Peter was an interesting dude.
Jesus had taken the disciples to Caesarea Phillipi, which was a MAJOR den of iniquity. It’s where the Pan festival was held, and just about anything vile you could imagine took place there.
He and the disciples were standing there talking about sin and the Gates of Hades when Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?” After they answered with several options, He followed with, “Who do you say I am?” Peter, through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, answered Him perfectly. “You are the Messiah. The Son of the Living God.’
Moments later, Jesus was talking about how He was going to be betrayed and killed. Peter, no longer full of the Holy Spirit, rebuked Jesus. What kind of guts does it take to rebuke the very Son of God?!?!
Who knows what that looked like…
“Stop being negative, Jesus.”
“Don’t be such a worrier.”
“C’mon. You are scaring the young guys.”
“Keep those downer thoughts to yourself.”
I have no idea what he said that sparked an immediate and strong response from Jesus, but it did. After just telling Peter that his divine revelation was the rock on which the church would be built, He said, “Get behind me, Satan…”
Why?
Jesus finished his sentence with “…because your thinking is from a human perspective, not God’s.”
Wow.
How often do we fall into the trap of the enemy by thinking about things of men, rather than thinking about things of God?
I’ll answer first. Far too often.