Having a sure foundation in life begins by having a personal revelation of who Jesus Christ is. In Matthew 16:13-18 we find a conversation between Jesus and his disciples that unveils a significant understanding of this. It was at a point in Jesus’ ministry when he had developed a reputation for himself. Jesus began by asking his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16:13). Some thought he was John the Baptist, others said Elijah or one of the prophets, while others were still trying to determine what to make of him.

Similarly, today there are many varying opinions of who Jesus is. There are those that see him only as a nice person that had high moral standards or a teacher who was wise and taught people how to live a righteous life. Although all of these qualities about Jesus are true, they are not the foundation of his being, and with them alone, we cannot obtain eternal security for our souls. They do nothing for the condition of the corrupt human heart or the weight and guilt of sin and condemnation in a person’s life.

Jesus then addressed the question more personally and asked them, “But what about you? … Who do you say I am?” (Mt 16:15). The answer to this question is the most important one you can answer rightly and believe in your own life. Because, it is not what your pastor, spouse, friend, or family member says about Jesus that will matter for your life, it is your response to this question that will determine whether or not your foundation in life will hold the test of time.

Simon Peter’s answer was, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16) and Jesus blessed him for it. Jesus’ disciples had been with him for quite some time now and yet they had not fully grasped who Jesus really was. That is why Jesus says to Simon, “this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven” (Mt 16:17). Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us who Jesus truly is. Such a revelation is not a matter of academia or intellect, but rather a doing of the Holy Spirit unveiling an eternal truth.

It is on this revelation that we are to build our lives, our families, our careers, and our communities. Jesus declared, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Mt 16:18). When making this declaration, Jesus and his disciples were in a city that was renowned for its pagan idolatry, and thus Jesus was proclaiming that he was God over all those false idols. Idolatry may look different nowadays and come in the form of a love of money, pleasures, prestige, and power, but nonetheless, Jesus’ words still contend with all of these unstable foundations of life as the only true bedrock to build your life on; the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

The church has endured throughout ages of hardship, persecution, famines, wars, plagues, and economic downfalls. Governments can be shaken, along with our finances and our relationships, and even the church. However, though shaken, the church will never crumble, and neither will a life founded on the solid rock of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 2:19-22, Paul describes Jesus as the “chief cornerstone” in whom we are all being built together. This means:

1. The chief cornerstone was the first stone that was laid before the edifice was erected. So likewise, we have to make Jesus the first priority in our life.

2. The chief cornerstone is the setting stone that determines the alignment, parameters, and standards of all the other blocks. It is the anchoring piece. This means Jesus has to be the standard for our life and we are to live according to his ways rather than ours.

3. The chief cornerstone is the weight bearing stone for the entire structure. Whatever is bearing down on us today, when we are founded on Jesus, we will be able to bear the weight.

We all have a foundation and we need to make sure it’s built on the truth. We cannot prevent storms and things that shake or rattle our lives from happening, but we can make sure to build on lives on the revelation of Jesus. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians church and our prayer for you is, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spiritof wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Eph 1:17).