Peter's Confession

Peter's Confession

 

In Mark 8:27-29, when Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people think I am?” they answered, “Some say he is Elijah, and others say he is one of the prophets.” When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you think I am?” Peter confessed to Jesus, “You are the Son of God.” However, Jesus is saying that after suffering and being killed, he will be raised again on the third day.

Peter suddenly rebelled against what Jesus said. In other words, you should not die. Peter grabbed Jesus and protested. A more detailed defense appears in Matthew 16:22-23. 『Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.』

Because Peter does something like denying the work of God for a moment, the moment Satan (the prosecutor) tries to indict Peter, Jesus Christ defeats Satan to protect Peter.

And Jesus rebuked Peter. Because Peter thinks about human things, he is trying to stumble Jesus. Peter denied Jesus three times until the rooster crowed three times. And Jesus died on the cross. Peter, who denied it three times, says in Matthew 26:75, “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.” And he went out, and wept bitterly. 』However, the resurrected Jesus Christ visited Peter and gave him the task of spreading the kingdom of God once again.

John 13:36-38 『Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said to him, Lord, why cannot I follow them now? I will lay down my life for your sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.』

This conversation was spoken by Jesus before he died on the cross. Jesus allowed Peter to experience things that no one else had experienced. Jesus said, “Cast your net into the deep,” and made Peter, who had not caught a single fish all night, catch fish until his net tore, and his mother-in-law’s fever immediately went away. He told me to go. In the Bible, no one experienced as many miracles as Peter. Peter confessed, “You are the Son of the living God,” and he was the Peter who walked on the stormy sea. Peter's confession that he would "lay down my life for the Lord" must have been a significant decision from a human perspective.

But when Jesus was captured and stood on the cross, everything changed for Peter. Jesus died on the cross and became his corpse. He became Jesus, who was abandoned by this world. Can all humans follow Jesus, who was abandoned by the world? What would you do if you faced persecution, tribulation, and disadvantages because of your faith in Jesus? Jesus' death was a cruel thing that could not be compared to anything like this. When the people saw the miracles of Jesus, they thought of making him the king of the world to oppose Rome.

Even those who have not repented can receive the grace of the Word. The unrepentant may prefer miracles. Those who repent do not seek miracles themselves. Apostle Paul confessed, “I decided not to know anything except Christ crucified.” He who repents does not want the things of this world, nor does he desire any blessings in this world. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for us, how can He hope for blessings in the world?

Peter represents those who claim to believe. “You cannot follow me now, but you will follow me later.” Baptism is a sign of salvation, and no one is saved unless they are united with Jesus Christ on the cross. If a person previously lived as he wanted, and he improves his life, he is considered to have been born again. But those things are the same as Peter's resolution. A life in which we have no choice but to receive the life that God gives us and live according to the Word of God. This is grace and the new covenant. However, this cannot be done by human power. If you are caught up in the thought that you have to do something, it is evidence that you are under the law. “I have to pray, I have to go to the early morning prayer, I have to evangelize.” Being obsessed like this is legalistic. Being obsessed with these thoughts is a religious act.

Many churches today are very different from the Christianity of Luther's time. When it was said that "justification is achieved by faith," Luther's time was a Christianity that risked one's life. However, today many churches are united with the world and pursue the things of the world. Those who repent do not care about the successes and failures of the world. Just as a thirsty deer seeks water, believers only seek Jesus. If you do not have such a broken heart, you will not be a repentant. “Should I just believe in Jesus? If you think, “If I accept Jesus, I will be saved,” it is difficult. That's what the physical self thinks. This is the story of Peter who denied it three times.

No matter how many miracles you experience or how much you receive God’s grace, those in the flesh do not change. The only thing Peter couldn't hear was Jesus' words about dying. He couldn't understand Jesus' words, "I came to die in your stead." The disciples think of Jesus as a king, but the idea that Jesus will die as a sacrificial lamb does not reach Peter's ears. For three years, not a single disciple asked a question about the resurrection. This is the body. Even though twelve spies were sent into Canaan, the ten spies said that if they entered Canaan they would die, and all the people believed them and wailed. The priests all heard and remembered that Jesus would die and be resurrected three days later, but the disciples did not even remember. Because everyone is under the flesh. Before we repent before the cross, we are all flesh.

Repentance does not mean remembering the sins you have committed before the cross and listing them all, but it begins with realizing that Jesus died because of you. The pain of Jesus' death must be as painful as my sins. This is the way to be united with the death of Jesus.

Repentance is only united with Jesus Christ who died on the cross. Repentance does not begin with loving the world less, but with dying to the world. To die to the world is to leave Egypt. The Red Sea symbolizes death to the world. But the wilderness is where I kill the world. Then the Lord will regenerate you. So the new man born in the wilderness enters Canaan.

Repentance that is not united with Christ who died on the cross is false repentance. Any faith that claims to believe without repentance can also be considered fake. There can be no change without repentance. Without repentance, there can be nothing other than the life received from parents and the temperament of family. This is only a temporary adjustment. No one responds to the cross. This is because the body cannot respond to the cross. Rather, the fleshly mind becomes enmity with God. The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God. Ultimately, the flesh does not want to repent. The body does not change my life or my habits.