The Cross: God’s Plan vs Human Thinking

Why did Jesus have to suffer and die on the cross? Why did Peter, one of His closest disciples, try to stop Him? In this Christian sermon from Bethel Christian Assembly in Phoenix, Arizona, we explore Matthew 16:21–24 and the tension between human understanding and God’s purpose.
The Cross: God’s Plan vs Human Thinking

So whenever there was exam time we would pray that let would if any minister would die that would be a good for us. English. So I think it was like a English or summer subject when I was studying. It was a hard topic for me. Then I was thinking if somebody would have died so the exam would get cancelled. I would pray that nobody I know should not die or so one of my party members should not die. So I was look I was listening to the radio and changing the channels to see if anybody died and I was listening there was a BBC channel which was good breaking news. So BBC channel was uh was saying a breaking news at that time.
India’s prime minister Rajiv Gandhi assassinated. So we heard that the Rajiv Gandhi got assassinated. I have gone to Truvandum in a bus to see that person but I could not reach there because of the traffic and we had to go back. So we think that some people that whom we love they should not go through some bad time or should not get die. But when we live in this world, many people goes through many troubles and many things come into their life that is uh that brings an uh sadness in our life. Uh let me read a verse from the Bible.
You guys remember my last message? I know that it’s it’s a while ago.
Scripture Reading and Peter’s Rebuke of Jesus
Let’s turn our attention Let’s turn our attention to Matthew chapter 16 22. And yet Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord. This shall never happen to you. it. It is a words which this message is connected to my previous message since you forgot that. So I’m happy today because I can use some of that part in today’s message. Peter rebuked Jesus.
Usually uh it should be the other way around where Jesus rebukes Peter. Peter did not do this on an emotional side. He did not do as him being an obstacle. Back in days we everybody agreed to buy a church. So what one person stood up and he said in a prophecy that we should not buy this church. He said that so that he do not need he does not want to give money for that church. Peter did not uh that for that same reason uh Peter did not do this. Uh that church was bought and there was no problem uh in in that church. Everybody would be thinking apart from us which soul did come into this church. What did go through the mind of Peter when he did that? Peter used the same word which Jesus had used before. Epitomo, rebuke, to speak sternly against against someone. Mark 4 34 39 we read and he got up and rebuked the wind and said to sea hush be still. The same word is being used by Peter. In Luke 4:35, there’s a rebuke that Jesus says towards the unclean spirit. That is the same thing Peter is using with Jesus. Matthew 17 18 we read uh 17 18 You see, and Jesus rebuked the demon, then by what authority is a disciple rebuking Jesus. When Peter was rebuking Jesus, what was going through his mind? When everybody was standing there, Peter did not go in front of everybody and say that he Peter took Jesus aside. And we see that Peter took Jesus aside and say God forbid may God be merciful to you oh Lord. And we see in some translation let it says Lord let it not happen to you. Peter through his uh human mindset he said that that let it not happen with you. Peter in his world in his time has seen many crucifications. Peter might have thought about that crucification happening with Jesus. the the the laws of that place might have gone through the mind of Peter. Hallelujah. We read in the words like whoever is hung on a tree is cursed. During the crucification, they apply the Roman laws for that because that is a curse. the to the to die on the cross is a curse. That curse may not come on Jesus on my teacher. That is what Peter wants. Whoever is hung on that cross may be laying there for many days. who hung on that cross for many days. You see when they hung on that cross the pieces of their body tries to fall off. The birds and the vultures may come down and eat of it. The earthn animals or creatures might eat the flesh which is on the on the land. That thought was the one thing that came in the Peter’s mind that my lord should not go through that curse. In the words we see that what is written about Jesus to us. A child is born. Why is that child born to be destroyed for us? There is a son for us. Why is the son given to us? So that there can be eternal life prepared for us. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And Peter decided or Peter thought that that experience of cross should not go through Jesus’s life. Jesus should not face troubles. Jesus should not have that curse of cross. Whoever dies on that cross does not get a good burial. Hallelujah. The body or the flesh the should not get rotten or should not fall off the body. That was what Peter was thinking. We know when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated they did not find any parts of the body that because of that human bomb he got destroyed and scattered. People could not identify anything. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So Peter was thinking that my Lord, my teacher should not go through that scatterness or that destruction.
