Matthew 16.1-17.8
Sometimes it's really good to take a close and detailed look at just one verse. You can really learn a lot as you dig down into the verse, removing layer after layer. But then again, sometimes it's good to look at a large section of the Word to see the themes that flow through it. What's not good is to do just one and not the other. So, today we're going to take a look at our very large text of a couple dozen verses. As we do, we're going to see how Jesus interacted with the Twelve. We're going to take a particular look at Peter in this context. It is my hope that what we find will be encouraging as well as challenging. So, let's work our way through the text and see what we'll find.
Having had another disagreeable conversation with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus turns to His disciples to warn them. 'Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' And having heard what Jesus has said, what do they think about? Someone forgot to bring enough bread! They were completely lost when Jesus uses the simple imagery of leaven. Jesus sees this and responds. 'O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?' I think that it's fair to say that He didn't say this in a calm monotone. He was annoyed. 'Don't you guys get it yet?' And then He repeats His warning. 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' That's when they got it. They're a little slow on the uptake, but they do get it eventually.
On to the next vignette. Jesus asks, 'Who do men say that I am?' The disciples offer up some of the popular options. Then Jesus asks another question. 'But who do you say that I am?' It's here that Peter steps forward. 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,' and Jesus commends him. And then comes the famous quote, 'And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.' He then gives to Peter authority in His Church, symbolized by the imagery of keys. In all of this, Peter gets a 'Well done!' - that is until the next scene.
In the next section Jesus talks about His coming trials, how He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes. Peter hears this and responds in a way that is very understandable, at least from one perspective. 'Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"' Peter is being a friend. And Jesus responds to this. You need to note what He doesn't say. He doesn't calmly say, 'Peter, I appreciate your concern, but I don't think you quite understand. Let me explain.' Nope. Rather, Jesus responds with another famous quote. 'Get behind Me!' Do you see what Jesus is saying by these words? 'Peter, you're an obstacle to my mission. Get out of My way!!' Obviously, I wasn't there, but I'm thinking that Jesus said this with quite a bit of heat. You'd think that this would be enough. After all, Peter was just trying to be a good friend. But, as you know, it wasn't enough. Jesus said something more. 'Get behind me, Satan!' This isn't just some throwaway comment. This is a big deal. Jesus knows about Satan. Remember, He has met Satan, face to face, back at the beginning of His ministry. And since that event He has seen in vivid colors the destruction that Satan has caused in the lives of so many. Think about the demons who tormented people, or the sinful lifestyles that some had been led into by Satan's charms, whether that's being a prostitute, a tax collector or a religious Pharisee. This isn't just a case of thoughtless name-calling. Satan was very real to Jesus. Words matter. And Jesus is always very careful with His words.
Now, let's think here. Imagine the situation. Put yourself into the picture. Jesus has just called Peter 'Satan'. Everyone freezes. Something big has just happened. Jesus has created a scene, and life has suddenly gotten very tense. Jesus' eyes are locked onto Peter's. Peter is stunned, reeling. He isn't quite sure what just happened, and he has no idea what to do next. He doesn't understand what's so bad about what he's said. Let's translate it. Jesus talks about going to Jerusalem and facing great suffering there. And Peter responds with, 'God forbid!' Why? Because he doesn't want Jesus to go to the cross. Does that sound like anyone familiar? The cross is the heart of Jesus' mission. Peter doesn't understand that. And so, unwittingly, he encourages the same idea that Satan was trying to get Jesus to agree to. 'Listen, Jesus. I can give You the nations. You can become Lord over all – without having to go to the cross. Just worship me and you can skip the cross.' And where would we be then? Peter was totally unaware of this. His problem was that his idea of friendship was too earthly-minded and not heavenly-minded enough. '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.' And then, Jesus takes this poignant moment to explain not only what His life is about, but also to explain what their lives are to be about. So, He talks about self-denial, self-crucifixion, losing your life to save it and the possibility of losing your soul because you chased after the world.
I have to say that I'm glad that I wasn't there to witness that explosive moment. I would have felt for poor Peter who just got slammed, and then I would have been looking for a hole to crawl into lest I do something similar. I'm pretty sure that when Jesus finished His comments about picking up a cross and following Him I wouldn't have gotten it. I'm also thinking that the Twelve, at that moment, were all like the kid who shows up at school without having done his homework, trying to hide behind an open book so that teacher doesn't call on him. He knows that if the teacher calls on him, whatever he says is going to sound real dumb. You homeschool kids don't know what that feels like. But your parents do. Ah, the joys of being one of Jesus twelve disciples.
