Why did Jesus say, get behind me, Satan to Peter? I want you to understand that Peter was one of the three disciples who were close to Jesus. We have several incidents recorded throughout Scripture, including the Transfiguration, but not exclusive to it, where we find Peter, James and John with Jesus. And despite being close to Jesus, he gets rebuked by Jesus and with a statement so sharp and harsh–– Get behind me, Satan. And this calls for attention.

So let's study up and see what Jesus has to say. We read in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 16, Verse 21 to 23. Jesus is revealing to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, where he will suffer, and he will be killed, and he will rise again on the third day and God will glorify him. Now, the moment Peter hears that Jesus is going to suffer and be killed, he takes Jesus aside, and he tells the Lord, You are not going to Jerusalem.

You must not do this. Does Peter mean bad? No way. Peter loves the Lord and out of his great love, He tells Jesus, this cannot be; I am not going to sit here and watch you suffer and then be killed. I'm not going to let this happen and you are not going to do this. And that is when Jesus explains and rebukes Peter. He says, Get behind me, Satan, because you are a hindrance to me.

And then he goes on to say why; for you have set your mind not on the things of God, but on the things of this world. Although Peter meant well, what Jesus was trying to say is this; God's plan for me is to suffer in Jerusalem and be crucified, that I may be glorified on the third day. And yet here you are telling me not to fulfil the plan of God. We see Paul warning believers in Second Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse three, he says, I am afraid as the serpent who deceived Eve will lead you astray from your pure and sincere devotion to Christ.

What exactly is this deception that Paul is talking about? We read in the Book of Genesis Chapter two. God instructs Adam and Eve very clearly. We see the word God commanded them, right? It's not an option. It is God's instruction that is bound and meant to be followed. And God says you are free to eat of any fruit from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat of the fruit of the tree of good and evil.

For in the day you will eat of it. You will surely die. Now God is very clear, he says, do not eat from this tree for the day you eat of it, you will surely die. And in chapter three verse four we see the serpent talking to Eve saying. Eat of this fruit, you will surely not die. What do you see here? God says you will die if you eat of it and the serpent says, oh, you will not die. Don't worry about it. Right?

There's a problem. This is exactly what Satan does. He contradicts God, and he somehow convinces our mind and leads us astray from the plan of God. That is exactly what Peter was doing, although he had good intentions, he loved Jesus, and he said, don't go to Jerusalem. But going to Jerusalem and being crucified is the plan of God. And Jesus says you are a hindrance to me. Get behind me, Satan.

Now, there may be good people in our lives who mean well to us. But that does not mean that their advice is God's plan for us. You know what I mean? We have a lot of people who care about us, who give us great advice, which may seem wise, and we may even obey and follow their counsel. But these very things would lead us astray from our pure devotion to Christ. It is important that we know the Word of God, that we understand the will of God and the plan of God, that we would not go astray in our faith. My friend, Paul would write to us in Romans twelve two, be transformed by the renewal of your mind our mind must be changed. And the only way we can change it the right way is by knowing God's Word...