Having An Eternal Perspective | A SOAP devotional, By Pastor Jamie

Matthew 16:21-28- From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. 22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. 28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

Jesus had just finished asking His disciples who they believed He was; that is, what is your confession about me. Peter boldly stepped up first to make his declaration: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus, in essence, said, "Wow, Peter, you nailed your answer. I'm going to build my church on the foundation of good confessions like you just made about me." In this very next scene, however, Jesus has to call Peter out for viewing His situation merely from a human point of view when Peter denies the need of Jesus to sacrificially suffer and die for us. Most versions tell us Jesus said, "Get behind me, Satan!" as Peter was inviting Jesus to entertain the temptation to choose another pathway other than the one ordained by His Father. Jesus then invites His disciples to consider the pathway He has and will model as the way to build their lives on a solid foundation.

I love holding these two snapshots of Peter like two sides of the same coin where in one instance he gets it so right, yet in the very next moment he gets it so wrong. Peter would deny even knowing Jesus after His arrest before the rooster crowed three times, but 50 days after Jesus' resurrection Peter was preaching a Pentecost message where 3000 people came to believe the Good News. Peter, which means "Rock," doesn't magically become rocklike overnight; rather he slowly lives into the identity of being the "Rock" Jesus declared him to be in connection with Him. This was his cross, his journey toward deeper discipleship. Each of us must carefully consider the cross Jesus invites us to take up for His glory and our eternal benefit. When have we settled for seeing things from a human point of view, even as Jesus has clearly called us up higher to view things from an eternal perspective?

Lord, thank You for Peter's powerful example of the ongoing challenge of becoming a better follower of Jesus. Give us Your wisdom and discernment to see all of life with Your eyes and an eternal perspective rather than settling for seeing things "merely from a human point of view." Amen.

 

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth." (Colossians 3:1-2),

 

Pastor Jamie

 

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