Day 9 - Banias/Caesarea Philippi

This location is known in the ancient world as a cave where there was a temple to the Greek god, Pan. At this site many atrocities were committed, one of the worst being human sacrifice as a means to appease this false deity. 

That place was also referred to as the “Gates of Hell,” because it was thought to contain a gate to the underworld. It is so interesting that this region is where we find the story of the first open recognition by the disciples of Jesus’s divinity. Jesus asks His disciples who they thought He was. Peter steps forward and proclaims Him the Messiah. 

Jesus tells Peter that the Father revealed this to Him and that, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” 

Considering their location, this held a deeper meaning. Jesus would use Peter to build His church and nothing, not even that wicked perversion of that place, would be able to stand in the way of the coming kingdom He was ushering in. 

Nothing can prevail against God’s plan for his people. In this season, how can we use this assurance to live with boldness?