Psalm 87, 90; 1 Macc. 2:1-28; Rev. 20:1-6; Matt. 16:21-28
Last week we saw that the leaders of the people in the times of Ezra had a problem, they had broken with the Law and married foreign wives. Ezra’s reaction to that situation and the Maccabees’ reaction to the apostasy of the people were very similar, tearing their clothes and mourning greatly. Matthias was a true leader and the king’s officers knew it. They knew that if they could entice the leaders to forsake their God then the people would quickly follow their lead. Matthias, however, was a better man than that, he truly believed in Yahweh and sought His honor. His reaction to seeing a Jew participate in the abomination of the pagan worship drove him to murder the man and then turn that wrath outward to the king’s officer, encouraging other covenant-keeping Jews to join him outside the city.
Peter has just confessed Jesus to be Messiah, won his commendation, and now he believes he knows more than Jesus about what it means to be Messiah. Peter wants a Messiah but not a cross. Why does Jesus rebuke him this particular way? Peter has offered Jesus the same bargain satan has offered, kingdoms and riches without the cross, his words come right from the mouth of satan. It would be curious to know what the disciples were thinking when Jesus began here to talk about taking up their own cross and following Him, they couldn’t have known that He meant it quite literally for some of them and they surely couldn’t comprehend that He was actually going to die on a cross. We must, however, take up our own cross and die to self, die to the thoughts of man so that we can set our minds on the things of God.
The angel is strong enough to seize and bind satan into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. Then the saints who have been martyred and those who have not accepted the beast reign with Jesus during that interregnum. What a glorious time! It seems that this happens within space and time when satan’s influence will not be found yet there are those who will not believe and who will continue in rebellion. The reality of that is the exposure that sin is not external, it lies deep within us, the noetic effects of the fall are real in our lives. We are to blame, we cannot plead innocence as the 1960’s comedian Flip Wilson said, “The devil made me do it.” We are responsible for our own actions. Have we set our minds on the things of God or the things of man? Let us offer to Him to come and expose our hearts and minds to us that we might be transformed.
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