From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:21-28, NRSV)
I love this passage of scripture. For the response of Jesus to Peter.
You see Peter thinks he has all of this figured out. Just before this Peter was commended for saying that Jesus was the Messiah the son of the living God. And he was correct, but here he steps over the line because he seems to think he has the plan figured out and he doesn’t. Jesus has to remind him of his place.
And so Peter says, “Jesus you will never go to Jerusalem and die!” And Jesus turns to Peter and says, “ὀπίσω μου”
These words are important for knowing who we are and where we should be. These words are also important to Peter because Jesus said them to him back in the beginning of the gospel of Matthew. When Jesus was walking on the Sea of Galilee, He saw 2 brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew and He said, “Follow me…” Follow me is actually ὀπίσω μου which is really get behind me.
You see, when we lose perspective we start to think our ways are the right way. Well if you are not following Jesus or behind Him, you might not see clearly.
So follow the plan and look at the back of Jesus’ head!
aSacredRebel 