Tuesday: Peter as Satan
Read Matthew 16:21-23. Why is Jesus suddenly so tough on Peter?
Peter’s problem wasn’t that he was trying to protect Jesus. He was trying to steer Jesus. He was no longer following Jesus; he was telling Jesus to follow him.
Jesus said, “‘Get behind Me, Satan!’” (Matthew 16:23, NKJV) because, like Satan himself in the wilderness, Peter had become a threat to the mission of Christ.
Image © Darrel Tank from GoodSalt.com
Mark 8:33 notes that during this exchange, Jesus turned and looked at His disciples. He had come to save them. He was not going to be tempted otherwise, and certainly not by one of His own disciples, no matter how well-meaning that disciple thought he was.
As much as Simon Peter had grown in his walk, he was still trying to control things, including Jesus Himself. In this sense, Peter wasn’t all that different from another disciple, Judas, who tried to manage Jesus and to execute his own plans for what he thought a Messiah ought to be like. But, unlike Judas, Peter was deeply repentant and willing to be disciplined and forgiven.
Read Matthew 16:24-27. What does Jesus mean when He says, “‘For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it’” (Matthew 16:25, NKJV)?
We live in a culture that tells us to follow our dreams, to sacrifice everything for what we want. But Jesus tells us to do the opposite; He invites us to give up our dreams and entrust them to Him. Peter and the disciples were gradually learning what true faith is. True faith isn’t supposed to be the exciting experience of pursuing what you most want. True faith is the painful experience of releasingwhat you most want. When you let go of your dreams, you are “losing your life.” And at the same time, you are finding it.
| What are some things that you had to lose in order to follow Jesus? Maybe at the time they seemed so important, but looking back, how do they appear now? |
(22)
What I like about Matthew including this incident is that Jesus didn't just completely dismiss Peter from being a disciple because of it. He didn't dismiss him for denying Him either.
Later, Jesus even said He would pray for him and also commanded him to strengthen the brethren after he was converted.
This gives hope to followers of Jesus who are really not converted yet. They may go to church and listen to sermons but are not converted yet.
When they are, they will have a skill and an altruistic attitude to help others to be disciples and overcome.
I think we are in a continual state of being converted until every primary motivation is fully infiltrated by the motivation of the Holy Spirit. This is possible (that the Holy Spirit could be eventually invited into every pocket of selfishness in our life--enlightening our whole soul) with continual giving up our will to the motivation of His Spirit of Love such that we stop sinning in this life before Jesus comes. (In this state we will not need a mediator because we will not sin and need one; but we will need and have access to the Holy Spirit).
In fact we are told that Jesus will come when the Character of God has been completely reproduced in a His people.
Truly sanctification is a work of a lifetime, because of the two angels in us. Following the better angel and the Holy Spirit sanctifies our soul. Revelation 14:12 (KJV) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Are you or anyone aware of as of this moment, sinless? If so raise your hand. Point being I do not fit an affirmative answer. I need every opportunity for Repentance, and Forgiveness. Moment by moment,and without revisiting the day of Salvation.
I think that Enoch and Elijah are two of those that walked with God and stopped sinning on record in the Bible and entered heaven. After that we don't have people on record, but there could be others that reached the same kind of relationship with God as both Enoch and Elijah and at the end time we may find that there will be a whole a lot of people that are ready for translation when Jesus comes. Let's strive to be among that number by inviting God's Spirit to motivate us now in every issue.
For those that have what if comments and questions, some find them plausible , but also unsubstantial. The Apostle Paul has much to say about the struggles that we face on a moment by moment basis, as well as the help that is needed and available. The entire problem and solution that I see is found in Romans7:6-25,8:1, and has been repeatedly read. Application is now, not something hoped for in the future by our determination. Can we save ourselves through our efforts? No. Can we then lose our lives through our efforts? Yes. Maybe a little less complicated.
The simplicity of salvation "from" our sin lies in our choice of who will drive our will--not the choice of whether we will sin or not, but the choice of who will motivate our basic thoughts and feelings.
Making no choice brings us to a default choice of selfishness as the present motivator.
Making the choice to allow God's will to take precedence over our will allows the Spirit of God to give us a sinless action in the present issue.
This choice is about the only thing we can do in our salvation process, but we must do it or it won't get done.
God cannot choose for us who will motivate us. He has already chosen that His Spirit would motivate all His children. Continually "NOW" it is our choice.
Sinless?
Here is an SOP quote that gets very little attention in churches.
