Mark 8:33
Jesus spoke these words to Peter, but he was speaking directly to the devil. Just like the curse against the serpent in Eden, both to the animal and to the devil behind the animal, Jesus speaks to Peter in the flesh, but Satan in the spirit. This is not to insinuate that Peter was demon-possessed, but rather that in this particular moment, he was being influenced of the devil.
Peter had just rebuked Jesus for saying that he was going to die and then rise again. He had no understanding as to the real reason that Jesus was on earth. He was not here to overthrow Rome and restore the Jewish state. He was here, however, to die as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. The cross was the apex of the mission of Jesus, and Peter rebuking the Lord for saying that He would die was the equivalent of denying the finished work of the cross. It bothered Jesus then, and it bothers Him now!
It was Satan who influenced Peter in this moment, for I believe that Satan was as scared of the cross happening as you and I would be if we knew that we were going to be on it. Many erroneously think that the cross was a victory for Satan, but there is ample evidence to show that he did not understand the import of what was happening at Calvary. Satan no doubt wanted Jesus silenced and stopped, but he also knew that one man would die for the sins of the whole world, and this was most likely that event.
Earlier, at the very beginning of the ministry of Jesus, Satan had offered Jesus the entire world if He would only bow down and worship him (Matthew 4:8,9). Jesus would get the entire world into His hands if He laid His life down on the cross, and He knew it. Certainly Satan must have had an idea of this as well, offering Jesus a chance to have it all without the price of the cross. Why would Satan do this unless he had a good idea about the power of the finished work?
Make no mistake, whether the devil knew what the cross was going to do when it happened or not, he certainly knows what the cross DID. It was the place of his great defeat; the crushing of his skull. When the Bible promised that Satan would bruise the heel of Jesus, it is not insinuating that Satan would have some amount of victory at the cross, for the word for bruise there in Hebrew is “lie in wait for”. Satan could do little more than grab at the heel of Jesus, while Jesus crushed his head on the cross.
Do not think that you are immune from turning your attention away from the power of the finished work just because you have heard it a time or two. There is a need for a constant viewing of Christ’s loveliness if we are to be free in His glorious liberty. Our head needs turned toward Him and His accomplishment, away from our wounds, and onto His. Peter has just declared that Christ was the Son of the living God, and had been commended for receiving this knowledge of the Lord, when he turns right around and rebukes the Lord. In one breath he speaks such beautiful words of our Lords loveliness, and in the next, he is rebuking and being rebuked by the Lord. Be on guard that the finished work stays lovely in your eyes.
Go forth in the righteousness of Christ that defines who you are; careful to keep the beautiful finished work ever more beautiful in your sights.
Jesus spoke these words to Peter, but he was speaking directly to the devil. Just like the curse against the serpent in Eden, both to the animal and to the devil behind the animal, Jesus speaks to Peter in the flesh, but Satan in the spirit. This is not to insinuate that Peter was demon-possessed, but rather that in this particular moment, he was being influenced of the devil.
Peter had just rebuked Jesus for saying that he was going to die and then rise again. He had no understanding as to the real reason that Jesus was on earth. He was not here to overthrow Rome and restore the Jewish state. He was here, however, to die as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. The cross was the apex of the mission of Jesus, and Peter rebuking the Lord for saying that He would die was the equivalent of denying the finished work of the cross. It bothered Jesus then, and it bothers Him now!
It was Satan who influenced Peter in this moment, for I believe that Satan was as scared of the cross happening as you and I would be if we knew that we were going to be on it. Many erroneously think that the cross was a victory for Satan, but there is ample evidence to show that he did not understand the import of what was happening at Calvary. Satan no doubt wanted Jesus silenced and stopped, but he also knew that one man would die for the sins of the whole world, and this was most likely that event.
Earlier, at the very beginning of the ministry of Jesus, Satan had offered Jesus the entire world if He would only bow down and worship him (Matthew 4:8,9). Jesus would get the entire world into His hands if He laid His life down on the cross, and He knew it. Certainly Satan must have had an idea of this as well, offering Jesus a chance to have it all without the price of the cross. Why would Satan do this unless he had a good idea about the power of the finished work?
Make no mistake, whether the devil knew what the cross was going to do when it happened or not, he certainly knows what the cross DID. It was the place of his great defeat; the crushing of his skull. When the Bible promised that Satan would bruise the heel of Jesus, it is not insinuating that Satan would have some amount of victory at the cross, for the word for bruise there in Hebrew is “lie in wait for”. Satan could do little more than grab at the heel of Jesus, while Jesus crushed his head on the cross.
Do not think that you are immune from turning your attention away from the power of the finished work just because you have heard it a time or two. There is a need for a constant viewing of Christ’s loveliness if we are to be free in His glorious liberty. Our head needs turned toward Him and His accomplishment, away from our wounds, and onto His. Peter has just declared that Christ was the Son of the living God, and had been commended for receiving this knowledge of the Lord, when he turns right around and rebukes the Lord. In one breath he speaks such beautiful words of our Lords loveliness, and in the next, he is rebuking and being rebuked by the Lord. Be on guard that the finished work stays lovely in your eyes.
Go forth in the righteousness of Christ that defines who you are; careful to keep the beautiful finished work ever more beautiful in your sights.
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