CONFESSOR OR TRANSGRESSOR?
Jesus had many hard sayings, but the teaching concerning His suffering, death and resurrection was the hardest for the disciples to receive. Bold Peter even attempted to rebuke Jesus for saying such things. But Jesus put him in his place with, “Get behind Me, Satan!” Poor Peter went from Peter the confessor, who Christ commended, to Peter the transgressor in a matter of moments. One minute, he was listening to God’s voice, recognizing Jesus as the “Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And the next minute, he was under Satan’s influence, trying to dissuade Jesus from His ultimate purpose. Jesus tried to prepare the disciples for the cross and the empty tomb, but only the sight of His resurrected body and the sound of His voice was able to convince them of its truth. They finally understood that Jesus “must go” to the cross, the tomb and be raised again on the third day in order to redeem us and reconcile us to God.
What are you confessing today? Are you listening to the voice of the Spirit?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we want to listen to Your voice today. Open our ears to hear, so that when we speak, we bear witness to Your truth and Your gospel. Forgive us when our words transgress rather than confess. Tame our tongues that we might always speak according to Your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.