[RECAP] Only the cross has the power to deliver leaders from pursuing man’s interests and seeking for God’s. [END RECAP]

And this is why, in Mark 8:34, Jesus said what He said, not only to His disciples, not only to Peter, but also to the crowd that was there with them. You see, Jesus and Peter had a confrontation. Now, it wasn’t that Jesus was looking for a confrontation. He simply announced what He had to tell His men. They were His leaders. He had to tell them; He had to inform them because He was preparing them to take over for Him and they could not take over for Him unless they understood who He truly was and what He was really about. He was the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt. 16:16). He was the Son of Man, He is the Son of Man, from Daniel 7 (Dn. 7:13-14). He will reign, but He’s also the Suffering Servant from Isaiah, and Isaiah 53 is just as real for Jesus as Daniel 7.

But Peter didn’t understand that. And as soon as Jesus began to talk about ‘the Son of Man must suffer’, Peter could not respond to that. He simply could not handle it. That’s why he was up, out of his seat. That is why he took a hold of Jesus. That’s why there was almost some kind of almost physical force. There was a movement. Jesus was going with Peter. Peter was taking Him. Peter wanted Him to stop, ‘stop talking about the cross, You’re scaring us’, and he rebuked Jesus. And Jesus turned around and rebuked him. And said to him, ‘get in line where you belong, “Get behind Me”, the very same words He used in Mark chapter 1 to call Peter, He said to him in Mark chapter 8 in verse 33. “Get behind Me,” ‘get in line, don’t think that you can rebuke Me when I tell you something. Get behind and listen to Me. Hear Me!’ That’s what He was saying. And then remember, He called him Satan. Why? Because Peter was thinking like Satan. Crown without a cross.

And Jesus analyzed Peter. He said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan” and ‘Why are you thinking like Satan?  You’re not satanic.’ That’s not what He was saying to him. He wasn’t satanic. What He was saying to him was this, ‘You are not setting your mind, you are not focusing your mind, you are not establishing, focusing your values. You are not centering your thinking on the interests of God, but you are centering them on the interests of men. You want what man wants. You want a crown, Peter; God wants a cross.’

God’s interests are the cross. And that’s why He said what He said in Mark 8:34. Now, it’s very significant that we tie Mark 8:33 and Mark 8:34 together. Very often, I feel when we present or hear messages on Mark 8:34, very often people treat it—teachers, communicators, expositors—treat it as if there is no context, as if it is a stand-alone verse. It is not. It is a direct response, not only to Peter, but as we see right now, to the crowd. It’s a direct response to everyone who says, ‘I don’t want a cross’. Because, if you look at what happened right after verse 33, we discover that then the text says, in verse 34, “He called the crowd to Him, along with the disciples…” He called the crowd to Him.

You see, this message is not only for, only for leaders. Oh, it is very directly addressed to Peter and his issue with the interests of man rather than the interests of God. But it is not just for Peter the leader. It is for all who follow Jesus. It is for all who say, ‘I belong to Jesus.’ It’s for everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ. And He says to the crowd, and His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me…” Now stop and think for a moment. “If”, here’s what He’s saying.  Let me give you perspective first.  Remember when I said He told Peter, “Get behind Me”, same words as He used in Mark chapter 1 when He called Peter and Andrew. Then in Mark 8:33, He says those same words. Now, in Mark 8:34, He says those same words again.

And here’s the point that He’s making: if you really meant what you said, if you really meant what you did, in Mark chapter 1, let Me tell you what it means for you. If you really meant it, leader, when you said, ‘I want to belong to Jesus.’ If you really meant it, leader, when you said, ‘I want to give everything I have to Jesus.’ If you really meant it, leader, when you said, ‘I will identify with Jesus and I will do whatever He calls me to do.’

If you really meant it, my friend, then I’ve learned, there’s something you and I must face together.