He Knows Better

Intro:

Christ Came to Suffer and Conquer

Mark 8:31–32 ESV

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Son of Man - Jesus favorite title for himself. It combines the idea of a servant who will suffer and die for all people and the exalted Son of Man whose reign is everlasting (Here likely in the context of a servant)

Chief priests, Elders, Scribes - Jewish leaders at the time. Typically Sadducees who often opposed Jesus and his teachings. They made up the Sanhedrin who was the council that demanded Jesus’ death. 

Peter - One of the disciples. Had just confessed a few verses earlier in Mark 8:29

Mark 8:29 ESV

And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

Christ is speaking plainily about his required death and resurrection. Note that the text says he told them this planily which is the first time Christ does this. Previously, he would speak in metaphors which often confused the disciples or left them with minimal understanding.

John 2:19 ESV

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Throughout this point of the Gospel of Mark, the disciple’s faith is still growing from surface level following of miracles to faith in Christ as the Messiah, which Peter professes in Mark 8:29

Christ is the Suffering Servant described in Isaiah 53:3-6

Isaiah 53:3–6 ESV

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Good Intentions Can Still Oppose God's Purpose

Mark 8:32–33 ESV

And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Peter has now heard this and on behalf of the other disciples, he is rebuking Jesus for his claim that he must suffer, be rejected, and be killed but still rise again after three days

Jesus calls Peter Satan - Satan - σατανᾶ (satanā) meaning an adversary to God.

This term is very different than diabolos which is the greek for Satan that Jesus uses when addressing Satan himself. This term means devil or adversary

Peter is not demon-possessed but is thinking in a manner opposing God's plan for the salvation of people

When i first read this, Ifelt inclined to judge Peter but realized many times, we ourselves act just like Peter.

Peter here does not have the desire to oppose God. He is not the devil in the sense of being God’s opponent against salvation of the world. However, by opposing God’s plan, he is acting as an opponent to him

Peter isn’t confused about who Jesus is. Just a few verses earlier, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ.

The issue is not belief. The issue is expectation.

And this text forces us to ask a hard question: Do we want Jesus as He truly is or as we want Him to be?

St Augustine of Hippo, one of the early Church Fathers says this:

The first destruction of man, was the love of himself. Prefer to this God's will; learn to love yourself by not loving yourself.

That thing you have been wanting:

relationship

career guidance

financial help

Anything

Even if your desires in wanting those things are good, that doesn’t mean it aligns with God’s timing. And that is for good reason. His timing is beyond our understanding. It is key to wait for Christ’s timing to pass.

Isaiah 40:31 ESV

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

So be careful and await on God’s timing. When we obess on things according to our own timing and desires, we are just being like Peter and setting our mind on the things of man rather than that of God

Following Jesus Requires Continuous Surrender

Mark 8:34–38 ESV

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Jesus now gathers both the crowd surrounding him and all the disciples telling to that following him requires two things:

Deny ourselves

Taking up our cross and following him

When criminals carried their crosses, it showed those watching the identity of the one who had authority over the criminal. By denying ourselves and taking up our cross, we are acknowledging a submission to Jesus' authority.

Anyone desiring to save their own life will lose it b/c we are incapable of doing such a thing. But by losing our lives for Christ, it will be saved.

Gain the whole world and its riches in many forms is enticing to our flesh:

Polygamy

Drugs, alcohol

No accountability

All these things fade and obtaining them does us no good. Because doing so is giving up our soul.

Cite TobyMac song

Many people who don’t accept the Gospel of Christ do so because they want comfort in their sin. The generation we live in is one who is comfortable in their sin. Christ exposes sin and this generation is ashamed of him.

Many think they can live as they please but the Bible tells us on judgement day that we will receive one of two response from God: Matthew 7:23

Matthew 7:23 ESV

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Or

Matthew 25:21 ESV

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

How do we take up our cross and follow Jesus daily?

By being intenttional in our relationship with Christ through:

Daily Repentance

The Lord’s Prayer

Daily

Life of Fellowship

We must avoid living comfortably in a world that lives comfortably in sin. We must take up our cross and repent DAILY

St Augustine of Hippo:

Great is the world; but greater is He by whom the world was made. Fair is the world; but fairer is He by whom the world was made. Sweet is the world; but sweeter is He by whom the world was made. Evil is the world; and good is He by whom the world was made. 

Prayer