The next section of our text recounts when Jesus goes up the mountain to meet with Moses and Elijah while His body is dramatically changed. He doesn't go alone. He takes some disciples, but only three: Peter, James, John. Jesus is transformed, Moses and Elijah appear and Peter opens his mouth. 'Uhh, Jesus what if I throw together a couple of leantos. You and your friends could be a little more comfy ...' Again, Peter doesn't get it. A leanto for Moses?!? Then the Father speaks from the cloud, and Peter and the other two are on their faces, overwhelmed with fear. Jesus comes to them, and with a gentle touch He reassures and comforts them. 'Rise and have no fear.' After which they return to the others.
We've just run through a pile of verses. What did we see? What themes or patterns did we encounter? I have several that I want to point out to you. First of all, it's pretty clear that Jesus has picked a bunch of losers to be His disciples. These guys are dense! They just don't get it, unless they are spoon-feed them – and even then you're not sure. So, why these guys? Remember, Jesus chose them! Why? I'm sure that He could have found some men with a little more on the ball, some education maybe, a little polish, people who could at least carry on a conversation without saying something dumb. He could have. But that would have meant choosing some Pharisees. So, why did Jesus choose these guys and then stick with them? The answer is quite simple. He chose them and stuck with them because they believed. Remember what Jesus said back at the beginning of our text. 'O you of little faith...' We focus on the 'little', and with good reason, but they did have faith. It was small, sometimes microscopic, but they did have faith – unlike the educated and polished Pharisees who carried on many conversations with Jesus. And so, here's a lesson to take home with you. More than anything else, Jesus wants faith in His disciples. And even if a disciple has only a little faith, Jesus will still keep him and work with him. Remember that these sorry losers changed the world, and they did that because of one simple reason: they believed Jesus. One great need in the Church today is people who believe Jesus and who believe Him for more than getting into heaven. The Church needs people who, because they believe Jesus, are able to move mountains, people who are ready and eager to change the world. And it will take faith to change this world. So, Jesus will even use losers as long as they believe. I'm thinking that for some of you that can be a very comforting thought. Some of you, shall we say, don't have a very high opinion of yourselves, particularly at certain times – like when you've discovered that you've sinned again – and all those disparaging thoughts flood your soul. Take heart. Jesus used these guys and He accomplished a lot. He can use you, too. At the same time, I'm think that this can also be a challenging thought. Nothing will change without faith. But nothing is impossible to him who believes. I'd like to see some mountains moved. How about you?
Here's another thought from what we've seen. Disciples do stupid things. It's a fact that we all just need to get used to. And I really do think that it's a helpful way to view sin: doing something stupid. And yet, that doesn't make Jesus change His mind about us. Face it. Peter blows it with his, 'Far be it from You, Lord' statement. He blows it royally. He doesn't understand what's going on and actually becomes an obstacle to Jesus' mission. If Jesus were like most folk, like some of your bosses, He'd take Peter aside and say something like, 'Peter, I don't think that this is the place for you. You're not helping the team to achieve its goals. We appreciate your hard work, but we're going to have to ask you to leave.' You know, nicely telling someone to get lost. But that's not Jesus. In fact, Peter isn't even demoted. What happens next? Jesus meets with Moses and Elijah. Jesus had only three go with Him – and He included Peter. It's as if Peter never said those stupid words. Jesus is committed to seeing Peter fulfill his role as leader. So, He keeps at it. And that's the same commitment that He had for the rest of the apostles. Jesus never dumps even one of them hoping to find a better replacement. He is committed to seeing each one prepared for his role. It worked, didn't it? The world was changed. Likewise, Jesus is committed to you. Each of you also has a role to play in changing the world. Jesus is molding you for that role by His Spirit. He won't give up on you. I find that very encouraging. Do you know why? You have no idea how many stupid I can be. The only reason I'm still in the game is that Jesus is committed to seeing me flourish. He is committed to seeing me fulfill my role. So, once I repent of my foolishness, He's ready to pick up where we left off, as if nothing had happened. In our text, Jesus shows Himself committed to a bunch of losers who do stupid things. We fit in, no?
One more. This one might sound a little strange at first. Jesus can be rough. He can be rough when it comes to how He corrects us. How else would you describe His, 'Get behind Me, Satan'? And He can be rough when it comes to what He expects of us. Jesus demands [!] that we deny ourselves and that we prepare to crucify our dreams and desires. Having that happen in your life, watching as some long-held dream fades right before your eyes, is hard. Jesus can be rough. Tradition has it that all of the Apostles, except John, died a violent death for the sake of the Gospel. That's Jesus being rough. Jesus is demanding, and He is rough at times. But He acts like this because He knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is the way to life. 'For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.' Life – real life – can only be found by following Jesus with a single-minded devotion, a pure devotion. Getting to that point is hard. Jesus has to be rough with us. But it's worth it, of course. It's worth it now, and it's worth it later. 'For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.'
There's lots more here, but we'll stop with this. I'm sure that I've given you something to meditate on. And I hope that you do exactly that.
