Final Words

When the disciples heard Jesus talking about dying, they surely must have thought to themselves, "It cannot be!"  They had made no small sacrifice to follow this rabbi named Jesus.  They had left homes.  They had wives and, perhaps, children who were growing up.  They had left everything which had always been a part of their lives and it was incredulous for them to think that after such a short time, it was going to end.  Matthew records three specific times when Jesus told them what was going to happen in Jerusalem. "From that time on, Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering...be killed, and on the third day be raised."  (Matthew 16:21, 17:22, 20:17).   

None of them believed it to be possible.  Peter actually pulled Jesus aside and with a rebuke in his voice said to Jesus, "God forbid it, Lord!  This must never happen to You."  (Matthew 16:22).  They had seen Jesus feed the five thousand, heal so many from diseases, watched him walk on water, but the boldness of this word filled with what was obviously impossible was too much to accept as a future reality.  It was a moment filled with more than just disbelieve over a certain moment, but a moment of declaring their unwillingness to accept the plan of God.  

 If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit there have been times when we were unwilling to accept the plan of God as it touched our lives.  There are things which are beyond our ability to accept as reasonable expressions of God working out a plan in our lives.  Our logical minds have questioned His judgement.  We have offered other more viable solutions and even made bargains with Him as a way of pressuring Him to see and do things our way.  Whenever it has happened, it is likely that we heard in some form or another the words Jesus spoke to Peter, "You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are setting your minds  not on divine things but on human things. (Matthew 16;23)