Why did Jesus call Peter “Satan”?
It was not to be insulting. Rather, Jesus truthfully pointed out that Satan was using Peter to oppose the work of Jesus. (23) Why did Jesus claim that Peter had his mind on the “things of men”? Peter supposed that God would never allow good Christians, especially Jesus Christ, to suffer. This is error. It is still being propagated today. Jesus rightly points out that such an idea is not from God, but from the wrong imaginations of the human mind. (24) What does “taking up his cross” mean? In Jesus’ day, taking up a cross means to grasp the horizontal bar of a made of two pillars of wood, drag it from the place of judgment to the place of execution, endure ridicule and mockery from the crowd, be nailed onto the cross, and finally die. (25) What does Jesus mean hy this verse? Those who strive to preserve only their earthly life will lose their eternal life. But those who are willing give up this meaningless earthly quest, and put their trust in Jesus Christ, will find a new life of bless
