How Do We Know If Our Plans Are God's Plans?

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

In the 16th chapter of Matthew, Peter goes from being the "A" student to being called "Satan".  When Jesus asked the disciples who he was, Peter said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  Jesus calls him "blessed" that God the Father had revealed this to him.  Then he calls him the "Rock" on which the church would be built.  And we know that the church has been built on the rock of Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah.  

But, in the passage above, Peter reveals why he did not fully understand what kind of Messiah Jesus would be.  When Jesus says, "He is going to Jerusalem to suffer many things", Peter tries to dissuade him from going saying, "No Lord this will never happen to you!"  Then Jesus says to Peter the words we never want to hear, "Get behind me Satan."  Is Jesus literally saying Peter is Satan? Is Peter demon possessed? No.  Jesus is saying that Peter is an obstacle to the Jesus' journey to the cross.  One of the meanings of the word "Satan" is obstructer, meaning the one who gets in the way.  Satan is also called the "Anti-Christ" because he is "against" Christ.  Peter is being used as a pawn of Satan by trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. Why?  Because Satan knows that when Jesus goes to the cross it will be all over for him.  Jesus will conquer sin, death the power of the devil forever.  This will not be the last time Peter will be tempted to deny Jesus as we will see later.  

Then, we learn where Peter went wrong.  He had in mind the things of men not God.  He was more concerned about how Jesus could forward his plans, versus knowing what Jesus' true plan was.  Jesus then says to Peter and the rest of the disciples, "Whoever would follow me must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him."  Just like Jesus would have to surrender his will in going to the cross, they too would have to surrender their plans to follow him.  

Peter learned a lesson that day.  His plans for Jesus were not in line with God's plans.  Though he got the right answer about who Jesus was, he did not know what that would mean for his life.  Many people confess Jesus as Lord and then continue to live by their plans, wishes, and desires.  They want Jesus to bless their plans, rather than listen to his.  

Where do you need to readjust your view of Jesus?  Where do you need to pick up your cross and follow him?  The passage promises us that whoever gives up their life will find it.  This is the great paradox. When we give up our life to Jesus we find it.