Through The Bible in a Year - July 21, 2026

"From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, 'Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.' But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'" - Matthew 16:21-23

Peter receives great commendation for declaring Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus says, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! My Father revealed this to you!" Then, seconds later, Peter becomes the mouthpiece of Satan.

He didn't mean to make such a U-turn. He was trying to push Jesus to greater acclaim and accomplishment. His motives were not malicious—they were human, even loving. "Far be it from you, Lord, to suffer and die! This shall never happen to you!"

But Jesus' response is immediate and stunning: "Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Peter's problem wasn't obvious, bad intentions. It was earthly thinking. He could not conceive of a kingdom built through suffering and death. He wanted glory without a cross. Victory without sacrifice. A king without a crucifixion.

And Jesus said: that is Satan's agenda, not God's.

We may recognize ourselves in Peter more than we'd like to admit. We want Jesus—but we want Jesus on our terms and for our earthly gain. We want the kingdom—but without the cross. We want to follow—but without the cost.

We want the prize without the sacrifice. The harvest without the hard seasons. The victory without the battle.

And Jesus says: "That is the thinking of man, not the thinking of God."

The mission of Jesus was not to make life comfortable. It was to die for sin, defeat death, and advance a kingdom that the gates of hell cannot stop. And anyone who truly follows Him participates in that mission—including the hard parts.

One of the most striking memorials I have ever visited is the building in Korea dedicated to early missionaries who were beheaded for their witness. They died for Christ. Some are remembered by name; some are not. Earthly acclaim and gain were not their goals. They set their minds on the things of God, not the things of man. Their priorities were eternal not earthly.

Respond: Where is your thinking more like Peter’s right now? Where are you trying to redirect Jesus’ ministry toward a more comfortable path—for yourself or for someone you love?

Maybe you're praying for ease instead of faithfulness. Asking God to remove the difficulty instead of trusting Him through it. You may be asking for his help in avoiding the costly conversation, the uncomfortable obedience, the sacrifice you know He's asking for.

Peter had the right confession and the wrong agenda. Jesus needed him to align his thinking with the Father's agenda, not with the world's.

This week, ask God to show you where your mind is set on the things of man rather than the things of God. Bring that to Him honestly—and ask for the courage to think and act like it. Then Jesus will walk with you wherever you need to go, and will give you the strength for whatever you need to do for his agenda.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess that sometimes I'm like Peter—right confession, wrong agenda. I want You, but on my terms. I want the kingdom, but without the cross. I want to follow, but without the cost. Set my mind on the things of God, not the things of man. Where I've been trying to redirect You toward what's comfortable for me, forgive me. Align my thinking with the Father's will—even when it costs me. I want to follow You, not the version of You I've invented. Please walk with me wherever you know I need to go. In Jesus’ name, Amen..