This is so because it is not very popular. A good discussion can follow when one asks an audience..."why?"
"Everyone who by faith obeys God's commandments, will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression." Maranatha
There are several victory verses in the new testament.
This is a verse on what conditions and when the saints will become sinless.
1 Peter 4:1 "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;"
Amen to all comments indeed!
I also wanted to just share the following quotes as an addition which relates well to the lessons we are learning here:
Powerful indeed Don! Here's an extract from Christ's object lessons which concurs with your comments and also relates well with the content of today's lesson:
The I do not see Peter telling Jesus to do anything. Matt.16:22, says, Peter took Jesus aside. Why do you think that was necessary? When someone wants to be alone and "confidential", that would be like taking someone aside. Like trusted close friends. A conversation today might be , (listen, you know me better than anyone else and I wouldn't steer you wrong, believe me). Then Jesus didn't mince words so to speak. It was unequivocal. Matt.16"23
True faith causes us to let go of the most desirable goals and to trust God with our lives by giving him 'us' so that he can fulfil his desire for us and in us- "father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.not my will but thy will be done."
Yes, the Faith of Jesus brought into our life as fruit of the Holy Spirit is able to give us Superhuman abilities to give up the motivation of selfishness and receive God's infinite Love to motivate us.
At times, I look at Peter and see a genuine Christian and not a grafted Christian. Being genuine is when you let go whatever you have held for long as true when it dawns to you that it was an error. When the word of God rebukes you and you humble yourself irrespective of class, status etc Christ always re-energises us. Unlike the grafted judas, when rebuke comes your way, rebellion takes charge leading to a fall out.
Amen! We all should also represent Jesus Christ and continue ministering Just like Peter did after Jesus ascended.
Judas' graft didn't "take" because he didn't accept God's will in place of his will.
The question for me is, "Will I accept God's will when my will is different than His"?
Reading this lesson has proven quite transforming. You see, Satan is not necessarily a specific person but Satan basically is someone who hinders you from doing what God created you for. Everyone on this earth has a reason for existence, what we call 'Raison d'etre'! The reason is to live according to God's will which can only be revealed to you if you accept Jesus as your rock! I want to lose my life in the service of Jesus Christ...give him all my dreams and live accordingly. My career and my purpose on earth are in His hands. Don't depend on people (Jeremiah 17:5). As we live kindly meditate on this verse (Psalms 143:10). Stay blessed brethren!
While reading this passage, my mind raced back to the story of Job. Chapter 2 of Job verses 9 and 10 it reads:
"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
But he said unto her, Thou speaketh as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." (KJV)
Here we obviously see that Satan is using Job's wife in order to get at Job (the same strategy that he used on Peter to get at Jesus). However, in response, Job says to his wife "you speak as one of the foolish women...". In Jesus' case He says, "Get behind me, Satan."
This was a bit hard to understand at first as Jesus here appears too harsh 'on Peter' than Job was to his wife.
But I guess the difference in Jesus' response to that of Job lies at the heart of who Jesus is. He is truly our Lord God and all-knowing (Omniscient).
Job didn't know what was befalling him and let alone that his wife was being used by the devil. In the case of our Omniscent Saviour, He knew that Satan was behind Peter's words.
This is why I conclude that Jesus was addressing Satan and not necessarily Peter (who was just the devil's instrument in this case).
And that brings me to my next point. No matter the case, we should never call one another, "Satan! or devil!' basing on Jesus' words to Peter. We cannot judge motive. Only God can. Our job, like that of Job is to fully trust God and in His Word whatever the case. Let it also be said of us as it was said of Job, " In all this, Job (i.e you and I) did not sin."
Well explained Allan Nyasulu. God bless you.
Could it be that Jesus identified the true attacker as Satan using Peter. Peter did not have his will completely surrendered to God, but Jesus saw the true enemy, Satan and then rebuked him.
"Peter as Satan", Peter was walked with Jesus. but he didn't knew what Jesus has came to do on the earth. Fortunately, Peter repented.
He tried to manage Jesus, to orient Jesus, but Jesus' fight was a spiritual one.
That's why he said in Mat.16:24-26"Anyone, desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me".
Peter was going to lose his life, because he tried to save Jesus.
My advice, if you're linked with Jesus, He will fight for you. The battle that we are facing is not ours. Let us deny ourselves and Jesus will fight for us.