Sometimes it's really good to take a close and detailed look at just one verse. You can really learn a lot as you dig down into the verse, removing layer after layer. But then again, sometimes it's good to look at a large section of the Word to see the themes that flow through it. What's not good is to do just one and not the other. So, today we're going to take a look at our very large text of a couple dozen verses. As we do, we're going to see how Jesus interacted with the Twelve. We're going to take a particular look at Peter in this context. It is my hope that what we find will be encouraging as well as challenging. So, let's work our way through the text and see what we'll find.
Having had another disagreeable conversation with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus turns to His disciples to warn them. 'Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' And having heard what Jesus has said, what do they think about? Someone forgot to bring enough bread! They were completely lost when Jesus uses the simple imagery of leaven. Jesus sees this and responds. 'O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?' I think that it's fair to say that He didn't say this in a calm monotone. He was annoyed. 'Don't you guys get it yet?' And then He repeats His warning. 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' That's when they got it. They're a little slow on the uptake, but they do get it eventually.
On to the next vignette. Jesus asks, 'Who do men say that I am?' The disciples offer up some of the popular options. Then Jesus asks another question. 'But who do you say that I am?' It's here that Peter steps forward. 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,' and Jesus commends him. And then comes the famous quote, 'And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.' He then gives to Peter authority in His Church, symbolized by the imagery of keys. In all of this, Peter gets a 'Well done!' - that is until the next scene.
In the next section Jesus talks about His coming trials, how He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes. Peter hears this and responds in a way that is very understandable, at least from one perspective. 'Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"' Peter is being a friend. And Jesus responds to this. You need to note what He doesn't say. He doesn't calmly say, 'Peter, I appreciate your concern, but I don't think you quite understand. Let me explain.' Nope. Rather, Jesus responds with another famous quote. 'Get behind Me!' Do you see what Jesus is saying by these words? 'Peter, you're an obstacle to my mission. Get out of My way!!' Obviously, I wasn't there, but I'm thinking that Jesus said this with quite a bit of heat. You'd think that this would be enough. After all, Peter was just trying to be a good friend. But, as you know, it wasn't enough. Jesus said something more. 'Get behind me, Satan!' This isn't just some throwaway comment. This is a big deal. Jesus knows about Satan. Remember, He has met Satan, face to face, back at the beginning of His ministry. And since that event He has seen in vivid colors the destruction that Satan has caused in the lives of so many. Think about the demons who tormented people, or the sinful lifestyles that some had been led into by Satan's charms, whether that's being a prostitute, a tax collector or a religious Pharisee. This isn't just a case of thoughtless name-calling. Satan was very real to Jesus. Words matter. And Jesus is always very careful with His words.
Now, let's think here. Imagine the situation. Put yourself into the picture. Jesus has just called Peter 'Satan'. Everyone freezes. Something big has just happened. Jesus has created a scene, and life has suddenly gotten very tense. Jesus' eyes are locked onto Peter's. Peter is stunned, reeling. He isn't quite sure what just happened, and he has no idea what to do next. He doesn't understand what's so bad about what he's said. Let's translate it. Jesus talks about going to Jerusalem and facing great suffering there. And Peter responds with, 'God forbid!' Why? Because he doesn't want Jesus to go to the cross. Does that sound like anyone familiar? The cross is the heart of Jesus' mission. Peter doesn't understand that. And so, unwittingly, he encourages the same idea that Satan was trying to get Jesus to agree to. 'Listen, Jesus. I can give You the nations. You can become Lord over all – without having to go to the cross. Just worship me and you can skip the cross.' And where would we be then? Peter was totally unaware of this. His problem was that his idea of friendship was too earthly-minded and not heavenly-minded enough. '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.' And then, Jesus takes this poignant moment to explain not only what His life is about, but also to explain what their lives are to be about. So, He talks about self-denial, self-crucifixion, losing your life to save it and the possibility of losing your soul because you chased after the world.
I have to say that I'm glad that I wasn't there to witness that explosive moment. I would have felt for poor Peter who just got slammed, and then I would have been looking for a hole to crawl into lest I do something similar. I'm pretty sure that when Jesus finished His comments about picking up a cross and following Him I wouldn't have gotten it. I'm also thinking that the Twelve, at that moment, were all like the kid who shows up at school without having done his homework, trying to hide behind an open book so that teacher doesn't call on him. He knows that if the teacher calls on him, whatever he says is going to sound real dumb. You homeschool kids don't know what that feels like. But your parents do. Ah, the joys of being one of Jesus twelve disciples.
