born of the same Word and Spirit as Him, having the same eternal life of God in us.
    Those who operate in this revelation are the triumphant church that rules over all the powers of hell.

The Vine--Jn.15.1-8

    Jesus and the disciples lived in an agricultural society. They were very familiar with farming practices and plants. I would imagine that as they walked past a vineyard, Jesus stopped and brought their attention to a grapevine, grasping and slightly holding up some of it's branches and it's fruit.
    There is one overall lesson that we can gain from this teaching: The same substance that makes up the Vine, is the same substance as the branches. The same life that is in the Vine, is the same life that is in the branches. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, through our faith in His Word, we are "in Christ". We are of the same substance and life of Christ.
    Jesus said that as we "abide" in Him, and His words "abide" in us, we can ask what we will and it shall be done unto us. In this way we bear much fruit, which, He said, brings glory to our Father God.

Summary
    In both of these illustrations, Jesus taught the common lesson: The believer is in the position to exercise unlimited power with the Father on earth and in heaven i.e. in the heavenly, spiritual realm. Such power is based on one thing: It is not based on how hard the believer can fight and struggle. Such power is based on the fact that all that Jesus is, is given to the believer who simply turns to Him to believe His Word--He comes in to live His life in them.
    Whew! When we truly grasp this, and allow our lives to be governed by this revelation, there is no limit to what we can accomplish in the name of Jesus to the glory of God here on earth, here and now.
    Total fulfillment in carrying out that which our loving Father designed for us from the beginning of time. You are talking fullness of joy because of the assurance of His life within. You are talking peace, when nothing is peaceful around you. His life within. Limitless life flowing in your very being. What good news in a sin sick world! Christ living in you!
    Believe His Word--be changed into His image. Enter the realm of the unlimited.
    The world is waiting for somebody to bring the living God to them in love and power. By simply taking God at His Word, abiding in Him, we can ask what we will, and it shall be done. This is what Jesus said and taught.
    Hell cannot stop us. There is no limit to the deliverance we can bring to people's lives in the name of Jesus to the glory of God the Father.
    Remember the Rock. Remember the Vine. All that He is, is who you are, as you take Him at His Word.

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