In this life we have to careful of the voices we listen to. Satan uses people [friends and families] to give advice that are contrary to the will of God. We Have to put all our faith and trust in God. Let Him lead and show us the way! Let us remember our mission here. Do the will of Him who sent us!
In Matt. 16:15-16. The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "But who do you say That I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are "the Christ", "the Anointed One", and "You are the Messiah" who has come into the world, the Son of the Living God." I believe this is a personal question that all of us my answer everyday. As it has been said "Sanctification is a work of a life time." How we answer this question helps to look at Jesus Christ anew each day. (Matt.16:17-18) The Lord acknowledged Peter, by saying "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." I believe this where Peter lost his mind. What he had was the "Praise" the Lord was lording on him. By now he felt I have authority to lead my Lord by telling Him what to do.
Mrs White gave a further explanation of what was going on with Peter: SATAN BETWEEN PETER and CHRIST.- See what the Lord said to Peter……He said, “Get thee behind me Satan.” What was Satan doing? He came right up face to face with Peter and between the Lord and Peter, so that Peter even took it upon him to reprove the Lord. But the Lord came close to Peter and Satan was out put behind Christ. The Lord told Peter that Satan had desired him that he might sift him as wheat (LK 22:32), but He says, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” If Peter had learned the lesson he ought to have learned, if he had stood right with God at the time of his trial, he would have stood then. If he had not been indifferent to the lesson Christ taught, he would have never denied his Lord.” (MS 14, 1894).
Brothers and sisters, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ alone. Amen.
One thing I have noticed is that the devil is so cunning. He usually uses those people who are so close to us to stop what God Has put in us. It doesn’t necessarily mean that these people can now be named Satan. Here we see that the devil used Peter, the one who got a revelation from God about who Jesus is. Check also a good example given above about Job, the devil used his wife to get to him. The devil also used Judas who was one of the disciples of Jesus. We need to allow Jesus to be our rock because failure to do that we might end up being trapped by people who are closest to us. They will lead us astray so be careful of the advice that you get from people, even those who are in your circle can take you away from your faith. Be like Jesus stay focused and do the will of God.
Jesus' to Peter: "Get thee behind me Satan." Satan had interposed between Peter and his Master that Peter's heart might not be touched at the vision of Christ's humiliation. Satan was trying to separate him from his Redeemer. Jesus was saying to Satan "let me come face to face with him that I amy reveal to him the mystery of my love." (Desire of Agesp. 416.2) Satan was trying discourage Jesus through Peter and Peter in his blind love for Jesus was giving voice to the temptation. He was seeking to fix Peter's gaze upon the earthly glory so that he might not behold the cross to which Jesus wanted him to turn his eye.
Our life as Christians focuses to the cross. The devil knows his time is short. Peter didn't necessarily become the devil but he was used as a port to try diminish the work of Christ, Jesus being God knew his thoughts and rebuked him. The good news is Peter repents and is made aware of his sin, accepts it and follows the master. There is no way we can walk step by step with God, He tells us to follow Him meaning as followers we have to be hehind Him.
I think that following Jesus takes us directly to the Father as he taught us in the Lord's Prayer. In this we are motivated by the same Spirit that motivated the thoughts and feelings of Jesus.
This brings us the mind of the father as Jesus experienced. He said of Himself, "I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father has taught Me do I speak these things."(John 8:28)
Jesus is our example. We are told that we can do anything that He did by the same Spirit that motivated Him.
"True faith isn’t supposed to be the exciting experience of pursuing what you most want. True faith is the painful experience of releasing what you most want."
One time I prayed "God, with more money I can do more with the ministry, I can do this, that, etc". When I did not get the money, it got me pretty sad. It felt like maybe Im doing something wrong that made my prayer went unanswered. I prayed earnestly, and I planned to do something really useful with the money.
Having read this, maybe my plan its not the best plan after all...
God has a better plan for His work (its His work after all, not mine), I'll just have to stick with Him with or without money.
Yes, Zico, if you let Him be your employer, God will supply your work description and your necessities to perform this work-- as Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33
Zico, this is one of the first experiences of this type that has I have seen on this forum, and it is refreshing to see the type of prayer requests that are reasons to do what is wanted rather than what Gods will is. Is "Thy will be done", foremost in our minds? God knows. Sometimes We have serious problems that only God can remedy, and to whom else should our request be made known? Jesus said the Father knows our needs. Zico, most of us experience disappointment. That is a human frailty. Each of us have a measure of faith. Our experiences are built. from faith to faith. Romans 1:16.17. Matthew 6:8.
