Don't Say That

 

"And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him."

Mark 8:31-32

 

Imagine you are Peter. It is not that hard. People in the first century were not much different than we are today. They laughed and cried. They knew what it was like to feel proud and to feel humiliated. All the feelings and emotions you experienced Peter experienced. To identify with him or anyone in history can be easier than you think.

            Peter just answered an important question asked by his Master and Messiah. "Who do you say that I am." And Peter said, "You are the Christ." (V:29). That was the correct answer! You know Peter felt good about himself. Jesus said that God Himself told him that. Think about it, wouldn't you feel good if you were Peter? I would.

            No sooner does this happen than Jesus starts telling them that He is about to be betrayed and then killed. "Woo, woo, woo," Peter is thinking. "What is He saying? I Just said He was the Christ, and He is talking about dying. This doesn't seem right." So Peter in his newfound authority. After all, God did speak to him. He pulls Jesus aside and tells Him to stop this; He is bumming everybody out.

            So does Jesus tell Peter he is right and stops the negative talk? No, He said, "Get behind Me, Satan." (V:33). He called him Satan. Peter didn't see that coming. Here is Peter's mistake; it is the same mistake many of us make when we think that following Jesus will be all roses and rainbows. Being the Christ also means facing the cross.

            Like Peter, we think that the cross is a bad thing. Yes, it was a place of suffering and death, but it was also where our sins were washed away. The cross has set us free. And after the cross, the resurrection. Our Savior Jesus has conquered sin and death that we may have forgiveness and eternal life.

            Like Peter, we trust in Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Like Peter, we discover that the cross we feared was the beginning of great things. The truth had set Peter free, and we are free indeed.

 

You can learn more about Personal Development from the author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey. To get his books, training material, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website: www.growthcenter.net.    © 2022 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this material may be reprinted or published without the author's written permission.