Peter, One of the Chosen 12: Shaken by Jesus’s Rebuke

Let Us Pray

Our dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us ears to hear your Holy Word. We pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit to make these ancient words of Scripture relevant and near to each of us this day. Shine your holy light in our hearts so we may share it with others.In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

From the Gospel of Matthew 16:13–23

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[a] the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter,[b] and on this rock[c] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was[d] the Messiah.[e]

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance[f] to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

In this passage, Peter experiences a life-shaking defeat on the heels of one of the greatest statements of faith in history.

One minute Peter was being warmly affirmed by Jesus; the next, he was rebuked by Jesus.

This is Peter at his impulsive best, and it once again serves as a reminder to keep our eyes on our Lord and Savior, no matter what is going on around us.

Jesus asks his disciples who people were saying he was—there was a lot of buzz about this healing, miracle-producing, itinerant teacher, and the crowds had some ideas of their own, which revealed they did not fully grasp who Jesus was.

Jesus emphatically asks the disciples his question—he wants their thoughts.

And Peter’s confession is a complete and perfect answer: Jesus is the Messiah (Redeemer/Savior) and Son of the Living God.

Peter did not come to this conclusion by weighing an abundance of evidence—God had called Peter’s heart and revealed this truth to him.

This was a remarkable moment for Peter—an uneducated fisherman had just uttered the greatest theological statement in history.

But then we see a disappointing failure of Peter as Jesus next unfolds the eternal plan of God the Father—Peter was just not ready for that.

Jesus tells his disciples he must suffer, die, and be raised on the third day—it was imperative that all this happen to fulfill God’s plan of redemption for the world.

Peter was not able to hear this; he responded just as mistakenly to Jesus’s pronouncement of what must happen to him as Peter had correctly responded to Jesus’s first question about who Jesus was.

Peter took his eyes off of the Messiah—maybe he wanted to protect Jesus; he didn’t want him to suffer, but those were his presumptive thoughts and self-interest speaking.

What can we learn from Peter’s behavior in this Gospel passage when confronted with challenging situations in our lives, or doubt or lack of faith?

• Am I submitting to the will of God in this moment?

• Am I committed to following the leading of the Holy Spirit?

• What will motivate and compel my life—my interests or God’s?

Despite Peter’s blunder in this passage, the humbling and shattering corrective from Jesus was taken in the proper spirit. Peter got the message.

As they all moved closer to the cross with Jesus, Peter’s commitment to remain true to Christ at all costs only intensified.