In Matthew 16, Jesus talks about a hell of a shakedown. He proclaims a rock, His kingdom, His ekklesia, and the keys to lock and unlock as representatives of His government.

Some things are beyond human reasoning. They are mysteries and wonders that we can’t figure out with our mind, but we can sense them so strongly with our heart that we don’t need a rational explanation.

Jesus is such a mystery. How can He be ‘the Son of the living God” — God in the flesh? It’s beyond logical explanation. It can’t be proven by any human knowledge, abilities, wisdom, or debate.

Jesus said as much. He said that “flesh and blood” doesn’t reveal the truth about Him — that it only comes from direct revelation from God — a heart strangely warmed — a supernatural aha that changes a person for the rest of her or his life.

Jesus called direct revelation from God a rock. He said that He will build His ekklesia on that rock. (If you read an English Bible you will probably see the word church instead, but what the ancient Greek Bible says is ekklesia. Ekklesia was an ancient Greek governmental body, the city council of Greek city/states.)

Jesus declared that the gates of Hell won’t be able to stand against His governing body, His ekklesia. He then gives us the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” which is another name for His government.

Jesus not only calls His people His city council, He gives us the keys to His government. What do keys do? They lock and unlock, they bind and loose. Jesus declares that we, His governmental body, have the authority to lock and unlock thinks on earth and in heaven and to shake down the gates of Hell — the evil forces at work in the world.

Thus, Christ didn’t establish His ekklesia to entertain (or even to educate) Christians; but to shake down the gates of Hell.