“Get Behind Me Satan”
When a Rock Falls
Matthew 16:23
“But He [Jesus] turned, and said unto Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”
Jesus called someone Satan!
Imagine with me what kind of a person someone would have to be, to be referred to as Satan. Really put into perspective what kind of a person someone would have to be for, Jesus, to reference them as Satan. Jesus, the very person who knows thoughts and knows hearts.
1 Samuel 16:7
“…for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
Same chapter, a few versus ahead…
Matthew 16:15-19
“He [Jesus] saith unto them, “But whom say ye that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. and Jesus answered and said unto him, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Wait a moment, isn’t that the same Peter that Jesus called Satan? Who is this Peter and what happened between verses 15 to 23 that has brought on such different interaction?
Peter was a man referred to by quite a few names, and each one had a meaning and purpose: Simon, Simon Peter, Simeon, and Cephas.
By trade, Peter and his brother Andrew, were fishermen. Matthew 4:18-20 accounts that Jesus was walking by the sea when He saw Peter and Andrew. Jesus said to them “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
They left their nets and followed Him. Luke 5:1-11 adds more to this story. We see here that Jesus was teaching many people who were coming close to hear His words. As the people pressed in, Jesus stepped into a boat. The scripture tells us it was Simon’s boat. After Jesus finished speaking, He asked Peter to “launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”
Peter tells Jesus that they had fished all night, but he obliged and when he did a “multitude of fish” filled the nets till they began to break. In response Peter fell to Jesus’s knees and exclaimed, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
The words that Peter proclaimed revealed where he puts his faith. He acknowledged that Jesus was not just a teacher or prophet, but Lord. Jesus, in response says “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” After returning the ship to land, Peter and Andrew forsook all, and followed Jesus.
Peter’s faith dictated his choice
Through out the scripture we see God commend people on their faith. Matthew 15: 28 “Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is they faith…” Luke 7:50 “…Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” Jude 20 “…building up yourselves on your most holy faith…
Our measure of faith matters, but what matters more is WHO our faith is in. Mark 11:22 “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Peter’s faith is where he excelled and his faith is also where he faltered.
Peter had the faith to recognize early on who Jesus was. Peter also had the faith to leave his livelihood, home, and even family behind to follow Jesus. Peter had the faith to believe and proclaim what the Father revealed to him about Jesus. Peter had the faith to step out on the sea to go to Jesus.
Peter faltered in faith as he heard Jesus speak of a plan that would bring harm to Jesus, whom he loved. Peter faltered in faith as he saw the waves crashing around his feet and surroundings caused his eyes to look away from Jesus. Peter faltered in faith as he sat defeated seeing his Lord hang on a tree and denied ever knowing or being associated with Jesus. Peter faltered in faith when he returned to the familiar, after all seemed lost and his Lord laid in a tomb.
The rock that Jesus claimed He would build His church on, sometimes hit rock bottom.
Matthew 16:18
“…Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…”
It was faith in God that realigned Peter to the truth of what his names claimed of him. Peter had to cling to that faith when his sight failed him. The difference between Peter the Rock and Peter being referenced as Satan is his eyes, his sight, his focus. When his eyes were focused on his circumstances he would begin to loose hope, but when his eyes were focused on God then his hope remained on God.
Matthew 13:16
“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”
In Matthew 16:21 Jesus is explaining to His disciples that He must die. Peter responds to Jesus saying “Never, Lord!…This shall never happen to you!.” In this moment Peter lost sight of the new thing Jesus was doing. Christ makes all things new.
Revelations 21:5
“He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Jesus was fulfilling the law and making a way for our worship to be something new. He said this very thing to a Samaritan woman that he met at a well.
John 4:19-26
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Jesus spoke to his disciples and followers about the new things He had come do to. His desire for them and for us is to have eyes that are focused on Him and ears that are focused on His words so that we might see and be apart of the new thing He is doing.
Like Peter, when our focus shifts our hope will falter, but when our eyes stay steadfast on Jesus our faith comes from the hope that His word will never fail.
Isaiah 43:19
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
