Matthew 68
(Chapter 16)
The hard truth
Matthew 16:21–23 (ESV)
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
The big reveal
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
· Because they now understand who He really is, He can start to reveal His true purpose
· All truths are not suitable for all people
o Jesus knew that if He would have told them early on in their walk together, they would not be able to handle it
· What a great example for us to follow
o He had to build a relationship with them
o He had to reveal who He was slowly, intently
o So that they could be prepared for the change and events that would happen
· We could learn a lesson from that as to how we approach people with the gospel
o Before we can affect real change in someone
o We must first build a relationship
o A foundation of trust, and small truths
The where, what, who’s and whys of it all (the Suffering)
The where: Jerusalem
· This was where all sacrifices happened
· And Jesus was no exception
· He would be sacrificed there as well
· But this would be the final sacrifice, the sacrifice for all humanity
The Who: elders and chief priests and scribes
· Those that should have been the most forward in owning and admiring Christ, were the most bitter in persecuting Him.
· It was strange that men of knowledge in the scripture, who professed to expect the Messiah’s coming, and pretended to have something sacred in their character, should use Him so viciously when He did come.
· It was the Roman power that condemned and crucified Christ, but He lays it at the door of the chief priests and scribes, who were the first movers.[1]
· They were the ones driving the bus, pushing the agenda, and manipulating the situation
· The need and love of power overwhelmed their sense of right and decency
The what: the suffering of it all
· And boy did He suffer
· He was humiliated
· He was accused
· Lied about
· His family, they denied who He was
· His friends offended Him, betrayed Him, and let Him down
· He was chased out of town
· Beaten
· Scourged
· The flesh torn from His body
· Eventually hung from a Roman Cross
· And died
The suffering of many things, if not unto death, is more tolerable; for while there is life, there is hope; and death, without such preambles, would be less terrible; so he must first suffer many things, and then be killed.[2]
The why: He will rise on the 3rd day!
· But there is a rainbow, a silver lining to all this
· The suffering and the cross of Jesus made the resurrection that much sweeter
· It allowed Jesus to understand us in our suffering
· Thus, we must look upon Christ’s suffering for us, trace in it the way to His glory; and thus, we must look upon our suffering for Christ, look through it to the awaiting reward. If we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him someday.[3]
So why did Jesus have to prophesy about His suffering, why Predict it?
· One, that it was no surprise
o That He knew in advance and was fully prepared for it
o That He and the Father were of one accord as to what He faced
· Two, To prepare His followers to be prepared for and expect to suffer
o That following Jesus is not an end to suffering, but just the beginning
o And to expect the same for us as was for Him
· Three, to prepare them, the disciples, for the horrors of what was about to happen
o So, they can prepare for the suffering and the grief that comes with it
o To be forewarned is to be forearmed
Peter gets offended
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
· I think he is speaking for the boys
o They take great offense to the idea of Jesus suffering and dying for any reason
· Maybe he was just a little cocky from the last conversation with Jesus
o After all, he was going to be the “ROCK” of the church
o Jesus just lifted him up
o And we all know sometimes it’s hard to stay humble after a big ego boost
o And remember your place and your lane
· He just calls Him the Son of the living God, then decides to give Him advice
o Colossal mistake
o When God’s decisions are either complicated or irritating, or just hard to understand, it suits us to silently submit to, and not advise about, His divine will; God knows what he has to do, without our advice or teaching.[4]
Romans 11:33–34 (NLT)
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?
And just like that, Peter is human again!
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
· Up to this point not one of his disciples has offended Jesus like this, or to this degree
· You can almost hear the anger and disappointment in His voice
· And see the scowl on His face as He says, “GET BEHIND ME SATAN!”
o He didn’t pause
o He didn’t hesitate
o He didn’t pray about it
o He just flipped right around on him and shut him down!
So why did Jesus take such an offense to something that seemed harmless, even kind
· Jesus say: You are a hindrance to me
· No matter the intent of Peter, Jesus saw it has a hindrance
· A roadblock to His mission
· His suffering was necessary
· It was needed
· The salvation of Man depended on it
· Whether Peter knows it or not, Jesus sees it as a work of Satan
o Satan wants to get in the way of our salvation at any cost
· So, we as well have to expect to meet with opposition along the way
o From the outside and within our own circle of influence
We worry more about the here and now and not later
· For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.
· “The things of God”
o His will and direction for our lives
o His glory
o What He wants for us all to be on mission
· “The things of Man” always get in the way
o Our wants
o Our desires
o Our reputation and wealth
o These all get in the way
· And Peter even though, in his heart, felt like he was doing the right thing
· Was hindering Jesus
· Suffering is a part of following
· He was sent on a mission
· He was fully aware of the suffering that needed to take place
· And was not going to let anyone, even with good intentions, get in the way
Satan is everywhere, at work for his own good!
· It is the subtlety of Satan, to send temptations to us by the unsuspected hands of our best and dearest friends. Accordingly, he assaulted Adam by Eve, Job by his wife, and here Christ by his beloved Peter.[5]
· We have to be careful what is said to us, as much if not more than who is saying it
o Could be a friend
o A spouse
o A pastor
o We are all human and able to be manipulated by Satan
· Anything or anyone that moves us off mission or comes between our relationship with Jesus has to be dealt with
· Whatever appears to be a temptation to sin must be resisted at all cost, and not negotiated with.[6]
[1] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1697). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[2] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1697). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[3] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1697). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[4] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1697). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[5] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1697). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[6] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (pp. 1697–1698). Peabody: Hendrickson.
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