There is an interesting record in the gospel of Matthew in the sixteenth chapter. To read the verse we are interested in, I would like to start in Verse 13 to read it in its context.
Matthew 16:13-20 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art 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 thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
A quick search of the scriptures for the words “key” or “keys” shows that neither word is not used again in relationship with Peter anywhere.
But there are two records in the life of Peter that are remarkably interesting considering what Jesus Christ said.
First, we must remember that a key is usually used in a lock as in a locked door. If the door is locked, a key is required to gain access to the area behind the door. Without the proper key, you are prohibited from entering.
The first record occurs on the day of Pentecost when the gift of holy spirit was given. This was the first time being born from above, having the gift of God aka the new birth was available.
Act 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
While Jesus Christ was still here on the earth, he had instructed his Apostles on what to look for and instructed them how to receive the gift. They followed his instructions exactly and then they spoke in tongues – the proof of the indwelling of the gift of holy spirit, the new birth, and it witnessed that they were born from above.
Now the people that were present had no idea what was going on. This was Pentecost, a great feast of the Jews. By the Old Testament law, they were required to attend, so they came to Jerusalem from all over the known world. They wanted to know what was going on here in the temple.
Peter stood up and began to explain what they had just seen or witnessed.
Act 2:14-21 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Peter proceeds to explain to them who Jesus Christ was. He told them that they, the people of Israel, had taken Jesus Christ and had him put to death. But on the 3rd day, God had raised him from the dead. And Peter explained that these men that had spoken in tongues were witnesses of his resurrection.
Then Peter told those attending and asking, that Jesus had received the gift of holy spirit from his Father, and that Jesus had given out that gift to the men they had heard.
Act 2:37-39 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
These people needed a key to unlock the kingdom of heaven, and Peter just happened to have a couple!
The key was to know and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and to make Jesus lord in your life as it says in Romans.
Romans 10:9, 10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
This is what they were to do. This is the key. Without the key, the door stays locked. With the key, you can enter and have eternal life!
One key down and one to go.
The second time Peter used his keys to the kingdom of heaven occurs in the 10th chapter of Acts.
Up until this time, the only people that had been able, or that knew how to enter the kingdom were Jews. Remember, on the day of Pentecost, Peter had said, “as many as the lord our God shall call?” Well, now, God was calling the gentiles.
Act 10:1-7 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;
Now the next day Peter was up on the housetop praying (They had flat roofs, or he might have fallen off!) while lunch was being prepared. He had a vison of which he later understood meant he was not to call the gentiles unclean. About that time, the men from Caesarea showed up and asked for Peter.
Act 10:19,20 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
Somewhere in the process of traveling and speaking, Peter realized that God was no respecter of persons. He began to teach these gentiles the information they needed in order to receive the gift of holy spirit like the people of Jerusalem had done on the day of Pentecost.
Act 10:44-46a While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God….
Peter had just used his second key and had unlocked the door to the new birth, the kingdom of heaven, for the gentiles. I am thankful for that as I am a gentile!
So, of the keys that Jesus gave him, one was used to unlock the kingdom of heaven for the Jews and the other key was used to unlock the kingdom of heaven for the gentiles. Wonderful! What a faithful man!
God did not give all His keys to Peter. He reserved some to be used at later dates.
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Revelation 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
It will be interesting to watch these keys being used, and we should have box seats for the event as we are seated in Christ at God’s own right hand.
Until then, “Come quickly, lord Jesus!”