A New Path For Our Master

Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go off to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised the third day. 

And taking Him aside, Peter began to rebuke Him, saying, "God be gracious to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You!" 

But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block unto Me, because you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Mat 16:20-24.

A Sudden Change

Christ suspects what lies ahead of Him.  He knows it will not be easy but it has always been His desire to please His Father and that is one thing that He will not allow to change.  

The Jewish people envisioned their Messiah coming as a king who would rid Israel of the horrible curse of Roman oppression and so it was too early to tell the populace that their Messiah must first die a horrible death.  So He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ (the Messiah).

From that time Jesus began to show (perhaps to explain from the Old Testament prophets or maybe it just means to explain; that is, with an explicitness and frequency He had never observed before.) Jamieson, Fausset, Brown.

to His disciples (He was no longer ministering to the crowds; He was focusing on what the disciples needed to learn).

He informed them that He must go off to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes.  Till now the ridicule and the attempts on His life had been in small towns from people he probably knew.  Things were going to change; He will meet the high priest and other high synagogue officials in the capital city.

Not only will He suffer many things but He will be killed.  In our studies, we have run into such a scenario many times already.  If the religious leaders don't like what you preach there is a good chance they will arrange to have you killed.

He will be raised the third day.  Christ's death is not the end of His story, it is the beginning of the story of The Church!

Peter Rebukes Christ  

As a friend takes the hand of a friend and leads him aside for a private conversation so Peter taking Him aside began to rebuke Him, saying, "God be gracious to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You!"  There is just no way that God will let this happen to you.

Christ, however, did not think that this should be a private conversation so He turned and saw His disciples and in the presence of His disciples He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Mark 8:33.

  

There is no agreement as to how the word Satan, as it is used here, should be defined.   

1. Christ is rebuking Peter by calling him Satan.  These are the same words as He had addressed to the Tempter (Luk_4:8); for He felt in it a satanic lure, a whisper from hell, to move Him from His purpose to suffer. JFB.   Peter personified Satan.                                                                                   
2. it seems ... to mean the devil, who took the advantage of Peter's weakness and ignorance; and put him upon dissuading Christ from suffering, for the salvation of his people. Gill.  In this definition, Christ is not calling Peter Satan but He is speaking to the Devil who is using Peter's mouth to turn Christ from going to the cross.  Satan and his hordes well know what will happen if Christ dies on the cross and then comes back from the grave.  That will be the beginning of the end for them!                                           
3. Get thee behind me, Satan - The word “Satan” literally means “an adversary,” or one who opposes us in the accomplishment of our designs. Barnes.  According to this definition, it could even refer to a friend who is concerned about our welfare and is trying to dissuade us from doing what we know we must do.

you are not mindful of the things of God - That is, dost not relish, ... or, thou dost not understand or discern the things of God - thou art wholly taken up with the vain thought that my kingdom is of this world. Clarke.

At this point, Mark tells us that He (Christ) summoned the crowd together with His disciples. Mark 8:34.  Matthew records this story as though it pertains only to Christ and His disciples.  

We will follow Matthew's point of view. 

He said to them If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  This phrase is often used to convince people that they must lay everything at the feet of Jesus and follow Him no matter what.  That is always a pertinent message to Christians but we must be careful not to wrest this verse from the rest of the story.  

Christ said to His disciples, I am going to Jerusalem to suffer and I will die on a cross, like a criminal.  If anyone of you desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross (figuratively), and follow Me.  Here is your chance to turn back from being my disciple, think it through carefully and act according to your decision.

All of His disciples, including Judas, decided to go to Jerusalem with their master.  This was distinctly a decision to follow Christ "to the death" if it needed to be so.