Follow Jesus instead of trying to lead Jesus

By Dean Collins

Peter apparently got confused about his role as a disciple. In a way, it is understandable. Peter was the star student when Jesus asked the disciples what people were saying about him. Several others had shared that some people thought Jesus was a prophet like Elijah, Jeremiah, or John the Baptist. Some thought Jesus might be the resurrection of one of these older or modern-day prophets. But when Jesus directly asked the disciples who he was, it was Peter who spoke the truth. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus praised Peter in front of his peers and told him that he would play a major role in the future. But it wasn’t long before Peter overstepped. In essence, Jesus went from asking, “who do you think I am?” followed by basically asking Peter, “who do you think you are?” Right after Jesus explained that he must go to Jerusalem where he would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders, die on the cross, and be raised to live again, Peter pushed back on Jesus telling him that this should never happen to him.

Jesus gave a strong rebuke to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan.” That phrase should sound familiar. It is very similar to the rebuke Jesus gave the devil in the wilderness back in Matthew chapter 4.

It is easy to forget that the enemy is very calculating in how he tempts us in order to disrupt the work of Christ in our lives. One powerful lesson for us to remember from this exchange between Jesus and Peter is that we should always follow Jesus instead of trying to lead Jesus. That sounds obvious; yet, how many times have we found ourselves pursuing a life that is all about our pleasure, our preferences, and our plans?

The call of discipleship requires that we surrender more than we keep. Yet, we spend so much of our lives trying to figure out how much we can hold on to instead of how much we can release for God’s purposes. We often think of our calendars, our families, our jobs, our relationships as simply ours. What if we shifted to understanding that everything in this life is first from God and to be used by God for his pleasure and purpose? God’s pleasure is never to hurt us. When we surrender everything to him, he will not only accomplish his will in our lives; but he will also bring us full and abundant joy.

Peter did finally get it right. He did learn his place as a follower of Jesus. God used Peter’s surrendered life to impact the whole world for the gospel. Consider the transformation of Peter that we find in 1 Peter chapter 4:

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (12-14)

It is understandable that Peter didn’t want his rabbi to suffer. What Peter didn’t understand in his early days with Jesus, he came to learn through his obedience to Christ during the rest of his time on earth. And the good news is that Jesus never gives up on us. As we seek him in prayer and in his word, we will certainly find times where he corrects our thinking and leads us to repentance. Our obedience in those moments becomes the catalyst for real transformation which will always lead to experiencing the fullness of Christ’s love, peace, and joy.

Lord, we confess that we have often tried to do things our way instead of surrendering to your ways. Today, we choose to follow you. Take our lives and make them fully yours. In Jesus name, Amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 16:15-16 ESV
Matthew 16:21-28 NIV

Photo by Jens Johnsson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-arrow-signed-66100/
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