The objective of this lesson: to form helpful insights into the mindset of the confident Peter who rebuked Jesus.

The measure of a person's greatness often is not measured by how he/she handles failure, but how he/she handles success. It is fairly simple to acknowledge your limitations when you fail (you are vividly reminded of your limitations frequently by the consequences of your failure). It is much more challenging to admit to yourself your limitations when you are successful. It is simple to think we are insightful in every way when our insightfulness in one matter is confirmed by someone we respect.

It is easy for confidence created by one successful insight to become overconfidence in situations we know little or nothing about. It is too easy for one success to encourage us (a) not to listen and (b) to stop learning.

No person is perfect--not me, not you, not anyone else! Blessed is the person who sees accurately human limitations, for this person will prevent himself/herself from being ridiculous. These people will not open their mouth before an audience as the audience watches them insert their foot in their mouth. They will not pretend to be an authority on that which they know too little about. If not careful, they will embarrass themselves and never know it.

While we must not be controlled by our imperfections, we must never stop acknowledging our imperfections to ourselves. We must never stop understanding our limitations exist and our flaws are real. That awareness is important to a self-knowing of "who I am and what I would be without the grace of God." A part of genuine humility is always knowing who you are and what you are capable of doing/being if left only to yourself.

Peter had confirmed to him by Jesus himself that he correctly understood that Jesus was the Christ (God's promised Messiah), the living God's son. That was a huge confirmation by the most important person who ever lived! In Jewish society, nothing was bigger than correctly recognizing the Messiah! To have the confirmation affirmed by the Messiah himself was heady stuff! Peter correctly had revealed what no one else understood.

The fact that Jesus confirmed Peter's revelation and insight was huge to Peter! That confirmation to Peter was the equivalent of having an expert we admire (beyond explanation) confirm our understanding/insight. To have God's Messiah confirm your insight as correct was as big as it got in first-century Jewish society.

When a person is correct in one matter, it is easy for him/her to assume he/she is correct in all matters. Peter assumed his insights and understandings were unique, special. He assumed because he understood who was the Messiah by God's revelation that he also understood (a) what route Jesus would take to being the Christ and (b) what Jesus becoming the Christ would mean for Peter in the future. Because Peter correctly knew one thing, he was confident that he knew everything.

It is easy to exaggerate our significance spiritually! It is easy to assume that because we have one fact correct that we have all facts correct. It was easy for Peter to conclude that because he understood that God sent Jesus to be the Messiah that he (Peter) understood everything God intended in the Messiah. He did not! (See, as an example, Acts 10:1-35). There were more "puzzle parts" for Peter to see and understand than the single "puzzle part" of Jesus' true identity. Do not conclude because you understand some things about God's will, you understand everything about God's will. Always be willing to understand more than you presently know.

From the time Peter correctly declared who Jesus was, Jesus began to declare (a) he had to go to Jerusalem, (b) he would suffer a lot in Jerusalem, and (c) the Jewish leadership would reject him. The end result was (1) he would be killed and (2) resurrected in three days. Jesus would not "turn loose" of that message! Jesus did not preach it publicly yet--he just kept telling the 12. What a discouraging thing for Jesus' most devoted friends to hear! What a discouraging message! What a ridiculous thing for the Messiah to say about his future! After all, what did that message mean for the 12's future? They were making a huge investment in Jesus and his future. Was what they had to look forward to no more than his rejection and death?

The message that Jesus gave the 12 was NOT the message Peter expected from the Messiah. Beware lest you let your expectations form your grasp of God's will. Beware of allowing your expectations to limit God's will. Peter's expectations did not include the physical death and the resurrection of Jesus.

This could not continue! Something had to be done! Someone had to stop this! First, it would not happen. Second, those who were the most loyal to Jesus would be discouraged. Who better to end this message than the man who by God's revelation understood Jesus was the Christ. Who was better suited to end Jesus' message than the man Jesus said correctly understood who Jesus was? Peter saw himself as having the courage to do the necessary, so Peter took action.

Peter decided someone had to do something if God's will was to be achieved in Jesus (does that sound like some people today?). Peter decided that Jesus the Messiah would ruin God's work in the Messiah. Peter used his expectations and the long-standing expectations of Jewish society to determine God's intent. Peter's conclusion: it was his responsibility to rescue the situation by changing Jesus, not Jesus' responsibility to change Peter's understanding.

