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| Volume 25 Number 1 January 2023 |
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| Volume 25 Number 1 January 2023 |
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Robert Johnson
“Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men’” (Matthew 16:22-23 NKJV). During the ministry of Christ, expectations were high for the coming of the Messiah. Those expectations were wrapped up in political desires of a leader who would defeat the Romans and establish Israel as a dominant power again. He would take care of everyone’s needs, including dietary, protective, financial and everything else. You can imagine, then, the excitement of so many when Jesus healed the sick, fed the multitudes, cast out demons and raised the dead. Perhaps this idea was expressed best at the feeding of the 5,000, where John recorded the people as saying, “…This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14), and “Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:15).
So, when Jesus revealed to the apostles that being the Messiah meant “He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed” (Matthew 16:21), Peter responded vehemently that this would not happen. After all, it went against everything he and the Jews believed about what it meant for One to be the Messiah. He would never die, as He would always reign over His people. While that fit a materialistic view of life, it didn’t fit the will of God, as Jesus’ death was essential to fulfill the world’s greatest need, the forgiveness of sins (1 John 2:2). Peter’s views of the Messiah and Jesus’ work as the Messiah were diametrically opposed. Because of this, Jesus rightly said Peter was acting as Satan, rejecting the will of God and substituting His own in its place. It seems so contradictory he could confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16), and yet, he could so quickly reject the will of God as revealed in Christ for something entirely different.
One of the lessons we should take from this is how easy it is to say Jesus is the Son of God, but then place ourselves above Him by putting our desires above His. James described this when he wrote, “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Paul spoke to how serious this is when he told the congregations in Galatia, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Living in a society where truth is subservient to one’s desires, it’s easy to follow the same pattern the Jews did in the first century regarding Christ. He can be one’s Messiah, as long as that fits with what are one’s feelings. However, the consequences of such are no different than what Peter received from the Lord in His rebuke. We play the role of Satan when we allow our desires to take precedence over the truth of the Gospel. Paul reminded the Corinthians, who tried to justify allowing the desires of the flesh to govern them, “Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body” (1 Corinthians 6:13). No amount of human reasoning can replace what God has said in His Word.
It must be both saddening to our Lord and an affront to Him, when He lived in submission to the will of the Father (Luke 22:42), for those who are His disciples to justify sinful conduct as acceptable. Immersion is optional for some but not for the Lord (Acts 2:38). Instrumental music in worship is rejected by the Lord but not by some (Ephesians 5:19). Assembling with the saints is not to be forsaken (Hebrews 10:25), but if it’s inconvenient to do so, the assumption is that it’s okay with the Lord. We are to give as we’ve been prospered (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) but not to give is deemed acceptable as well. Serving the Lord is rejected for serving oneself (Ephesians 2:10). Other examples can be offered, but one wonders if Jesus were with us, whether He might respond to our reasoning as He did with Peter’s.
How do we know if our thoughts and our actions conform to the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5)? Ask yourself if the Word of God dwells in you richly (Colossians 3:16) and if you’re following the will of God. “Who will follow Jesus? Who will make reply, ‘I am on the Lord’s side, Master here am I.’ Who will follow Jesus? Who will make reply, ‘I am on the Lord’s side, Master here am I.’”
The Rains Will Come,
and the Winds Will Blow
Thomas Baxley
Jesus told a parable in which two men built houses. One built his house on a foundation of sand, whereas, the other built his house on a foundation of stone. The rain fell and winds blew against both houses. The house built on sand collapsed, while the house built on stone withstood the storm. Jesus said that if we hear His words but do not act upon them, then, we are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. However, if we hear His words and do them, then, we are like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The rains will come, and the winds will blow – regardless of where we build our house or how it looks. Therefore, let us be sure to build on the solid foundation of Jesus so that we may weather the storms of life.