Peter's Rebuke

Last week = Peter's Confession

Today = Peter's rebuke!

Mark 8:27-30, 31-38 - 'began to teach them, must be rejected, must be killed.  Vs. 34 - must deny self, take up..., follow me!

Parallel accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke
Matt. 16:21-27

OBSERVATIONS

(1)  This is Peter's account!  (Mark is writing Peter's story, memoirs)
Peter hasn't hidden his failures!! - admission of sin and failure has to come before forgiveness can happen.

(2)  Peter is NOT Satan! 
this could be ... "you're acting like Satan!"  or "you're influenced by Satan"
OR, Jesus looking beyond Peter to who's behind him!
Compare:  Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28 - Satan standing behind the thrones of kings

(3)  "Suffer, die, rise" specific to all 3 accounts!
Because = are central to the gospel!!  1 Cor. 15:3-4 - can't take any one of these out.

(4)  (contrary to Peter's THEN view...) the Messiah suffering and dying does NOT obscure God's glory!
rather Manifests it!!!
World = "cross is man's foolishness"
Christian = "cross is God's glory!"
(will be evident to ALL at His return!)

(5)  Peter's rebuke that he received from Christ was NOT because he QUESTIONED Jesus, but because he CHALLENGED Him!!!
"why Lord?  I don't understand" vs. "NOT SO!!" = questioning God in humility and honesty is never a problem.

APPLICATION:

(1)  You can be devoted to Christ and still be far off base (in your thinking)  (ie:  concerning His will)
2 Cor. 4:5-7 "jars of clay" - because we are human and fallible.
Being confident that you are right does not mean you ARE right!!

(2)  Failure needn't be fatal
this wasn't Peter's last blunder!  example:  the denial!
BUT - he'll get up and go on!  Contrasted with Judas Iscariot, (who committed suicide)
We're all going to mess up, we're all jars of clay!!

(3)  Faith doesn't always understand God's message (method) but FAITH always accepts God's message (methods)
Example:  world = "not good reasoning!  Blind Faith!!
Christian = it is enlightened Faith!!
On one hand, we don't have all the answers.
However, we have enough answers to TRUST Him with the mysteries.

(4)  Jesus' challenge is NOT just "will you die for Him?"
                                 rather = "will you LIVE for Him?? = that's the real issue.
Hence... (1)  "deny 'self' - Christ on throne, self at foot
             (2)  "daily'!!  Luke 9:23

(5)  It may cost you a lot to follow Christ .. but you'll be amply rewarded!!
Matt. 16:27
Rom. 8:18

Closing Scripture:  1 Cor. 15:58