The next section of our text recounts when Jesus goes up the mountain to meet with Moses and Elijah while His body is dramatically changed. He doesn't go alone. He takes some disciples, but only three: Peter, James, John. Jesus is transformed, Moses and Elijah appear and Peter opens his mouth. 'Uhh, Jesus what if I throw together a couple of leantos. You and your friends could be a little more comfy ...' Again, Peter doesn't get it. A leanto for Moses?!? Then the Father speaks from the cloud, and Peter and the other two are on their faces, overwhelmed with fear. Jesus comes to them, and with a gentle touch He reassures and comforts them. 'Rise and have no fear.' After which they return to the others.
We've just run through a pile of verses. What did we see? What themes or patterns did we encounter? I have several that I want to point out to you. First of all, it's pretty clear that Jesus has picked a bunch of losers to be His disciples. These guys are dense! They just don't get it, unless they are spoon-feed them – and even then you're not sure. So, why these guys? Remember, Jesus chose them! Why? I'm sure that He could have found some men with a little more on the ball, some education maybe, a little polish, people who could at least carry on a conversation without saying something dumb. He could have. But that would have meant choosing some Pharisees. So, why did Jesus choose these guys and then stick with them? The answer is quite simple. He chose them and stuck with them because they believed. Remember what Jesus said back at the beginning of our text. 'O you of little faith...' We focus on the 'little', and with good reason, but they did have faith. It was small, sometimes microscopic, but they did have faith – unlike the educated and polished Pharisees who carried on many conversations with Jesus. And so, here's a lesson to take home with you. More than anything else, Jesus wants faith in His disciples. And even if a disciple has only a little faith, Jesus will still keep him and work with him. Remember that these sorry losers changed the world, and they did that because of one simple reason: they believed Jesus. One great need in the Church today is people who believe Jesus and who believe Him for more than getting into heaven. The Church needs people who, because they believe Jesus, are able to move mountains, people who are ready and eager to change the world. And it will take faith to change this world. So, Jesus will even use losers as long as they believe. I'm thinking that for some of you that can be a very comforting thought. Some of you, shall we say, don't have a very high opinion of yourselves, particularly at certain times – like when you've discovered that you've sinned again – and all those disparaging thoughts flood your soul. Take heart. Jesus used these guys and He accomplished a lot. He can use you, too. At the same time, I'm think that this can also be a challenging thought. Nothing will change without faith. But nothing is impossible to him who believes. I'd like to see some mountains moved. How about you?
Here's another thought from what we've seen. Disciples do stupid things. It's a fact that we all just need to get used to. And I really do think that it's a helpful way to view sin: doing something stupid. And yet, that doesn't make Jesus change His mind about us. Face it. Peter blows it with his, 'Far be it from You, Lord' statement. He blows it royally. He doesn't understand what's going on and actually becomes an obstacle to Jesus' mission. If Jesus were like most folk, like some of your bosses, He'd take Peter aside and say something like, 'Peter, I don't think that this is the place for you. You're not helping the team to achieve its goals. We appreciate your hard work, but we're going to have to ask you to leave.' You know, nicely telling someone to get lost. But that's not Jesus. In fact, Peter isn't even demoted. What happens next? Jesus meets with Moses and Elijah. Jesus had only three go with Him – and He included Peter. It's as if Peter never said those stupid words. Jesus is committed to seeing Peter fulfill his role as leader. So, He keeps at it. And that's the same commitment that He had for the rest of the apostles. Jesus never dumps even one of them hoping to find a better replacement. He is committed to seeing each one prepared for his role. It worked, didn't it? The world was changed. Likewise, Jesus is committed to you. Each of you also has a role to play in changing the world. Jesus is molding you for that role by His Spirit. He won't give up on you. I find that very encouraging. Do you know why? You have no idea how many stupid I can be. The only reason I'm still in the game is that Jesus is committed to seeing me flourish. He is committed to seeing me fulfill my role. So, once I repent of my foolishness, He's ready to pick up where we left off, as if nothing had happened. In our text, Jesus shows Himself committed to a bunch of losers who do stupid things. We fit in, no?
One more. This one might sound a little strange at first. Jesus can be rough. He can be rough when it comes to how He corrects us. How else would you describe His, 'Get behind Me, Satan'? And He can be rough when it comes to what He expects of us. Jesus demands [!] that we deny ourselves and that we prepare to crucify our dreams and desires. Having that happen in your life, watching as some long-held dream fades right before your eyes, is hard. Jesus can be rough. Tradition has it that all of the Apostles, except John, died a violent death for the sake of the Gospel. That's Jesus being rough. Jesus is demanding, and He is rough at times. But He acts like this because He knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is the way to life. 'For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.' Life – real life – can only be found by following Jesus with a single-minded devotion, a pure devotion. Getting to that point is hard. Jesus has to be rough with us. But it's worth it, of course. It's worth it now, and it's worth it later. 'For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.'
There's lots more here, but we'll stop with this. I'm sure that I've given you something to meditate on. And I hope that you do exactly that.
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