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. 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.” – Comment: Peter having made his bold declaration yesterday to Jesus “You are the Christ.”, really didn’t understand why Jesus had come as a perfect Man. Sure His teaching was the best that the world has ever heard, His miracles were so meaningful and curative, He exampled what people should be like – but He came to die for sinners! Jesus said to Peter ‘You are at this point being a mouthpiece for Satan, step to the back!’
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.” – Comment: Jesus using the word ‘cross’ (maybe indicating the way that He before had used the words ‘to be killed’ puts the responsibility on His followers to see the cost of following Him! For some of them following Him would be costly. All save one of the Apostles, would be killed, several crucified, as their final experience before Eternity! Nevertheless I think the second meaning of the word ‘cross’ as it applies to most of His followers refers to the manner which we treat our calling and our responsibility to obedience and call to service. In the book of Proverbs Solomon is keen on the word ‘sluggard’. Jesus is here speaking about spiritual sluggards of whom, sadly, there are many!
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” – Comment: This leads into an entirely different subject, although as written in the red-letter Bible in ESV it is recorded as part of the same speech recorded above. As we move into tomorrow maybe do a little thinking as to why Jesus switched from ‘afterlife judgement’ to people who were standing listening as He spoke who would “not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” Tomorrow we get the answer!
Proverbs 6:9-11 – “How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.”
Prayer: Help me to understand what becoming Your forgiven child actually means as to my responsibility!
As I read it! 