He then began to teach them that
the Son of Man must suffer many things
and be rejected by the elders,
the chief priests and the teachers of the law,
and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
He spoke plainly about this,
and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
MARK 8:31-32
And so the time came, those momentous events that reconciled us back to God. In the course of a few hours, the tension between the religious rulers and Jesus that had been building for months climaxed in a real-time enactment of Isaiah 53, both tragic and glorious at the same time, as God made good on a promise made way back in the Garden.
Peter, however, had Jesus’ future all figured out for him, and this business of suffering and “being killed” and “raising from the dead” (whatever that might mean!) couldn’t be as grand as his own future plans for Jesus! Having been tempted in the wilderness, Peter’s rebuke probably felt very familiar to our Lord. In fact, the “get behind me Satan” comment by Jesus indicates that Peter was in truth serving rather effectively as a mouthpiece of the Evil One.
Fortunately, Peter failed and Jesus prevailed, for the plan of salvation went ahead as prophesied. This Good Friday and again on Easter Sunday, we will rehearse the wonders of what our Savior went through on our behalf to bring us restore what had been lost.
In just a few sentences Hebrews explains the plan.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. HEBREWS 2:14-18
Let’s approach this week wide-eyed. Let’s anticipate the sorrow and the joy and the exultation that are sure to come. Let’s be ready to be caught up in the glory. Let’s let this week transform us. See you Friday night at 6:30 p.m., when Kenny will expound on that was finished for us on the cross.
As you prepare your heart this passion week, the video below – produced here at Grace – will immerse you in the gospel of John’s version of Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion.
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