The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 16:21-25, “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 be raised up on the third
day.
22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid it,
Lord! This shall never happen to You.’
23 But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests,
but man’s.’
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me,
he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
25 ‘For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his
life for My sake will find it.’”

Did you ever speak-up without thinking clearly what you were going to say?
Boy, I have! And many times, it proved to be an big embarrassment! Every-
one turns to look at you, and you’re so rattled that you’ve almost forgotten
what you said –you just wished everyone else would forget it, as well.

Fortunately for me, I was often challenging someone of my own standing.
Peter elected to challenge Jesus’ very statement: “God forbid it, Lord! This
shall never happen to You!”

Just imagine! Peter could have asked how Jesus knew…, He could have asked for more information. Yet, he challenged Jesus’ Sonship with the
Father! There is virtually nothing more severe Peter could have asked!

Jesus’ rebuke was huge! And He did address it to Peter. However, I don’t
think Jesus meant that Peter was Satan. I believe He was addressing
Satan, who had infiltrated Peter’s thinking! Let such infiltration never be ours!

Haven’t you on occasion said something that you later wondered what made you say it? Could it not have been Satan who induced you to say it? Certainly, it could have been. We believers must guard ourselves against the Adversary.
And we do that by literally “living in the Scriptures!” They alone are His Words!
Is the Bible your best read of every day? Have you read it today? It exists for
your benefit.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom