What would you have to do for Jesus to call you Satan? When Jesus rebuked Peter in this way, Peter was doing what he genuinely thought was right. In Matthew 16, after a series of miracles and ministry, Jesus asks the disciples who they say he is. When Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God (v. 16), Jesus blesses him and says that on that rock He will build His church. There is no more important question for us to answer than, “Who do you say Jesus is?”
Peter finally gets this one right, only to soon become overzealous and get reprimanded by Jesus. As Jesus is telling them how he must die and resurrect, Peter rebukes Jesus and says that he should never die! In Peter’s mind, Jesus being the true Son of God is completely incompatible with him becoming a suffering servant who would die. While this seems very reasonable for Peter, Jesus says to him “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
We face this problem ourselves when it comes to how we relate to Jesus. We often live in general deference towards Christ, while living for ourselves. We can acknowledge Jesus as Savior and even as deity, while still at our core only seeking to serve ourselves. Our culture is constantly inviting us to set our minds on the self, that our deepest source of happiness will come with our fullest sense of self-actualization. But Jesus’ call is different: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This is the first mention of a cross in the book of Matthew. Jesus is inviting his disciples to come and die with him. God always calls us to carry a cross, and sometimes asks us to get on it. Pray daily this week and ask God what area of life you are prone to generally defer to Him, but you are really serving yourself.