Mark 8: 31-37 New Living Translation 31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. 33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” 34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” A couple of days ago my wife and I interviewed a woman from our church that wants to officially be a member of our congregation. One of the questions asked of her was, What does it mean to be a christian? She said very simply and accurately a Christ follower.
In Jesus' day rabbis, who where Jewish teachers, had disciples and their disciples would literally follow their teacher everywhere he went and did what he did. They became a mirror of their master. After Jesus clearly told them what messiah meant, that He would die as the promised suffering servant and rise again on the third day, Peter instantly, "took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things." If we're honest there are times that we believe we know better and in some ways try to correct God as well. Jesus quickly and in front of the rest of the disciples corrected Peter letting Him know he was adopting the devil's ideas as his own when he told him, "“Get away from me, Satan!, You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s." Two times Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man in this passage. As Jews they should have known He was saying, the Son of Man is the One who was given the everlasting Kingdom as pictured and prophesied in the book of Daniel hundreds of years beforehand. Jesus came the first time as the Suffering Servant but He let them know clearly when He comes again it will not be in humility but in power, "when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." What a glorious day that will be. Live today in light of this truth knowing that no matter what we may be going through it will pale in comparison to the glory that will be. Who will you be led by today, your feelings which are subject to change or Jesus who is the same yesterday today and forever?
4 Comments
Alan cruz
11/12/2016 11:52:20 am
Thank you Miguel for the Devotional!
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Miguel Crespo
11/12/2016 01:56:19 pm
I think you meant verse 11. "For I know the plans I have for you..."
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Alan cruz
11/12/2016 05:46:40 pm
You know what I find interesting: From what you said I understand that God takes away and Gives. But he has a plan for it all. Even if we don't see it, we can believe and have good faith that His plans are made to prosper us!
Miguel Crespo
11/13/2016 12:01:02 am
Strange I wrote a reply some time ago but it didn't appear here.Here it goes again.
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