Mark 8 - Get Behind Me Satan!


Jesus Predicts His Death

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
There are many important verses to talk about in Mark 8, but none more important than this one.  In one verse, Peter gets the million dollar question right in answering that Jesus is the "Messiah".  And then 4 verses later when Peter tries to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross Jesus says to him, "Get behind me Satan, you do not have in the things of God but man." 
I don't think Jesus is saying Peter is "Satan", but that Satan is using Peter as a tool. A few verses earlier God is using Peter as a messenger of the Good News, and now Peter is an obstructor of the true mission of the Messiah.  In Peter's defense he loved Jesus and was trying to protect him.  But, He still had in mind what men wanted Jesus to do not God's purpose for him.  
So how might we intepret this passage?  One might say you don't have to be demon possessed to be used by Satan. The word for Satan means adversary, obstructor, or accuser.  Satan opposes everything God wants for the world and especially his followers. The term Satan is used 18 times in the Old Testament, mainly in Job.  In the New Testament the same word in Greek is used 36 times, 18 of which are in the gospels. 
So Satan is real and not just an imaginary principle.  Satan has been around since the beginning of time when angels were made to worship their creator.  He resisted and became a dark angel opposed to anyone or anything that might worship God.  But it is important to remember that though Satan is real, we don't need to be afraid of him.  Why?  Because, "Greater is he who is in us than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4
So how can we avoid Peter's mistake?  Peter's mistake was that he had in mind the concerns of man versus the concerns of God.  I don't think having in mind the concerns of man is always obvious.  It may be a subtle shift in our thinking. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2, 
"10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes."  
One of Satan's schemes might be to create in us a heart of unforgiveness or judgment.  And in way this is related to Peter's fault.  He tried to get in the way of the cross.  And when we don't forgive someone or judge them excessively we get in the way of the cross.  So God has given us the knowledge that Jesus is the Messiah, lets make sure to keep our eyes on the cross so we can keep our eyes on the concerns of God and not man! 



  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more