On The Rock I Will Build My Church
George Vanderbilt visited Asheville, North Carolina, for the first time in 1888. Vanderbilt bought 125,000 acres near the small town and built a 250-room mansion on the site. Construction of the Biltmore started in 1889 and took six years to complete. The finished home was opened on Christmas Eve 1895.
The mansion contains more than four acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces. Of the original 125,000 acres, the Biltmore estate now sits on 8,000 acres because George Vanderbilt sold a major amount of his land to the federal government for $5 an acre to create the Pisgah National Forest. Today, the Biltmore Estate is worth about $344 million.
Matthew 16 tells us about the “building” intentions of Jesus to His disciples. Peter confirmed that Jesus is “the Messiah, the son of the Living God.” (v. 16) In verse 18, Jesus declares, “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.”
Jesus and His disciples were by Mount Hermon and the Jordan River in the northern part of Israel. The area was pretty, but what the area was known for wasn’t pretty. The city had a history of pagan influence which included idolatrous activities of Syrians, Greeks and Romans. It was known for its dark, immoral worship. Here against this backdrop, Jesus decided to establish His church. The church of Jesus was unstoppable in a world filled with immorality and sin.
Jesus would build His church to stretch to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20). Revelations 5:9 tells us that Christ’s church would include every nation and ethnic group from around the globe. The cost of this building project was Jesus’ own blood on the cross (Acts 20:28). We are members of His “building” (Ephesians 2:21), and we have been purchased at a great price. We need to join Jesus in this great mission and be part of the Church that Jesus created.
Prayer – Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice. Enable me to celebrate You in my heart as well as with others in the family of faith. Amen.
Matthew 16:18 – “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Author: The Rev. Tommy Herndon
Photos: Courtesy of the Biltmore Estate
