Downtown Community Church

What would you have to do for Jesus to call you Satan? When Jesus rebuked Peter in this way, Peter was doing what he genuinely thought was right. In Matthew 16, after a series of miracles and ministry, Jesus asks the disciples who they say he is. When Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God (v. 16), Jesus blesses him and says that on that rock He will build His church. There is no more important question for us to answer than, “Who do you say Jesus is?” Peter finally gets this one right, only to soon become overzealous and get reprimanded by Jesus. As Jesus is telling them how he must die and resurrect, Peter rebukes Jesus and says that he should never die! In Peter’s mind, Jesus being the true Son of God is completely incompatible with him becoming a suffering servant who would die. While this seems very reasonable for Peter, Jesus says to him “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” We face this prob