Hallelujah. As per Peter, my lord, that Jesus should not go through that curse or that trouble. But what was Jesus saying? Chapter 16 21. From that time Jesus began to point out to his disciple that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and scribes and to be killed and to be raised up on the third day. This is something which is told to the disciples who loved Jesus. So when the Jesus says that he will be died or he will be killed and raised up on the third day, they are thinking how will you raise up on the third day? Hallelujah. There were many disciples around Jesus, but there was no other except Peter who could say this out boldly.
God’s Provision and Fulfillment of Prophesy
What when I was reading through these verses, what came into my mind was Peter wanted a Lord who comes as a mighty f as a mighty God, not as the one who suffers. When all these disciples, the 12 disciples were aside, there was a Peter ofSirene who was called to to get that cross. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We think that we we can do anything. I can be replaced and anyone of can be replaced. Hallelujah. We are not a permanent person any place. If it is they will God will prepare a person for that. If it is something that God has planned for there will be a person to replace you. If there’s a word that is written and to fulfill that the God will open ways for that not something that prophet said but what is written in the word of God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The word word of God says his body should not show dra should not go through the destructions.
So when in Deuteronomy we when somebody has sinned or somebody has done something wrong he should be hung on that tree and he should not be laying there but he his body should be taken away. If somebody is sentenced to death and hung on that tree, his body should not be left overnight on the tree, but it should be buried. be buried so that you not defile your land which Lord your God has given you as an inheritance.
Hallelujah. So that this kind of thought was going through the Peter’s mind. How will all these thing happen? Hallelujah. I’m not saying much about the background but all by those three and a half years Peter has known many things about Jesus. The disciples have went through a good course. Hallelujah. The past three and a half years, the disciples have learned many things by Jesus. Jesus had said this many times that he will raise up on the third day. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. As per a human mind, this is not possible. Peter is thinking as per his capabilities. But in the past they did not see something like that happen. At the very last moment the soldiers called the Peter ofSirene to hold that cross. Jesus never spoke to the Peter of Peter ofSirene that he will be he will be crucified or he has to carry the cross without knowing many of the things we fall into many places. There are pe God has delivered many people who does not know anything. God has used many people who never knew what to do. There was in in Kerala the place called Adur there was a pastor he was known as a loading papachan today’s well whoever have received whoever has a good knowledge of word would not preach as good as that pastor so people can go can use anybody If there is a promise of God, if there is a word of God, it will not pass away without its fulfillment. Even though he the God can use even the Newton’s third law to fulfill it. I ask my childrens, what is the Newton’s third law?
Hallelujah. There is nothing impossible for our God. Hallelujah. If God has to use somebody, he will use it. Hallelujah. Jesus is telling Peter, Peter, I will raise up the third day. I know you will not be there, but I know God is opening up a ways to carry the cross for me. God God prepared Nicodemus. God prepared the Joseph of even though he was crucified with the other pe the sin sinners but his burial was done among the rich people. The word of God says the body of Christ had not to be taken a far but it was nearby. Hallelujah. If Peter would have gone to King Pilate, he would not have given the body to Peter. God who did God opened prepared God prepared Joseph to bring the body. Joseph was a rich man. He was a member of the council. He had authority. He he had some holds. He had the uh power to go before the king pilot. He had the boldness to go in front of the king and ask for the body. Pilot did not give away the body as it is. Pilot used all the authority that he had. He asked the centurion. He asked the the condition of the Jesus. The centurion said that Jesus died. The other two thieves who did not die, their legs were broken. The word of God was fulfilled. The prophecy was fulfilled. His bones were not not broken. The same day the prophecies were fulfilling one after the other. Hey Peter, how did the how how how what type of burial did Jesus receive? God used Nicotmus for that.
He brought 100 pounds of things. Hallelujah. uh 1 kilo of 100 pound 100 pounds of uh fragrance. Those were spread on the body of Jesus and Jesus’ body was covered and placed safely. Hallelujah. To see the miracle the disciples were present. Hallelujah. to see the healings. The daughter of Gyrus was present. There was a blind person to call out to Jesus. There was the daughters of Jerusalem to cry out Jesus the son of David. Hallelujah. There were at the cross there was Muriam and some other sisters. You see the descending order when there was a big crowd and the crowd gets a lesser arrester and at the cross it was only Jesus who was left. Hallelujah. God prepared the chosen of Armatias to give a burial to Jesus. They made sure Jesus did die. Hallelujah. If Nicodemus was one of a disciple with Jesus, I I doubt if Nicodemus would be present at the last time. When Peter hesited to testify for Jesus, there was a person named Joseph Armatias who came forward to take the body of Jesus. Hallelujah. Joseph says, “Jesus died for me.” Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Even though there was no deceit in him, they c they they hung Jesus in between the in between the sinners.