Thank you brethren (and sisteren) for your encouraging inputs. What a great lesson study! I am touched by Jesus' words to Peter; 'You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.' Jesus repeatedly challenges us to reprioritize and put God's will above all else in our lives. This is a daily challenge. May God help ud to daily rise to the challenge by living out Jesus' words; 'but let it not be according to my will, but thine'
In response to the question at the end if the lesson- I had to let go of some friends, some habits, a career that required work on the Sabbath, in order to improve my relationship with Jesus. I can clearly recall the pain of letting go. In hindsight, i realise that God enabled me to give up my will in favour of his.
Perhaps the following quote from the lesson sounds daunting to a young soul that has many big dreams;'True faith isn’t supposed to be the exciting experience of pursuing what you most want. True faith is the painful experience of releasing what you most want.' What a sobering truth.
When Phil 4:13 'I can do all things through Christ' refers not to my ambitions, but to God's purpose for my life. God supplies the strength we need to carry out his will and to let go of our preferences, that is, if we ask and trust Him to do this. When we allow Him to take over our ambitions and preferences, in the long run the outcone is ten times better than our own 'seemingly great' plans. I thank God for taking over the reins in my life, saving me from certain destruction. The man of wisdom, Solomon, captured the key thought fron today s lesson quite well in Prov 3:5-8.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
I believe when the Lord talks to us, do we pay attention?. Since we have the last chapter and know the outcome. Our study this quarter is not new but the gems we are mining are new to all of us. The Lord Jesus had a conversation in the gospel of Luke 22: 31-34: And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." 33But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death." 34 Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."
I found a quotation Mrs. White penned regarding this: Peter Tempted the devil- Luke 22: 31. “How true was the Savior’s friendship for Peter! How compassionate His warning! But the warning was resented. In self-sufficiency Peter declared confidently that he would never do what Christ had warned him against. “Lord, he said, “I am ready to go with thee to prison and to death.” His self-confidence proved his ruin. He tempted Satan to tempt him, and he fell under the arts of the wily foe. When Christ needed him most, he stood on the side of the enemy, and openly denied His Lord.” (MS 115, 1902). This last sentence is awaking call to all of us as we journey in this world.
Psalm 139:1-3. 1 "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways."
I hope I am not being hard on Peter, the 12 disciples had a problem with being inattentive to what the Lord saying to them. Peter was the outspoken of the 12. They did not listen because they were concerned as to who was going to be the greatest of the 12. This is my prayer to My Lord Jesus: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Ps. 51:10). Amen.
AMEN! This life will bring fulfillment, and joy. You will be working hand-in-hand with very God!
I look forward every Friday night after worship, the reading of each comment for the SSch Lesson. I know what the church teaches about these over the years. However, this year I've taken a new attitude in the study of my lesson and God's word. I love it in simple form, so I can relate it to others. That been said, I realized that in one given moment the Spirit of God can give a revelation but if we are not guarded the devil can also intervene. Was Peter converted when he got the revelation of Jesus? ... Jesus said to Peter when thou are converted... Also, Jesus said to Peter-Matt. 16:23"Get thee behind me," Satan:...was this a literal getting behind Jesus so Jesus could address Satan? And this the case to whom really is the comment for "for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men"? Just for clarification I believe and read the SOP but as stated before I need the HolySpirit to teach me in simplicity so that when I'm witnessing to others who knows nothing of SOP, non-christian or anti-SOP, I can show from the word, thus saith the Lord. I thank you all for being my study partners. Eagerly awaiting your response(s). God bless!
Nikki,
Regarding Peter's conversion, there are several things to keep in mind:
1) At every step of the way, our conversion is to deepen. I experienced a much deeper conversion about 10 years after my baptism, yet I cannot deny my experience with Jesus before that.
2) We need to be converted anew every day. Each day, we need to make a total surrender to Jesus.
When Jesus spoke to Peter, Peter had not yet come to the realization that even his best was marred with selfishness and sin. But Peter was nevertheless totally committed to Christ as far as he was able. I believe he had changed a great deal from what he was like before he met Jesus. When Jesus said, "When you are converted" I believe he was showing Peter that he still needed a deeper conversion. Peter experienced this after he saw the depth of his sin when he denied Christ.
Someone had alluded to Jesus reading minds-Jesus while on earth did not use His divinity- so how was this possible for Him to read minds? Or is it that the Spirit revealed to Him...? Eager to understand.