Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Job 11-14
     New Testament Reading: Mark 8

Then he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke openly about this. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning around and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns” (Mark 8: 31-33).

Frustrated with His disciples, Jesus exclaimed, do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear? … Don’t you understand yet? (v18, 21). After seeing Him feed 5,000 people and then 4,000 on another occasion, the disciples were still worried about their next meal.

Yet despite their slowness to understand, the disciples grasped something important about Jesus. The multitudes saw Him as a reincarnation of Elijah or another prophet, or perhaps even John the Baptist. But Peter boldly pronounced that Jesus was the Messiah that was long predicted by the prophets.

Peter’s brightest moment barely precedes one of his worst. The very one who pronounced Jesus as the Messiah is being chastised by Jesus and identified with Satan. What transpires between these two scenes marks an important turning point in the story of Jesus’ life. From this moment on, Jesus makes a strategic turn, leaving Galilee to journey toward Jerusalem, where he will meet his fate. Jesus spoke plainly about the fact that He must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days (v31b).

This announcement stunned the disciples. If He was indeed the Messiah, as they had confessed, then why must He suffer many things? Peter and the other disciples could not comprehend a dying Messiah, they were looking for a king to deliver them from the bondage of Rome.

Peter may have grasped Jesus’ identity, but he has much to learn about Jesus’ mission. His protest was born out of his ignorance of God’s will and his deep love for his Lord. One minute, Peter was a rock, and the next, he was a stumbling block. Peter did not yet understand the relationship between suffering and glory. Thankfully, this is not the end of Peter’s story, for this is one lesson he not only learned for himself, but he encouraged countless others through the centuries with his writing. Rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when His glory is revealed (1Pet 4:13).

If Paul is the apostle of faith, Peter is the apostle of hope. God does not give up on people, as Peter’s life fully demonstrates. We have reason to hope, whatever our circumstances, even when facing suffering or death. The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. To Him be dominion forever. Amen (1Pet.5:10-11).