Hallelujah. Why is all the why did all the prophecy fulfilled one after the other?
Creation Gap and Human Worth at the Cross
Genesis 1 verse one. and we read in Genesis 1:es 1, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In visions Moses stopped that the to write the second verse in chapter one the hands of Moses was trembling.
What is Genesis chapter 1 verse two? What is Genesis chapter verse chapter 1 verse two? What is Moses seeing in the second verse? He says the earth was formless and desolate and empty. But in the first verse he says God created and now the second verse he says everything is formless and empty. We don’t know how much ears are there in between verse one and two. Hallelujah. There is a big gap over there. We don’t know how much gap or how many years passed away between verse one and two. So even though the earth was formless and desolate and empty in between that among that even though that happened Jesus came into this world that he may save us. We were once formless. We were once empty. We were once a useless person. Once we were somebody who was not useful when Jesus was dying on that cross when he died on the cross we were in his heart.
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And that is why Jesus decided to bear the pain. Peter said that out of his love Lord let it not happen to you. Let me tell you another thing and I’ll conclude. We need to uh we need to uh meditate on this these two things.
Heavenly Vision vs. Worldly Mindset
Verse 17. We read in verse 17, then Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my father who is in heaven.” When did Jesus say this? Well, Jes Peter saw a vision, a a vision by God that when is Jesus going to through this? Peter has received a heavenly vision. Hallelujah. After receiving the vision from the heaven, God, Jesus is telling Simon that you did not receive it through human mind. My heavenly father revealed it to you. What this means is you cannot bring come into this conclusion through your mindset or your thoughts. You need a heavenly wisdom. Peter was thinking about uh about Jesus on the heavenly thoughts. But verse 24, verse 23, verse 23, look at this. Now Jesus is saying that you are a stumbling block for me. Earlier Jesus said to Peter that you are you have received a heavenly vision. Now you’re saying that you are Satan. How did a person receiving a heavenly vision is there’s also a Satan coming into him. This is what my conclusion is. When we think about something in heaven, we are the sons of God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. When we think about this world, we are the children of Satan. Hallelujah. There it does not take it just only takes seconds to move from son of son of heaven to the son of Satan. After 20 minutes, it could be from when I step down, I could be I could get into this world. Hallelujah. And for that all this that he may separate us. That is why Jesus is there. We all desire to be the sons or childrens of God. We all wants to think about some of about heaven. Let us all think about that cross. There are three cross. Hallelujah. And Jesus was crucified on that middle cross. Peter thought it was the it was Jesus finished. Jesus would not come back. When I come back tomorrow, the body of Jesus would be still there. When I come the next day, the body, the flesh will be falling off of his body. I do not have the strength to see that destructions to that body. Hallelujah. I cannot see the suffering that my Jesus went through. I do not want to see that suffering. I do not want to see when they are being. I do not want to see when they’re nailing him. I do not want to see when they’re placing the the nothing should happen to my teacher together as we together united as with the Peter.
The Ultimate Sacrifice and Relationship Restored
Let us think about that cross. Hallelujah. Our Lord Jesus died on that cross. We cannot do anything now. There’s only one thing that we can do now to think of the heaven heavenly things. Hallelujah. Think what is in the heaven. Not of this world. If we think of this world, we are the children of Satan. Let us think about of the heavens. Let us let us meditate on this word. Let us think about that cross where he was beaten, where he went through that suffering where nobody could identify him. His body was torn away. Hallelujah. He bore our sins. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. He took away our diseases. Hallelujah. He could have come down off the cross. But for as he bore that cross and that suffering, there was only one thing that Jesus could not suffer on that cross. Only one thing that he could not suffer on that cross. The the relation between the father and the son got dist that separation that Jesus could not suffer. Jesus did not had to suffer that separation. Jesus said that let that separation not happen today. Still it is not my will let it be your will. Hallelujah. Why? Why did that relationship got separated? Hallelujah. To renew a relationship with you and us. There is a Lord’s table among among us today. As we partake in this Lord’s table, let us say, Lord, renew that relationship within us. If we backslided in that relationship, let that relationship renew this morning. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Lord Jesus, when you hung on that cross, you remembered us and you sac you you experienced that suffering for us, remembering us. Hallelujah. We could have prayed like like Peter did, but we cannot now because crucification did happen. Let us say this morning, Lord, let me not cruise you. Let me not crucify you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That by the word of God, led by the sacrifice of Jesus, the relationship renewed this morning. Hallelujah. May the Lord bless us by all these words today.