What did Peter do? First, he took Jesus aside. Peter did not want to make a bad situation worse. In Peter's estimation, the other 11 had been discouraged enough by Jesus' "inaccurate" message. They did not need to see Peter correcting Jesus. His objective was to build Jesus' image, not to tear it down further. Jesus was the Messiah. He needed to start acting and talking like the Messiah. Peter was not the Messiah, and had no desire to replace Jesus. He was just going to "help" Jesus start sounding like the Christ.

Focus the students' attention on the fact that Peter was so confident in his understanding that he dared to rebuke Jesus.

Second, Peter began to rebuke Jesus. "Jesus, this is a ridiculous message! Do you not realize what you are doing? Do you not realize how this message is affecting us? What you are saying to us will never happen! You are the Messiah--start sounding like the Messiah!"

Peter's problem: He was more focused on Peter's desire than he was on God's intent.

We had better understand God's purposes before we criticize God's methods! We know Jesus was the Messiah. We, because we can look back, know Jesus being the Christ included his death and his resurrection. We, because we can look back, understand how his death and his resurrection were (are) the core and essence of Jesus becoming and being Lord. Yet, Peter could not look back. That was not what Peter nor the Jewish people expected of God's promised Messiah. The Messiah was supposed to be a king! The Messiah was supposed to reign over a territory! The Messiah was supposed to get rid of the Jews' enemies! The 12 were supposed to be his privileged advisors! For Jesus to be Messiah, he had to meet expectations! He had to be Christ the way they envisioned! So Peter "the wise" dared to confront Jesus "the ridiculous." However, now we know Peter was the ridiculous, and Jesus understood clearly God's purposes.

It is easy for us to forget what an enormous advantage we can have by being able to look back over a long period of time. However, we also have Peter's problem: we often assume our expectations and God's intent are identical.

Jesus now called Peter Satan! Peter went from "revealed to you by the Father" to "Satan!" What a huge comedown! Instead of being blessed for insight, Peter is declared Jesus' stumbling block (the bait stick in a trap). He is told he is concerned about a human perspective, not a divine perspective. The man who thought he had all the answers had no answers!

Peter went from spiritual top to spiritual bottom quickly. He went from being Jesus' encourager to Jesus' discourager because his expectations made him self-centered. He literally went from being Jesus' encourager to Jesus' tempter. His focus became Peter, not Jesus. In trapping, a stick was used to lure the animal sought into the trap by using the scent of such animals. Peter was used by Satan to lure Jesus into the trap of rebellion against God's intent.

Jesus said (a) following him would involve humiliation and suffering, (b) eternal existence is more important than physical existence, and (c) the Messiah will examine people's deeds. What he told them would happen quite soon.

From a human perspective, victory did not include humiliation and physical pain. We still have difficulty understanding it is not who you are and the role you serve that determines your significance.

May Peter caution all of us not to assume we understand more than we know. Never allow your human expectations to be your spiritual enemy!

Our challenge: Do not react to Peter, but learn from Peter's mistake.

For Thought and Discussion

1. Often a person's greatness should not be measured by what? In those incidents, what should be used to measure his/her greatness?

   Often, greatness should not be measured by successes. In those cases, greatness should be measured by reactions to failures.

    

2. No person is what?

   No person is perfect.

    

3. What was the significance of Peter having his insight confirmed by Jesus?

   In Jewish society at that time, nothing was bigger than having the Messiah confirm you were correct in your understanding.

    

4. When we are correct in one matter, what does that NOT mean?

   It does NOT mean you correctly understand everything.

    

5. What three things did Jesus declare to the 12 after Peter's confession? What would be the end result?

   Jesus declared (a) he must go to Jerusalem, (b) suffer much in Jerusalem, (c) and be rejected by Jewish leadership. The end result would be he would be killed and resurrected in three days.

    

6. For what two reasons did something have to be done?

   First, it would not happen. Second, it discouraged the 12.

    

7. What two things did Peter do?

   He took Jesus aside and rebuked him.

    

8. What could Peter not do that we can do?

   Peter could not examine Jesus' past in the way we can.

    

9. What did Jesus call Peter? Peter went from what to what? Why?

   Jesus called Peter Satan. Peter went from the height of spiritual success to the bottom of spiritual failure.

    

10. What did Jesus say his disciples' should understand?

    (a) Following him would result in humiliation and suffering. (b) Eternal existence is more important than physical existence. (c) The Messiah will examine people's deeds.