Now Drink

31 “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Mark 8:31-33 ESV)

We should already understand that God's plan for the redemption of his human creation included the death and resurrection of the Son of God, who calls himself the Son of Man. People have a problem with this truth. Guys like Rob Bell and Bill Johnson, who teach a false gospel, deny the truth of this plan.

Many try to deny it because of the plan's implications, and in Mark 8, the truth is made clear by Christ himself. In verse 31, Jesus is telling the apostles what is about to happen to him. Jesus must be rejected and will suffer many things. The operative word in this verse is “must.” “Must” is a modal verb, it is a verb that means something is not optional but required. Jesus tells the apostles four things that must happen: not might, not will, but must. Jesus must (1) suffer many things, (2) be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, (3) be killed and murdered, (4) and, after three days, rise again. These things are not optional. They must happen for Christ to complete God’s plan successfully, and Jesus must be murdered and resurrected.

If these things “must” happen, then we know, as much as people will try to deny it, condemn it, and hide it, that God planned all of it. This is what glues the Gospel of Jesus Christ together, and as much as it is violently denied, it was done out of profound love, a love that surpasses all understanding and is the very essence of God's plan for redemption.

When we think of God planning and ordaining Jesus's death, many will revolt. However, we know that scripture is inerrant. So, we look at specific verses that must be fulfilled for Christ to save God’s human creation successfully. We understand they were ordained, and scripture must be fulfilled. God is not a soothsayer or a fortune teller; these things are not accidents. God planned them, and it was understood within the Trinity.

Jesus knew from Isaiah 53 that he must be led like a lamb to be slaughtered. Jesus knew he must be mocked and forsaken, Psalm 22. Jesus knew that he must be betrayed, Psalm 41, and that he must be spit on and struck, Isaiah 50. These things were not written by chance; it is not a coincidence; it was not staged. It was God's plan. Jesus “must” be killed and resurrected; Isaiah 53 says, “The will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”

But hearing this, Peter rebuked Jesus. In Peter’s mind, Jesus was the Son of God, and none of these things could happen; Jesus was the Messiah, and these things were impossible. Neither Peter nor the other apostles understood God’s plan. Jesus turned to face his apostles and rebuked Peter. Get behind me, Satan. The mind of the world is the mind of Satan, so in calling Peter Satan, he denoted Peter is thinking with the mind of the world, not of God. This is the gospel; it is how Jesus accomplished the world's salvation. This cannot be denied because the structure holds the gospel together. It is the foundation, the plan of God ordained before time. It is 100% proof that God is sovereign. Jesus was ordained to drink from the cup, and he obediently drank.

When Peter heard these words, we must remember that Satan heard them. As Jesus spoke to them, Satan shuddered because they reminded him that he was not in control. They reminded Satan that all his actions would work for God’s purpose and were necessary. They reminded Satan that he is subordinate, and his end must come out of necessity.

We, as Christians, must not think like the world. It is crucial to grasp the glory of God's sovereignty. Christ's birth, ministry, death, and resurrection are not just historical events, but they are the very proof of God’s sovereignty. From that, we can understand God's faithfulness, love, power, and wrath. In the world's mind, this appears evil. In the mind of the saved, it is our blessing.

Glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace!