The Place of Suffering in Life
Text: Mark 8:27-38, Matthew 16:13-27, Luke 9:18-26
1 June 2014
THE PLACE OF SUFFERING IN LIFE
1. The suffering of the Lord Jesus envisaged
a) The Son of Man must suffer many things Mark 8:31
b) Rejected
i) By the elders
ii) Chief priests
iii) Scribes
c) Killed
2. The resurrection of Jesus predicted Mark 8:31
a) He will be resurrected
b) The resurrection will take place on the third day
THE RESPONSE OF PETER
1. Peter took Jesus aside to speak to Him privately Mark 8:32
2. He began to rebuke Jesus
3. Reasons
a) He could not bear the thought of Jesus suffering
b) He tries to dissuade Jesus from speaking about this further
c) His heart may be in the right place, but his understanding was seriously flawed
THE INTERFERENCE OF SATAN
1. Jesus saw the interference of Satan Mark 8:33
2. He turned around and addressed Peter and all the other disciples
3. Addressing Satan directly
a) Get behind Me, Satan!
b) He was interfering badly
5. Addressing Peter personally
a) You are not mindful of the things of God
b) But of the things of men
POEMS – Charles Tan
#47 WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?
“Who do men say that I am?” was the question Jesus raised,
What had the disciples heard as the multitudes they faced?
The answers showed that the multitudes had not understood Jesus much,
His miracles, His teachings, His perfect life seemed to have made little impact as such.
“But who do you say that I am?” Jesus turned to His disciples with this question,
Would they have been able to come up with a better answer in comparison?
Peter’s answer was straightforward and the words he uttered rang so true,
How could he have understood so well, when at other times, he did not seem to have a clue?
Jesus was delighted to hear what Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”
He smiled as He recognized the precious hand of His Father at work- He was indeed the LORD!
The disciples were like the blind man who saw men as trees walking; they needed a second touch,
The Father had revealed to Peter that Jesus was indeed His Son whom He loved so much.
The search for spiritual understanding and insight must be the quest of each child of God,
His heart must long to discover all he can about the Christ Jesus, his Master and his Lord.
Deep knowledge of God is possible only when the Spirit of wisdom and revelation opens our eyes,
The quest for spiritual comprehension is worth every effort we put in, yes, and every sacrifice!
Inspiration: Mark 8:27