The Jesus Advocate

The Jesus Advocate
Words of Faith 1-11-2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 8
[31] He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. [32] He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
[33] But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.
Jesus communicated as clearly as possible what things were ahead-- suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. But Peter objected. Peter forcibly pulled Jesus aside to rebuke the plan that included suffering.
Peter probably had in mind a much more triumphant approach. He had seen the power that was at the hands and call of Jesus. Peter knew that Jesus could call angels from heaven to His defense. He knew that Jesus was capable of establishing an earthly kingdom. So Peter rebuked the cross. Peter rebuked the plan of God.
The response of Jesus is stunning. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
We don't want to misunderstand here. Peter did not turn into the devil, nor was he possessed by a demon. The word "Satan" originally meant "adversary." Peter was speaking the words of the Adversary. The Adversary is always opposed to God's plan. Peter was voicing the sort of temptation that Jesus had long ago put aside in the wilderness-- the temptation to exalt Himself through earthly power to rule earthly kingdoms.
Peter's failure was that he focused on the earthly way rather than God's way. Peter was stuck on the solutions of men rather than the solutions of God. Peter had fallen for the tempting alternative of the Adversary. The Adversary hates the cross. It is the one battlefield where the Adversary cannot win. The Adversary will do anything to keep us from the cross because it is a place he cannot stand.
Don't miss this. The Adversary will suggest every other alternative to fix your life, and if he can keep you from the cross, he has won.
"Get behind me" probably meant to get back into submission as a disciple. Sometimes, that is precisely the word we need from the Lord. No coddling. Nothing warm and fuzzy.
Don't miss this either. We sometimes toss around the phrase "Devil's Advocate" to describe how we express another side of an issue or decision. In a meeting, someone will say, "Let me play the 'Devil's Advocate'." I often say that the Devil is not entitled to such advocacy in our discussions. Instead, we need to line up behind Jesus. Get behind Jesus. Be the Jesus advocate. That is all we need to do.

Lord, I want to be Your advocate. I want to get in line behind You in complete submission. I want to affirm Your way and only Your way. I want to claim the victory of the cross. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.