OUR DAILY BREAD 9TH SEPTEMBER 2024 DEVOTIONAL, MONDAY ODB MESSAGE
Our Daily Bread 9th September 2024 Devotional TOPIC: Remaining in Jesus
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Matthew 16:13-19
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 6-7; 2 Corinthians 2
KEY VERSE: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. – Matthew 16:18
TODAY’S INSIGHT
How are we to interpret Jesus’ reference to “the gates of Hades” (Matthew 16:18)? The setting for Christ’s great question to Peter, “Who do you say I am?” (v. 15) is Caesarea Philippi, which lies at the southern base of Mount Hermon. The area in and around Caesarea Philippi had historically been known as Bashan, which scholars and the Scriptures connect to the worship of several false gods and to child sacrifice.
People commonly believed this region to be the entrance to the underworld—the place of the dead. Jesus knew that the phrase “the gates of Hades” would be understood as our great enemy—death. Christ’s statement is a declaration that He’s the Messiah who overcomes even death. Peter answered Jesus’ question by saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). Christ called Peter “blessed” for this response (v. 17).
OUR DAILY BREAD 9TH SEPTEMBER 2024 – ODB MESSAGE
A fire burned Balsora Baptist Church to the ground. As emergency workers and community members gathered after the blaze subsided, they were surprised to see a charred cross standing upright amidst the smoke and ashes in the air. A firefighter commented that the fire “took the structure, but not the cross. [This is a reminder] that the building was just that, a building. The church is the congregation.”
The church is not a building, but a community united by the cross of Christ—the One who died, was buried, and rose again. When Jesus lived on earth, He told Peter He’d build His worldwide church, and nothing would destroy it (Matthew 16:18). Jesus would gather believers from all over the globe into a group that would continue throughout time. This community would face intense difficulty, but they’d ultimately endure. God would dwell within them and sustain them (Ephesians 2:22).
When we struggle to establish local churches only to have them stagnate and sputter, when buildings are destroyed, or when we’re concerned about believers struggling in other parts of the world, we can remember that Jesus is alive, actively enabling God’s people to persevere. We’re part of the church He’s building today. He’s with us and for us. His cross remains.
REFLECT: In what ways might you support fellow believers? How does sharing the good news relate to God’s plan for the church?
PRAY: Dear God, please strengthen Your people everywhere. Fill them with wisdom, protect them, and help them stay faithful to You.
Our Daily Bread 9th September 2024 Devotional, Monday ODB Message. Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODB) is a Christian organization founded by Dr. Martin De Haan in 1938. It is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with over 600 employees. It produces several devotional publications, including Our Daily Bread. our daily bread devotional for today audio our daily bread booklet